People say 'Why would you learn Dutch? Nobody speaks it. Why not French?' Even the Dutch say that to me! I say because I want to live here, I think it's only common courtesy that I speak the language.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
We Dutch, we like to have an opinion, a strong opinion. We think we know everything better.
The more English is heard in the world, the more gratifying it seems to speak French, and above all to know the culture of our country. They find a kind of French social grace in the language and culture.
In France, everyone speaks French 'cause they think it's cool. Gives 'em, gives 'em an excuse to smoke.
In matters of commerce the fault of the Dutch Is offering too little and asking too much. The French are with equal advantage content, So we clap on Dutch bottoms just twenty per cent.
If you were to ask me to speak Swedish or Dutch or German, I have no idea if I could pull that off!
For me, French is so rich and so sacred that learning it is like learning a foreign language.
Afrikaans is my first language, although you would never know, as my English accent has more of an American-British thing going on from all my years of travelling.
People forget that there are villages and communities that are still speaking French all over Canada. I went to a bar and spoke with some French people there, and they were saying: 'I went to English school, but at home it was always French, and that's going to be the way it is for my kids.' It's important for them to keep that language alive.
One thing I can say about the French language is that no one in the world loves their language as much as they do. It doesn't matter if you're close - it still sounds terrible to their ears.
My heritage, many generations back, is Dutch and it was fun to go where nobody asked me how to pronounce my name.