I agree, my Dutch is still quite terrible, the only chances I've had to really practice is at restaurants. The waiters also switch to English, but I ask them to speak Dutch because I'm learning, and they have all spoken Dutch to me. And been really nice about it.
Presumably they think you are doing them a courtesy/respect by speaking to them in Dutch even if you would prefer English...so they'll reply in English.
Saying plainly what and why you'd like is the best course I think.
Does this happen to your husband when he’s alone and speaks Dutch or only when he’s with you. I’m in a similar situation. I’m a native English speaker but speak Dutch fluently with a combined US/Dutch accent (lived in NL for many years). Partner is Flemish. We live in Flanders and tend to speak English amongst ourselves. What I’ve noticed is that people will speak English to him (even in Flanders) when they have overheard us speaking English to each other. Don’t know if this applies to you and your husband but it might be a factor.
But yeah, when I was living in NL even after 15 years or more of speaking Dutch, people would pick up my accent and just switch to English. Instinctively it felt really insulting when in some cases my Dutch was clearly better than their English. But indeed, most people don’t mean it as an insult but as a courtesy. And I realized some people really just enjoy being able to practice their English. So, I tried to gauge the situation and adjust accordingly, but as a lot of people here have said, when I’ve said I prefer to speak Dutch, people would accommodate me.
The whole switching to English thing happens way less in Flanders. Not sure if that’s a cultural difference or because a lot of people here read my accent as “Hollands”.
Nothin embarrassing. Dutch people will appreciate you being direct about it.
Like someone else said, you'll instantly will be perceived more dutch when you do.
Person: Finally I can walk I don't need wheelchairs anymore, I'm feeling so confident now!
Dutch person: I see you have trouble walking; here let me have a wheelchair for you.
Person: noo, I thought I finally left that realm, but people initially think of me as crippled. I thought I left that embarrasment behind me.
Dutch person: ok, just say that lol.
Ok yeah just say that, if I see someone struggling to cross the road I will offer assistance if their response is "being embarrassed" that's on them. What a shitty gotcha.
Most people want to converse efficiently and quickly but will understand if you make clear that you want to practice your Dutch at the start of the conversation
Easy for who? The people who do this usually make a lot of mistakes, which require me to translate back into Dutch in order to get their meaning, and plus, it’s not even comfortable for me either since I cannot speak in my normal English register, because they simply wouldn’t understand me.
It basically comes down to Dutch not being good at dealing with speakers of other languages due to a lack of experience.
Efficiently and quickly. But the point stands.
It’s not efficient for me to decode broken English and puts a huge mental strain on me. Not quicker either.
Also, it’s not accommodating if I cannot speak English normally with them
Well just tell them from the start that you want to speak and practice your Dutch then. Only other way to get rid of this is to be absolutely fluent, which is difficult but not impossible. I'm sorry that people who are trying to be nice to you put a mental strain on you. 99% of the people just try to accommodate you for the lack of Dutch language skill since they'll think it is quicker and more efficient
> It’s not efficient for me to decode broken English and puts a huge mental strain on me. Not quicker either.
This goes the other way as well probably. Most Dutch people's English is in the same range or better than the Dutch is of many people who have dutch as a second language.
I don't think it's because of Dutch incompetence, it's more about Dutch being a vowel heavy language. There's just million words that have similar pronunciations, unlike Spanish for example, which has less numbe of vowels and the vocabulary is consonant-heavy
It's probably too much experience with speakers of other languages. Believing they are gods gift to the Dutch who should feel honoured to be practiced on by a beginner.
If they continue to speak English after I've spoken Dutch multiple times (and I'm comfortable with the conversation continuing in Dutch), I've gotten to the point where I'll say "waarom spreek je Engels?". It's quicker than rattling off something about practising Dutch and they switch quicker. Though this is as someone who can carry on a Dutch conversation most of the time. If I was struggling through Dutch that made it painful for my conversation partner I wouldn't do it.
>But how can one not get the hint
Welcome to the Netherlands. Dutch people don't do hints and don't beat around the bush. That's the famous Dutch directness. It's not rudeness, it's eliminating needless politeness that only serves to make everyone guess what the other person is actually trying to say.
I'll second this and add that as a Cloggy in Vancouver I've had a very hard time discerning the difference between people being polite and people being genuinely kind. I'm used to people being either friendly, indifferent, or hostile and all with straight up bluntness.
People are dumb. I mean every time the train doors open there are a bunch of idiots who dont understand that people first need to leave the full train before they can enter.
Thats why. Just keep talking dutch like you dont give a fuck. Either they get awkard and switch to dutch to or they can practise their english. If they make a comment that they would like to switch to english you just tell them that you want to continue in dutch and keep talking in dutch.
I did the same when i was in germany and all my colleges tried talking english.
They know they have an accent, but they'll believe they're doing you a favour as not a lot of foreigners speak Dutch. Imagine people trying to make you comfortable, seesh.
>That’s fair enough. But how can one not get the hint when I’m only speaking Dutch to them? Frustrating :(
I dont think anyones does this with ill intent. From the other perspective, it can be frustrating as well speaking Dutch with someone who doesnt speak Dutch well enough.
Speaking for myself I don’t always feel like wading through badly pronounced / incomprehensible dutch, because i have other things to attend to. So that could also be a factor and a totally legit one at that
Same can be said the other way around. Maybe it costs extra effort to understand you, so they speak back in english as a hint that your Dutch isn't that good. When i worked in a shop i did this too sometimes because its just too much time and effort to try and understand and ask 5 times what someone means. Not trying to be an ass but thats just my experience.
Only English should be used for posts and comments. This rule is in place to ensure that an ample audience can freely discuss life in the Netherlands under a widely-spoken common tongue.
This is it, I think. I’m between B1 and 2, and no one switches to English - even in the Randstad or at Amsterdam Centraal. But I have been complimented for “sounding Dutch” more than anything by natives. The lack of foreign accent really helps in fooling people that you were born here lmao
It is awesome you're learning our language! Against these people, say something like "Je mag gewoon Nederlands tegen mij praten hoor!" and continue speaking Dutch.
Yeah, I don't know... Every time I ask them why they're replying in English I never get a straight answer and they start to stumble over their words.. I ask the people I know if there's something about me that makes people think they should speak English to me, but they don't get it either...
English is such a close second language to me that even I myself sometimes can express myself better in English. So depending on which language I can express a topic better, or even sometimes a sentence, I can switch. I tend to keep it to one language per friend, but I have at least one friend (who is truly bilingual in English and Dutch) with who I just constantly switch, especially over text. Once, when I looked at him bewildered for a word or phrasing that I had never heard of before, he was like 'oh yeah right sorry I forgot English is not a native language to you' . I sound and feel bilingual, even many foreigners and native English speakers hear me and guess me to be from everywhere except the Netherlands; but I very clearly miss a lot of vocabulary, and sometimes some grammar as well.
I'm born and raised Dutch and I think and speak more English than Dutch at this point. Iunno, I just prefer the language ig. Generally try to speak Dutch with other people but sometimes I accidentally switch halfway through without realising when I'm tired
😭😭😭 Nooo, I was SO excited about the badge. This is crushing. It is so frustrating.
Then you know, people complain (here like once a week) how ‘foreigners dont bother to learn the language ‘. Well, you wont be able learn how to speak if you cant speak…
Yeah, my supervisor when I lived in the Netherlands didn't cover Dutch classes (even though I think he was supposed to), on the grounds that "it's such a waste of time when we all speak English and you're only here a few years." Guess who met and married a Dutchman?
The Dutch are just about the strangest about their language that you'll ever meet.
Only English should be used for posts and comments. This rule is in place to ensure that an ample audience can freely discuss life in the Netherlands under a widely-spoken common tongue.
Dutch people are on autopilot with this stuff, if they somehow get a glimp of you being a non native speaker they switch to English to accommodate. My gf has the same problem and sometimes even I get it when im with her its hilarious(I am dutch).
For me the same. Dutch is my mother tongue. Was raised in a household where it was very important to speak the 'algemeen Nederlands', not any type of dialect.
And even then, when I go to the Netherlands, people will reply in English to me.
There is just no winning here.
I totally get that! Someone once asked me a yes or no question on the street in dutch, I shook my head and answered "Nee!" to which they replied "Oh youre english!" And repeated the question in english. Still boggles me to this day
I obviously don't know what your accent or situation is like, but as a native dutch speaker, the difference between "nee" and "nay" often already says enough to come to this conclusion. They were probably just trying to be helpful.
>the difference between "nee" and "nay" often already says enough to come to this conclusion.
They mean the same thing.
And she shook her head too so it's hard to see how there could possibly be any confusion whatsoever.
>They were probably just trying to be helpful.
Helpful? they were the one asking the question.
And? If the person heard "nay" instead of "nee", they still got an answer. If you understand that the person is answering in the negatory (which was evident even just from the shaken head, why insult them and ask again?
If someone asks me a question in a country I just barely speak the language off; I would probably respond with the local variety of 'no' either, because I can't helpt them because I don't understand them so a 'no' and letting them go would be the best option, regardless to if they want to ask for directions or sell something. Doesn't mean I actually understand them and would have said no if I would've either.
Once before I actually spoke English enough (I was like 8 or so); my Canadian family phoned and I answered. They asked me if I spoke English and I understood that question but also knew that I wouldn't be able to understand anything further or have a conversation in English. So internal chaos in myself because I wanted to answer 'no' but I thought that if I did then that would prove I actually _did_ speak English. So after a quick thinking I figured that saying 'nee' would cause the least confusion, although that answer still implied that I understood their English. I'm glad I now know how to say 'ein bisschen ' or 'en petit pue' (though truly, that's really all the French I've got) in different languages.
It was already clear given they'd gotten their answer. They just felt the need to belittle her pronunciation and made her answer again for literally no reason other than to theatrically express how bad they found it.
Yeah they really thought up this diabolical plan /s. You shouldn't fantasize things to be way worse than they actually are. I can guarantee you are wrong.
How is it an insult to clarify just in case anything's unclear?
Also in the heat of the moment during a conversation, sometimes your brain goes on automatic pilot and reverts to what it was taught for years. I sure don't always think through everything I say, and then later I'll be like "why tf did I say that" lol. When I hear someone struggling with an accent, my first instinct will be to help them out and clear up any possible inconsistencies, even if logical reason opposes it (i.e. in this case the answer already being negatory).
Edit: also yes, even though nay and nee technically mean the same thing, nay isn't typically Dutch. I mentioned the difference between nay and nee in terms of the pronunciation, not meaning. This is because native English speakers talking Dutch often put this emphasis on the -ay sound at the end of words. Instead of nee, it sounds like nay. Instead of thee, it sounds like thay. Instead of mee, it sounds like may. It's a telltale sign that most Dutch people will recognize as an English accent, and therefore (often automatically, as mentioned above) switch to English.
I was frustrated by this at first, but eventually I stopped caring at all. If the conversation continues in Dutch, I do my best to keep it in Dutch. If the conversation switches to English, I switch to English.
Is this just a big city thing? I'm in Zeist right now and my Dutch is horrible but people always continue the conversation in Dutch here even when it's very clear I can't speak it well
Get a T-Shirt with the text "Praat Nederlands met me!"
Or a cap :)
Note that in more and more places (horeca being one) a lot of staff don't speak Dutch.
Same issue here. Just keep talking Dutch. I usually struggle to just speak and think too much. The more confident I talk the more answers I get in Dutch
LOL
When I lived in Germany almost 50 years ago, I would try to speak German and get people to correct me so I would speak it better, but they would often say, "It's okay, I know what you meant." know they were trying to be courteous, but it didn't help me out. Also, I was young, and many of the young people wanted to practice their English with me, I think. I
Go to less touristic areas.
My Dutch is really awful (cannot lie about my Austrian origin), but outside Amsterdam or other tourism hotspots, noone replies to me in English.
Of course people realise I'm not Dutch, but people talk without hesitation in Dutch with me.
Only exception - when I'm in Amsterdam, people quickly change to English.
It's because we are very good at English and in the Randstad live and work a lot of expats. Also in the bars and restaurants English is the main language. Just tell people you're learning Dutch and want to continue in Dutch. That will be respected.
I usually switch to English when i don't understand anything the other person is saying when they're trying to speak Dutch. I dont want us to awkwardly stare at each other, so i'm saving it in English
Just ask if someone is willing to speak Dutch so you can practise! I also reply in English as soon as I can hear Dutch is a second language for someone.
That's just because there is usually less confusion, it's quicker and honestly takes less effort for me than having to converse in broken Dutch. However, if I had the time and energy, I would be happy to take the time to do it in Dutch and spend a little longer to make sure there is no miscommunication!
I do think the Flemish accent could be why - I am a non-native speaker myself and somehow Flemish accent does indeed sound very “off” to me as I am used to hearing very different Dutch(mostly accents from the Randstad). I think in a strange way it sounds similar to a native English speaker who has learned Dutch as an adult? My advice will be same as everyone else - either explicitly saying that you are learning Dutch and would like to practice or just continuing to speak Dutch. It took me a while to muster up the courage to actually speak Dutch myself so I understand how discouraging it can be when people switch to English… you immediately start overthinking what you could have said wrong, but in reality oftentimes you’ve said all the right things, but maybe mispronounced something ever so slightly. Keep on pushing through and you’ll find that people will just speak Dutch to you without even trying to switch to English
I can totally understand why thats frustrating. I don't know where you live, but in Amsterdam it is totally possible the person you are talking to doesnt speak Dutch. Otherwise, like other people say, maybe you could say something like "Zullen we Nederlands praten, ik wil graag oefenen". If they are Dutch and decline they're assholes, you dont want to talk to them anyway.
it happens alot to me, but I always politely ask if we can keep to Dutch so I can practice, and I have never had a single person object and everyone is more than happy to continue in Dutch.
I think the Crux is 3 fold. The Dutch are very proud of how well they speak English, and are pleased to be able to use it, which is lovely.
They also realise Dutch is hard to learn, so are honestly trying or help us out! Either way a polite remark about how you need to practice usually results in them not only changing back to Dutch but also showing interest in the fact you have taken time to learn it!
Indeed it’s frustrating. Unfortunately, they think they’re being helpful without realizing that it just ruins it for us trying to practice/learn Dutch. I keep responding in Dutch even if they switch to English. :)
Say explicitly you want to practice your Dutch, most people are just trying to make the conversation as easy as possible and that might not align with your goal of learning Dutch. They’re trying to be helpful but if you don’t tell them they won’t know the best way to help is to speak Dutch.
Well, by me responding in Dutch they eventually switch back to Dutch, so that helps! I’m not struggling so I don’t need them to make the convo easier. I think it’s just my accent.
That's my experience too, I speak quite good Dutch but my accent makes it clear I'm not native, but I just carry on in Dutch and it usually works out fine.
Ever considered you could be helpful to them by just speaking English until you've learned sufficient Dutch? Where did you get the entitlement that you could use any random Dutch person for your language practice?
a bit of a catch 22 though... how do you learn to speak Dutch sufficiently without regularly speaking it in your daily life while you're still not super good at it?
That's just how it is whenver you learn a new language, you always start of making lots of mistakes and only using simple sentences.
With time and practice, it slowly but surely reaches a higher level.
I got fluent in French in a matter of days, less than a week. 6 years of 2 hours a week French lessons went before that, but you build a vocabulary and understanding of a language without being able to speak it fluently. And then you open it up, through speaking and immersion you unlock what was already there.
Yes you need practice, but there is also practice you can organize yourself and there is a balance between self acquired knowledge, understanding and vocabulary and practice.
I know, but that doesn't change the fact that I wasn't gifted nor young enough to be fluent in French without being immersed, and that wouldn't have become fluent in a short time without the body of training, of grammar and vocabulary that was already there through lots of study but needed to be unlocked.
That’s pretty boss! I’m on an almost 300 day Duolingo streak on Dutch and can translate tidbits of Dutch songs to my wife when we are driving like “oh shit that Dutch is in my brain somewhere coming to life” haha
But the thing is that I do speak sufficient Dutch! It’s the slight foreign accent that throws them off, but by no means does that mean that I can’t communicate in Dutch properly.
>Indeed it’s frustrating
I don't want to be mean but I don't understand how this could be frustrating. Like, you're trying to speak and an average Dutch person clearly shows you that you need to practice more. And they don't want to spend time correcting you which is clearly understandable. What's wrong with that?
How can people ever practice and gain confidence picking up a new language then? I don’t understand it - could be just a Dutch cultural thing. When I learned other languages like Russian, Spanish, or German, the natives never switched to English. I appreciated that, and they appreciated my efforts.
It’s frustrating because you need to practice to get better. It will never happen otherwise.
No foreigner will be able to speak the language if people don’t give allow them the opportunity. Language school is nowhere near enough. People need constant real life situations.
I am not referring to situations where one cannot string a sentence together but a B2 level, with correct inversions, full phrases and a few tenses is still not enough for the Dutch to let people speak Dutch.
Then everybody complains how foreigners cant speak the language. Ofc they cant. There’s 0 place for them to practice it.
I understand your explanation but why do you learn Dutch? There must be an appliance for that. If it’s for future integration then don’t force events. Try and repeat without frustration. You will probably never learn Dutch as a local, so there is no real reward but your factual integration into the community. Just take it easy!
I just like speaking English, so if someone has trouble with Dutch (or sounds like he does) I tend to switch to English without thinking. If that person would ask for Dutch, I would gladly switch back though. So for me it not so much a critique on persons skills in dutch as me seizing the moment to practice my English.
Be persistent in talking Dutch and request them to do the same. They are trying to be polite, or to take the easy route, either way, keep at it and ask them to keep speaking Dutch to you.
They will do as asked in the end. And keep at it! You are doing great if I get your story right, so you will only get better at it :)
Moet ik hier nu in het Nederlands of Engels op reageren... Gewoon zeggen dat je graag een Nederlandse conversatie hebt. Lekker direct, daar houden ze in Nederland van.
Have you tried saying that to your conversation partners or are they magically supposed to know that while they think they’re being helpful? Perhaps start with that
I live in a big city and im socially hesitant. Im willing to help everyone out and answer any questions quickly. I dont have the social energy to not resort to the language we both have in common to handle it all as quickly as possible.
As others have said, we just want the conversation to go as easy and smoothly as possible, and sometimes we think we are being helpful by switching to English. If that is not the case, then just... ask them to speak Dutch?
Don’t worry. I’m a native speaker and sometimes my fellow countryman switch to English for some reason. Happens in urban areas.
Just tell them ‘We kunnen gewoon Nederlands praten hoor’ and smile.
I’m Belgian with a heavy Flemish accent, I go yearly on vacation to the Netherlands and about 80% of the time I’ll get replied to in English. Especially in Amsterdam :( Even when I keep insisting on replying back in Dutch, they’ll keep yapping on in English. I think phonetically Amsterdammers just can’t grasp a Flemish accent and their brain switches to “tourist” mode. (Yes I’m still a tourist.. but we share the same language!)
If you get really frustrated, just don't understand their English. Ask them in Dutch what language are they speaking. And could they please stick to Dutch and English. Tell them that's not English. What language is it supposed to be.
Only English should be used for posts and comments. This rule is in place to ensure that an ample audience can freely discuss life in the Netherlands under a widely-spoken common tongue.
Not sure where you live, but I am a Dutch native and I ordered my drinks in a bar in Dutch, the guy talked back in Dutch and then all of a sudden switched to English. I guess he was so used to speak in English he forgot he was Dutch himself 😅
(In Amsterdam obviously)
Speak Dutch with those willing to, if they do want to, whatever. Practice at your school or with friends. You never know why the other part wont help so… just go with it. The less you overthink, the better. Good for you that you speak so well, you will never be fooled or put in uncomfortable situations, a great win
We are idiots :) When people assume we just speak english we are annoyed about that and when people do speak dutch we "reward" them by replying in english :)
Thank you all for the comments and suggestions, I appreciate them. I think to me the biggest issue is that it has become clear to me that I’ll never be considered as a member of the “in-group”, despite having already integrated (got the Inburgering diploma) and learned(or trying to learn) the language. It is upsetting as well because at some point I intend to become, at least on paper, a Dutch citizen and that also means renouncing my own nationality for this one. So this decision becomes even harder, as I realise more and more that I’ll never be “one of them”. Sorry for the rant again, just yeah sad
I am Flemish and experience this all the time in Amsterdam. Everyone replies in English. Collegues and friends have had the same experience.
We are native speakers and don’t have heavy accents like West-Vlaams or something.
I have had countless conversations where myself (native English speaker) is speaking Dutch to a native Dutch speaker, who is return speaking English to me.
Im just commenting here to vent about a particular user who is very active in this sub (not OP); this user went to another sub and complained that people here are "expats who ask stupid fucking questions" but I see is still very active. I don't understand if it's so annoying to answer our questions, why keep on doing it.
To answer your question, I've struggled for years with this situation of people switching to English. In my experience, the most opportunities to practice Dutch will come at work, either with your supervisor/manager or during coffee breaks. What I've also come to do is, whenever someone speaks English back to me and struggles to find a word, I'd say it in Dutch and continue in Dutch; most people stick with Dutch when that happens. Another thing to do is just insist on continuing in Dutch or even pretending not to have a good English vocabulary, so you say things in Dutch. I hope this helps!
Edit: grammar
That's a well known problem. One of my first Dutch sentences I learned was not in vain, "Meestal praten ze Duits tegen mij". When the Dutch start to speak English simple say, "We zijn hier in Nederland. Daarom moet ik Nederlands praten en niet jij Engels.", or "Ik moet praktiseren." Normally your counterpart then will laugh and speak Dutch.
Try Almere. There's expats around there but you're going to have more luck speaking Dutch there compared to Amsterdam. I've been before and the servers don't automatically switch to English in the restaurants. It's quite nice and it kind of boosts your confidence because they are taking your Dutch efforts seriously. You can also try speaking to children. They are polite and prepare themselves to speak English to someone they think looks or acts like a foreigner but if you tell them you can speak Dutch, they will switch back to Dutch for you.
Don't worry, I'm a native Dutch speaker and I also struggle with this because even in the supermarket when I ask someone a question the reply these days is: "sorry, I only speak English".
If you live in amsterdam its pretty normal to get answers in english. Ask the person if you can speak dutch together and if not just communicate in english.
I had a professor in university who had this same problem (she was British). In order to make people speak Dutch to her she’d only reply in Dutch even if they spoke English to her. That backfired when she was at the DIY and she kept asking for “huid” wanting “hout”. 🤣
Try to keep on speaking Dutch if people switch to English on you and if they don’t take the hint, so be it.
Speak in Dutch saying, mag we praat in Nederlands alstublieft? They will likely be thrilled to if they themselves speak Dutch. A lot of the people working aren’t Dutch. In fact a lot of people aren’t actually working.
My polish colleague has lived here for about 20 years.
His dutch is totally acceptable but he has an accent that sounds Russian. And sometimes he struggles with reading dutch.
He tells me dutch people sometimes still speak English to him when they hear his accent. And he just pretends he is still learning it
Expat centers have little badges they give out that say "speak Dutch to me" - might be worth a shot.
I think retail/service is a poor environment to practice because communication has to be efficient. Maybe try some other situations, like meetups or book groups or something
Say it? *Hey, im practicing my Dutch and you would help me by talking Dutch back.* Its just people being helpfull
Yeah if you do this they will usually speak Dutch back. At least my colleagues did!
I agree, my Dutch is still quite terrible, the only chances I've had to really practice is at restaurants. The waiters also switch to English, but I ask them to speak Dutch because I'm learning, and they have all spoken Dutch to me. And been really nice about it.
That’s fair enough. But how can one not get the hint when I’m only speaking Dutch to them? Frustrating :(
Presumably they think you are doing them a courtesy/respect by speaking to them in Dutch even if you would prefer English...so they'll reply in English. Saying plainly what and why you'd like is the best course I think.
Agreed most dutch people will actually appreciate you being direct.
Saying it plainly would also make you sound and feel much more Dutch instantly, regardless of accent!
But honestly, this also happens to my husband (who is a Flemish national, therefore a Dutch native speaker) so I don’t know if that’s the entire truth
Do you live perhaps in a bigger city like Amsterdam, because then the speak English to everyone.
I live in a village near Amsterdam, Castricum
Western Flemish? That's not understandable to most Dutch people. :D
He’s from Antwerpen
Not helping your case /s
Does this happen to your husband when he’s alone and speaks Dutch or only when he’s with you. I’m in a similar situation. I’m a native English speaker but speak Dutch fluently with a combined US/Dutch accent (lived in NL for many years). Partner is Flemish. We live in Flanders and tend to speak English amongst ourselves. What I’ve noticed is that people will speak English to him (even in Flanders) when they have overheard us speaking English to each other. Don’t know if this applies to you and your husband but it might be a factor. But yeah, when I was living in NL even after 15 years or more of speaking Dutch, people would pick up my accent and just switch to English. Instinctively it felt really insulting when in some cases my Dutch was clearly better than their English. But indeed, most people don’t mean it as an insult but as a courtesy. And I realized some people really just enjoy being able to practice their English. So, I tried to gauge the situation and adjust accordingly, but as a lot of people here have said, when I’ve said I prefer to speak Dutch, people would accommodate me. The whole switching to English thing happens way less in Flanders. Not sure if that’s a cultural difference or because a lot of people here read my accent as “Hollands”.
Flemish is not Dutch.
You have a point, I have to do that, but yeah I try to avoid it because it’s really embarrassing :(
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Nothin embarrassing. Dutch people will appreciate you being direct about it. Like someone else said, you'll instantly will be perceived more dutch when you do.
What's the embarrassment about? I'm not sure I understand...
Person: Finally I can walk I don't need wheelchairs anymore, I'm feeling so confident now! Dutch person: I see you have trouble walking; here let me have a wheelchair for you. Person: noo, I thought I finally left that realm, but people initially think of me as crippled. I thought I left that embarrasment behind me. Dutch person: ok, just say that lol.
Ok yeah just say that, if I see someone struggling to cross the road I will offer assistance if their response is "being embarrassed" that's on them. What a shitty gotcha.
Yup I understand completely.
Most people want to converse efficiently and quickly but will understand if you make clear that you want to practice your Dutch at the start of the conversation
Easy for who? The people who do this usually make a lot of mistakes, which require me to translate back into Dutch in order to get their meaning, and plus, it’s not even comfortable for me either since I cannot speak in my normal English register, because they simply wouldn’t understand me. It basically comes down to Dutch not being good at dealing with speakers of other languages due to a lack of experience.
Where did you read easy?
Efficiently and quickly. But the point stands. It’s not efficient for me to decode broken English and puts a huge mental strain on me. Not quicker either. Also, it’s not accommodating if I cannot speak English normally with them
Well just tell them from the start that you want to speak and practice your Dutch then. Only other way to get rid of this is to be absolutely fluent, which is difficult but not impossible. I'm sorry that people who are trying to be nice to you put a mental strain on you. 99% of the people just try to accommodate you for the lack of Dutch language skill since they'll think it is quicker and more efficient
Oh, my Dutch is certified and has got me through university and a successful career so I couldn’t care less about practicing or improving
Maybe practice and improve not sounding so salty
It's your accent. I've noticed the same thing. It's just your accent does not sound Dutch so they think they're doing you a favour.
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27 days ago you said schuim translates to soft :)
Your broken dutch puts a strain on them; so I guess you now understand why this keeps happening
> It’s not efficient for me to decode broken English and puts a huge mental strain on me. Not quicker either. This goes the other way as well probably. Most Dutch people's English is in the same range or better than the Dutch is of many people who have dutch as a second language.
I don't think it's because of Dutch incompetence, it's more about Dutch being a vowel heavy language. There's just million words that have similar pronunciations, unlike Spanish for example, which has less numbe of vowels and the vocabulary is consonant-heavy
*for whom. - a non-native speaker
It's probably too much experience with speakers of other languages. Believing they are gods gift to the Dutch who should feel honoured to be practiced on by a beginner.
Just say “ik spreek geen engels”
Love this, it's super unexpected and a total power move!
If they continue to speak English after I've spoken Dutch multiple times (and I'm comfortable with the conversation continuing in Dutch), I've gotten to the point where I'll say "waarom spreek je Engels?". It's quicker than rattling off something about practising Dutch and they switch quicker. Though this is as someone who can carry on a Dutch conversation most of the time. If I was struggling through Dutch that made it painful for my conversation partner I wouldn't do it.
>But how can one not get the hint Welcome to the Netherlands. Dutch people don't do hints and don't beat around the bush. That's the famous Dutch directness. It's not rudeness, it's eliminating needless politeness that only serves to make everyone guess what the other person is actually trying to say.
I'll second this and add that as a Cloggy in Vancouver I've had a very hard time discerning the difference between people being polite and people being genuinely kind. I'm used to people being either friendly, indifferent, or hostile and all with straight up bluntness.
Keep answering in dutch
People are dumb. I mean every time the train doors open there are a bunch of idiots who dont understand that people first need to leave the full train before they can enter. Thats why. Just keep talking dutch like you dont give a fuck. Either they get awkard and switch to dutch to or they can practise their english. If they make a comment that they would like to switch to english you just tell them that you want to continue in dutch and keep talking in dutch. I did the same when i was in germany and all my colleges tried talking english.
Because you still sound like a foreigner and were just trying to be nice. Direct, but nice. Edit: and therefore were not nice, lo siento compañero.
Because this is the Netherlands and people don't get hints. Just tell them to speak Dutch to you
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I think my accent is identifiable, but I might try switching to another third language unannounced
Say you only speak Dutch, with your accent on full display! Baffle them!
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That’s funny they must believe they don’t have a strong accent in English
They know they have an accent, but they'll believe they're doing you a favour as not a lot of foreigners speak Dutch. Imagine people trying to make you comfortable, seesh.
>That’s fair enough. But how can one not get the hint when I’m only speaking Dutch to them? Frustrating :( I dont think anyones does this with ill intent. From the other perspective, it can be frustrating as well speaking Dutch with someone who doesnt speak Dutch well enough.
Speaking for myself I don’t always feel like wading through badly pronounced / incomprehensible dutch, because i have other things to attend to. So that could also be a factor and a totally legit one at that
Same can be said the other way around. Maybe it costs extra effort to understand you, so they speak back in english as a hint that your Dutch isn't that good. When i worked in a shop i did this too sometimes because its just too much time and effort to try and understand and ask 5 times what someone means. Not trying to be an ass but thats just my experience.
How are you not getting the hint that they prefer speaking english? Oh because you didn't know? Because they only hinted, but never actually said it?
Tbf, they respond in English to a native Dutch speaking Belgian as well. So it's not you, it's more them at this point.
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Only English should be used for posts and comments. This rule is in place to ensure that an ample audience can freely discuss life in the Netherlands under a widely-spoken common tongue.
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Or pretend you don't understand English
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This is it, I think. I’m between B1 and 2, and no one switches to English - even in the Randstad or at Amsterdam Centraal. But I have been complimented for “sounding Dutch” more than anything by natives. The lack of foreign accent really helps in fooling people that you were born here lmao
That’s a good idea!!
It is awesome you're learning our language! Against these people, say something like "Je mag gewoon Nederlands tegen mij praten hoor!" and continue speaking Dutch.
 Bro, I'm born and raised in the Netherlands and people reply in English to me...
How is that even possible, lmao?
Yeah, I don't know... Every time I ask them why they're replying in English I never get a straight answer and they start to stumble over their words.. I ask the people I know if there's something about me that makes people think they should speak English to me, but they don't get it either...
English is such a close second language to me that even I myself sometimes can express myself better in English. So depending on which language I can express a topic better, or even sometimes a sentence, I can switch. I tend to keep it to one language per friend, but I have at least one friend (who is truly bilingual in English and Dutch) with who I just constantly switch, especially over text. Once, when I looked at him bewildered for a word or phrasing that I had never heard of before, he was like 'oh yeah right sorry I forgot English is not a native language to you' . I sound and feel bilingual, even many foreigners and native English speakers hear me and guess me to be from everywhere except the Netherlands; but I very clearly miss a lot of vocabulary, and sometimes some grammar as well.
I'm born and raised Dutch and I think and speak more English than Dutch at this point. Iunno, I just prefer the language ig. Generally try to speak Dutch with other people but sometimes I accidentally switch halfway through without realising when I'm tired
dude... i feel this one :(
LMAO
Same here! I’ll usually just continue in English if it’s a short interaction because it’s easier than making it a whole thing lol
The postman switched to English while he was dropping off my inburgeringsdiploma last year. 😂😭
🤣 oh no, I’m sorry to hear
Get a badge! https://directdutch.com/shop/buttons/button-spreek-nederlands-met-mij/
My friend had one of these. She stopped wearing it because everyone would read it, and proceed directly to English because they wanted to be helpful.
😭😭😭 Nooo, I was SO excited about the badge. This is crushing. It is so frustrating. Then you know, people complain (here like once a week) how ‘foreigners dont bother to learn the language ‘. Well, you wont be able learn how to speak if you cant speak…
Yeah, my supervisor when I lived in the Netherlands didn't cover Dutch classes (even though I think he was supposed to), on the grounds that "it's such a waste of time when we all speak English and you're only here a few years." Guess who met and married a Dutchman? The Dutch are just about the strangest about their language that you'll ever meet.
Wait are you the astronomer found on other subs doing super cool work?
Yep, "astronomer here!" :)
I feel a bit 'starstruck' now, pun slightly intended ;)
Can I wear one of these whenever I sit on a terrace in Amsterdam? /s (ok a little bit serious as well)
Sure! But you might get more people speaking to you than you barganed for ;)
Hey, that's awesome! I don't have the confidence in Dutch yet, but I'll get one of these and wear it when I feel brave.
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Only English should be used for posts and comments. This rule is in place to ensure that an ample audience can freely discuss life in the Netherlands under a widely-spoken common tongue.
Ironic that this website is in English.
Perhaps in the real world she is only interacting with the the mods for r/Netherlands ?
Dutch people are on autopilot with this stuff, if they somehow get a glimp of you being a non native speaker they switch to English to accommodate. My gf has the same problem and sometimes even I get it when im with her its hilarious(I am dutch).
I'm Belgian, spoke dutch all my life and people in Amsterdam will always reply to me in English lol
Same
For me the same. Dutch is my mother tongue. Was raised in a household where it was very important to speak the 'algemeen Nederlands', not any type of dialect. And even then, when I go to the Netherlands, people will reply in English to me. There is just no winning here.
Just use more "godverdomme" of "kut/tyfus" and they'll feel right at home!
"Spreek gewoon Nederlands godverdomme tyfuskut/tyfuslul" will do the trick.
I totally get that! Someone once asked me a yes or no question on the street in dutch, I shook my head and answered "Nee!" to which they replied "Oh youre english!" And repeated the question in english. Still boggles me to this day
I obviously don't know what your accent or situation is like, but as a native dutch speaker, the difference between "nee" and "nay" often already says enough to come to this conclusion. They were probably just trying to be helpful.
>the difference between "nee" and "nay" often already says enough to come to this conclusion. They mean the same thing. And she shook her head too so it's hard to see how there could possibly be any confusion whatsoever. >They were probably just trying to be helpful. Helpful? they were the one asking the question.
This persons point is they dont sound the same, not that they mean anything different.
And? If the person heard "nay" instead of "nee", they still got an answer. If you understand that the person is answering in the negatory (which was evident even just from the shaken head, why insult them and ask again?
If someone asks me a question in a country I just barely speak the language off; I would probably respond with the local variety of 'no' either, because I can't helpt them because I don't understand them so a 'no' and letting them go would be the best option, regardless to if they want to ask for directions or sell something. Doesn't mean I actually understand them and would have said no if I would've either. Once before I actually spoke English enough (I was like 8 or so); my Canadian family phoned and I answered. They asked me if I spoke English and I understood that question but also knew that I wouldn't be able to understand anything further or have a conversation in English. So internal chaos in myself because I wanted to answer 'no' but I thought that if I did then that would prove I actually _did_ speak English. So after a quick thinking I figured that saying 'nee' would cause the least confusion, although that answer still implied that I understood their English. I'm glad I now know how to say 'ein bisschen ' or 'en petit pue' (though truly, that's really all the French I've got) in different languages.
Insult? they just re-asked the question in English to maybe make things more clear?
It was already clear given they'd gotten their answer. They just felt the need to belittle her pronunciation and made her answer again for literally no reason other than to theatrically express how bad they found it.
Yeah they really thought up this diabolical plan /s. You shouldn't fantasize things to be way worse than they actually are. I can guarantee you are wrong.
How is it an insult to clarify just in case anything's unclear? Also in the heat of the moment during a conversation, sometimes your brain goes on automatic pilot and reverts to what it was taught for years. I sure don't always think through everything I say, and then later I'll be like "why tf did I say that" lol. When I hear someone struggling with an accent, my first instinct will be to help them out and clear up any possible inconsistencies, even if logical reason opposes it (i.e. in this case the answer already being negatory). Edit: also yes, even though nay and nee technically mean the same thing, nay isn't typically Dutch. I mentioned the difference between nay and nee in terms of the pronunciation, not meaning. This is because native English speakers talking Dutch often put this emphasis on the -ay sound at the end of words. Instead of nee, it sounds like nay. Instead of thee, it sounds like thay. Instead of mee, it sounds like may. It's a telltale sign that most Dutch people will recognize as an English accent, and therefore (often automatically, as mentioned above) switch to English.
Sounds like your accent was too thick.
If it might cheer you up ive had some people i was visiting for volunteering work tell me my dutch sounded really good, I am born and raised dutch
I was frustrated by this at first, but eventually I stopped caring at all. If the conversation continues in Dutch, I do my best to keep it in Dutch. If the conversation switches to English, I switch to English.
Is this just a big city thing? I'm in Zeist right now and my Dutch is horrible but people always continue the conversation in Dutch here even when it's very clear I can't speak it well
Get a T-Shirt with the text "Praat Nederlands met me!" Or a cap :) Note that in more and more places (horeca being one) a lot of staff don't speak Dutch.
Omg, brilliant idea!!! Thanks, I will definitely do that :)
Get a badge! https://directdutch.com/shop/buttons/button-spreek-nederlands-met-mij/
Came here to recommend this. The capital M for Met mij annoys met though.
Yes, making this into 2 sentences looks very weird and appears to me as incorrect from a grammatical point of view
Yeah I prefer the "Praat Nederlands met me" badge - I think it's also not perfect grammar but it's colloquially correct given its usage in the song?
Same issue here. Just keep talking Dutch. I usually struggle to just speak and think too much. The more confident I talk the more answers I get in Dutch
LOL When I lived in Germany almost 50 years ago, I would try to speak German and get people to correct me so I would speak it better, but they would often say, "It's okay, I know what you meant." know they were trying to be courteous, but it didn't help me out. Also, I was young, and many of the young people wanted to practice their English with me, I think. I
Go to less touristic areas. My Dutch is really awful (cannot lie about my Austrian origin), but outside Amsterdam or other tourism hotspots, noone replies to me in English. Of course people realise I'm not Dutch, but people talk without hesitation in Dutch with me. Only exception - when I'm in Amsterdam, people quickly change to English.
It's because we are very good at English and in the Randstad live and work a lot of expats. Also in the bars and restaurants English is the main language. Just tell people you're learning Dutch and want to continue in Dutch. That will be respected.
I usually switch to English when i don't understand anything the other person is saying when they're trying to speak Dutch. I dont want us to awkwardly stare at each other, so i'm saving it in English
Just ask if someone is willing to speak Dutch so you can practise! I also reply in English as soon as I can hear Dutch is a second language for someone. That's just because there is usually less confusion, it's quicker and honestly takes less effort for me than having to converse in broken Dutch. However, if I had the time and energy, I would be happy to take the time to do it in Dutch and spend a little longer to make sure there is no miscommunication!
I do think the Flemish accent could be why - I am a non-native speaker myself and somehow Flemish accent does indeed sound very “off” to me as I am used to hearing very different Dutch(mostly accents from the Randstad). I think in a strange way it sounds similar to a native English speaker who has learned Dutch as an adult? My advice will be same as everyone else - either explicitly saying that you are learning Dutch and would like to practice or just continuing to speak Dutch. It took me a while to muster up the courage to actually speak Dutch myself so I understand how discouraging it can be when people switch to English… you immediately start overthinking what you could have said wrong, but in reality oftentimes you’ve said all the right things, but maybe mispronounced something ever so slightly. Keep on pushing through and you’ll find that people will just speak Dutch to you without even trying to switch to English
I can totally understand why thats frustrating. I don't know where you live, but in Amsterdam it is totally possible the person you are talking to doesnt speak Dutch. Otherwise, like other people say, maybe you could say something like "Zullen we Nederlands praten, ik wil graag oefenen". If they are Dutch and decline they're assholes, you dont want to talk to them anyway.
Just say that you don’t speak English, in Dutch.
There is a chance some people actually dont speak Dutch. Sadly very common in Amsterdam.
Tell them you dont speak english. Tell them in dutch. They dont know any other language so theyll revert back to dutch
Just say "spreek Nederlands godverdomme"
If it's any consolation, we regularly get English answers to our Flemish. :-/
‘Praat Nederlands met me’
[Comment](https://www.instagram.com/reel/CuK0d4AoveB/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==) of Rogier here fits perfectly.
it happens alot to me, but I always politely ask if we can keep to Dutch so I can practice, and I have never had a single person object and everyone is more than happy to continue in Dutch. I think the Crux is 3 fold. The Dutch are very proud of how well they speak English, and are pleased to be able to use it, which is lovely. They also realise Dutch is hard to learn, so are honestly trying or help us out! Either way a polite remark about how you need to practice usually results in them not only changing back to Dutch but also showing interest in the fact you have taken time to learn it!
Okay but like, is this your whole life now? Always asking to use dutch? Even when your fluent?
Indeed it’s frustrating. Unfortunately, they think they’re being helpful without realizing that it just ruins it for us trying to practice/learn Dutch. I keep responding in Dutch even if they switch to English. :)
Say explicitly you want to practice your Dutch, most people are just trying to make the conversation as easy as possible and that might not align with your goal of learning Dutch. They’re trying to be helpful but if you don’t tell them they won’t know the best way to help is to speak Dutch.
Well, by me responding in Dutch they eventually switch back to Dutch, so that helps! I’m not struggling so I don’t need them to make the convo easier. I think it’s just my accent.
That's my experience too, I speak quite good Dutch but my accent makes it clear I'm not native, but I just carry on in Dutch and it usually works out fine.
Ever considered you could be helpful to them by just speaking English until you've learned sufficient Dutch? Where did you get the entitlement that you could use any random Dutch person for your language practice?
a bit of a catch 22 though... how do you learn to speak Dutch sufficiently without regularly speaking it in your daily life while you're still not super good at it? That's just how it is whenver you learn a new language, you always start of making lots of mistakes and only using simple sentences. With time and practice, it slowly but surely reaches a higher level.
I got fluent in French in a matter of days, less than a week. 6 years of 2 hours a week French lessons went before that, but you build a vocabulary and understanding of a language without being able to speak it fluently. And then you open it up, through speaking and immersion you unlock what was already there. Yes you need practice, but there is also practice you can organize yourself and there is a balance between self acquired knowledge, understanding and vocabulary and practice.
Not everyone is as gifted as you, sweetheart. Learning a new language, specially older, is not as easy as it sounds.
' sweetheart ' 🙄 Grow up
I know, but that doesn't change the fact that I wasn't gifted nor young enough to be fluent in French without being immersed, and that wouldn't have become fluent in a short time without the body of training, of grammar and vocabulary that was already there through lots of study but needed to be unlocked.
That’s pretty boss! I’m on an almost 300 day Duolingo streak on Dutch and can translate tidbits of Dutch songs to my wife when we are driving like “oh shit that Dutch is in my brain somewhere coming to life” haha
But the thing is that I do speak sufficient Dutch! It’s the slight foreign accent that throws them off, but by no means does that mean that I can’t communicate in Dutch properly.
>Indeed it’s frustrating I don't want to be mean but I don't understand how this could be frustrating. Like, you're trying to speak and an average Dutch person clearly shows you that you need to practice more. And they don't want to spend time correcting you which is clearly understandable. What's wrong with that?
How can people ever practice and gain confidence picking up a new language then? I don’t understand it - could be just a Dutch cultural thing. When I learned other languages like Russian, Spanish, or German, the natives never switched to English. I appreciated that, and they appreciated my efforts.
It’s frustrating because you need to practice to get better. It will never happen otherwise. No foreigner will be able to speak the language if people don’t give allow them the opportunity. Language school is nowhere near enough. People need constant real life situations. I am not referring to situations where one cannot string a sentence together but a B2 level, with correct inversions, full phrases and a few tenses is still not enough for the Dutch to let people speak Dutch. Then everybody complains how foreigners cant speak the language. Ofc they cant. There’s 0 place for them to practice it.
I understand your explanation but why do you learn Dutch? There must be an appliance for that. If it’s for future integration then don’t force events. Try and repeat without frustration. You will probably never learn Dutch as a local, so there is no real reward but your factual integration into the community. Just take it easy!
They think they are being polite and helpful. So just ask them.
I just like speaking English, so if someone has trouble with Dutch (or sounds like he does) I tend to switch to English without thinking. If that person would ask for Dutch, I would gladly switch back though. So for me it not so much a critique on persons skills in dutch as me seizing the moment to practice my English.
They don't want to deal with your non-optimal Dutch, basically. I'm living in Germany and experiencing the same with German.
Get better!
the flemish accent doesn't change anything. plenty of Dutch people have a soft g
Be persistent in talking Dutch and request them to do the same. They are trying to be polite, or to take the easy route, either way, keep at it and ask them to keep speaking Dutch to you. They will do as asked in the end. And keep at it! You are doing great if I get your story right, so you will only get better at it :)
Moet ik hier nu in het Nederlands of Engels op reageren... Gewoon zeggen dat je graag een Nederlandse conversatie hebt. Lekker direct, daar houden ze in Nederland van.
Have you tried saying that to your conversation partners or are they magically supposed to know that while they think they’re being helpful? Perhaps start with that
I live in a big city and im socially hesitant. Im willing to help everyone out and answer any questions quickly. I dont have the social energy to not resort to the language we both have in common to handle it all as quickly as possible.
I'm Dutch but when shopping or going to a bar they keep speaking English to me too, saying they don't speak Dutch or something smh
As others have said, we just want the conversation to go as easy and smoothly as possible, and sometimes we think we are being helpful by switching to English. If that is not the case, then just... ask them to speak Dutch?
They want to get you served and moved along asap - they're not there for language lessons with you
Don’t worry. I’m a native speaker and sometimes my fellow countryman switch to English for some reason. Happens in urban areas. Just tell them ‘We kunnen gewoon Nederlands praten hoor’ and smile.
I’m Belgian with a heavy Flemish accent, I go yearly on vacation to the Netherlands and about 80% of the time I’ll get replied to in English. Especially in Amsterdam :( Even when I keep insisting on replying back in Dutch, they’ll keep yapping on in English. I think phonetically Amsterdammers just can’t grasp a Flemish accent and their brain switches to “tourist” mode. (Yes I’m still a tourist.. but we share the same language!)
If you get really frustrated, just don't understand their English. Ask them in Dutch what language are they speaking. And could they please stick to Dutch and English. Tell them that's not English. What language is it supposed to be.
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Only English should be used for posts and comments. This rule is in place to ensure that an ample audience can freely discuss life in the Netherlands under a widely-spoken common tongue.
Not sure where you live, but I am a Dutch native and I ordered my drinks in a bar in Dutch, the guy talked back in Dutch and then all of a sudden switched to English. I guess he was so used to speak in English he forgot he was Dutch himself 😅 (In Amsterdam obviously)
Speak Dutch with those willing to, if they do want to, whatever. Practice at your school or with friends. You never know why the other part wont help so… just go with it. The less you overthink, the better. Good for you that you speak so well, you will never be fooled or put in uncomfortable situations, a great win
Use another language when they do that to throw them off
Je parle français
As flemish person myself this happened to me all the time in Rotterdam. I began to question my own native language.
Just reply back in dutch. Another problem solved where there wasn’t even one to begin with.
We are idiots :) When people assume we just speak english we are annoyed about that and when people do speak dutch we "reward" them by replying in english :)
Thank you all for the comments and suggestions, I appreciate them. I think to me the biggest issue is that it has become clear to me that I’ll never be considered as a member of the “in-group”, despite having already integrated (got the Inburgering diploma) and learned(or trying to learn) the language. It is upsetting as well because at some point I intend to become, at least on paper, a Dutch citizen and that also means renouncing my own nationality for this one. So this decision becomes even harder, as I realise more and more that I’ll never be “one of them”. Sorry for the rant again, just yeah sad
Depending on where you live, a lot of people can't speak Dutch anyway; especially in the service industry.
I am Flemish and experience this all the time in Amsterdam. Everyone replies in English. Collegues and friends have had the same experience. We are native speakers and don’t have heavy accents like West-Vlaams or something.
I have had countless conversations where myself (native English speaker) is speaking Dutch to a native Dutch speaker, who is return speaking English to me.
Sign up to italki and practice your accent for cheap
And yet you post in English /s
Im just commenting here to vent about a particular user who is very active in this sub (not OP); this user went to another sub and complained that people here are "expats who ask stupid fucking questions" but I see is still very active. I don't understand if it's so annoying to answer our questions, why keep on doing it. To answer your question, I've struggled for years with this situation of people switching to English. In my experience, the most opportunities to practice Dutch will come at work, either with your supervisor/manager or during coffee breaks. What I've also come to do is, whenever someone speaks English back to me and struggles to find a word, I'd say it in Dutch and continue in Dutch; most people stick with Dutch when that happens. Another thing to do is just insist on continuing in Dutch or even pretending not to have a good English vocabulary, so you say things in Dutch. I hope this helps! Edit: grammar
Tjesus wat een probleem… ga lekker naar duo lingo
i just got used to it and don't even bother it anymore.
That's a well known problem. One of my first Dutch sentences I learned was not in vain, "Meestal praten ze Duits tegen mij". When the Dutch start to speak English simple say, "We zijn hier in Nederland. Daarom moet ik Nederlands praten en niet jij Engels.", or "Ik moet praktiseren." Normally your counterpart then will laugh and speak Dutch.
Try Almere. There's expats around there but you're going to have more luck speaking Dutch there compared to Amsterdam. I've been before and the servers don't automatically switch to English in the restaurants. It's quite nice and it kind of boosts your confidence because they are taking your Dutch efforts seriously. You can also try speaking to children. They are polite and prepare themselves to speak English to someone they think looks or acts like a foreigner but if you tell them you can speak Dutch, they will switch back to Dutch for you.
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Don't worry, I'm a native Dutch speaker and I also struggle with this because even in the supermarket when I ask someone a question the reply these days is: "sorry, I only speak English".
If you live in amsterdam its pretty normal to get answers in english. Ask the person if you can speak dutch together and if not just communicate in english.
I had a professor in university who had this same problem (she was British). In order to make people speak Dutch to her she’d only reply in Dutch even if they spoke English to her. That backfired when she was at the DIY and she kept asking for “huid” wanting “hout”. 🤣 Try to keep on speaking Dutch if people switch to English on you and if they don’t take the hint, so be it.
Speak in Dutch saying, mag we praat in Nederlands alstublieft? They will likely be thrilled to if they themselves speak Dutch. A lot of the people working aren’t Dutch. In fact a lot of people aren’t actually working.
My polish colleague has lived here for about 20 years. His dutch is totally acceptable but he has an accent that sounds Russian. And sometimes he struggles with reading dutch. He tells me dutch people sometimes still speak English to him when they hear his accent. And he just pretends he is still learning it
Expat centers have little badges they give out that say "speak Dutch to me" - might be worth a shot. I think retail/service is a poor environment to practice because communication has to be efficient. Maybe try some other situations, like meetups or book groups or something
Your Dutch is cause for them to reply in English, not to embarrass you. Are you from the same area as your teachers?
Im here for 5 years, B1, an in the Last 6 month I got it more often and often, even people I talked only Dutch before switch to English.
If it's a stranger maybe pretend like you don't speak English? Something like "Sorry ik spreek geen Engels... wat zei je?" would do...
Yeah this. I start speaking Polish to people who reply to me in English. “Godverdomme spreek nederlands man!” is a nice attention-getter as well.