# Benelux & English



## Audiomuse (Dec 20, 2005)

I just got back from Belgium and every person I there spoke English. To be honest, I was scrambling and asking people how to say simple words in their language for example-- Thank You- Dankuell and Hello- Hallo. It was like speaking to any other native speaker of English. I bet it is mandatory to learn in school because everyone knows it. Can someone confirm this for me? I met some English tourists and they were telling me how great they spoke it. I was largely surprised. I saw a thread on the best Euro English speakers besides Eire, Ulster, Scotland, Wales, & England and it is definately the Belgies! Tell me your experiences with English in one of the Benelux countries. (Hollanders are also great at it.)


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## grachtengordeldier (Mar 7, 2006)

As our countries are so small (almost anywhere you are, you can reach the border in 1 or 2 hours) we learn a lot of languages. We're surrounded by big important countries like France, England and Germany. 
We can receive many tv-channels from those countries, even some Italian, Spanish etc channels. So foreign languages are not really unkown or strange to us. 
For me, having grown up not far from the German border, German is my second language, it comes almost in a natural way to you, eventhough I am 100% Dutch. English and French also no problem. 
I can speak a little bit mix of Scandinavian languages plus Italian and Spanish, but not too good.


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## Audiomuse (Dec 20, 2005)

^ Wow. Thanks for sharing.


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## Kurd_Kerkûkî (May 28, 2006)

English in the Benelux is no problem. In the Netherlands English is a necessary language... Almost everyone can talk English and can help you out.

Also, German and French are nog problem to the Dutch

First language is Dutch and English is the second... There is no third. The third is German, French and all other kinds...


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## ♣628.finst (Jul 29, 2005)

macon4ever said:


> I was largely surprised. I saw a thread on the best Euro English speakers besides Eire, Ulster, Scotland, Wales, & England and it is definately the Belgies! Tell me your experiences with English in one of the Benelux countries. (Hollanders are also great at it.)


I bet English spoken by Scots would be more difficult for an American to understand than English spoken by a Hollander or Belgian.


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## Boil My Eggs (May 29, 2006)

Aye man, those mad dobbers widdnae nae whit hit em!!


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## Audiomuse (Dec 20, 2005)

I agree Xantarx. Oh no! Eggs got banned! Gee, I wonder why!


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