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Anonymous
Hey /trv/

I am an American who happens to be more fluent in dutch than any other language. Lately, I've been playing around with the idea of going to grad school somewhere in the low countries, Vlaams Belgium or the Netherlands specifically.

I have the experience to get in already. I want to study international development, and I've already done it for a long time already but I want to further my career with more education.

The political culture seems right for studying something like that, but I dont know shit about universities in Europe.

Ive been looking at a British school with a Belgian campus called "University of Kent at Brussels" and the University of Utrecht, anyone have any input or advice?
>> Anonymous
University of Utrecht is usually regarded as the best University in the Netherlands (around 40th place in world rankings), so it's a good choice. I guess you should check out their website : www.uu.nl .
>> Anonymous
>>55019
Dutch universities all tend to be quite good. Just go and compare their curricula. Also look at the kind of place you want to live. Leiden has my vote for being a small, historically rich city with a university-feel:

http://www.leidenuniv.nl/en/index.html
>> Anonymous
>>55019
Also, how come you are fluent in Dutch?

Regardless, I believe all our graduate schools offer all courses in English, unless it doesn't make sense to do so (language courses and Dutch linguistic classes I think).
>> Anonymous
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I did contract work where I worked with the Surinamese government for two years. I've met lots of Netherlanders who tell me I can't actually speak dutch, but I never had a problem speaking to them or understanding what they said to me. I did also learn the Surinamese language too.

In pretty sure Im going to apply at Erasmus, Utrecht, the University of Amsterdam, and Leiden. They all have programs in what I want to study. Utrecht seems the most exciting though.

Any word about Belgian schools?
>> Anonymous
>>55108
Although Belgians in Flanders speak Dutch (to some extent, it is more of a dialect), it is a different culture. I would keep that in mind as well. Not saying ones better than the other, just that you might appreciate one over the other depending on your preferences.

Succes in ieder geval. Een ieder die de moeite neemt om onze taal te leren is over het algemeen zeer welkom.
>> Anonymous
>>55019
Also, that is a very silly map. As if someone tried to make a Risk board out of the Netherlands.
>> Anonymous
>>55129
how do you know that isn't exactly what I intend to do?
>> Anonymous
>>55108
Flanders is quite different from the Netherlands. People here often don't speak standard Dutch at home but various dialects.
>> Anonymous
>>55108
Weet ik wel dat Belgie een helemaal verschillende land met zij eigen kultuur is, maar ik wil eerst een goede vorming en ik moet de beste school keuzen.

Ook, bedankt voor jouw haartelijk woorden.

>>55129
how do you know that isn't exactly what I intend to do?
>> Anonymous
>>55140

I don't know how you learned the Dutch you know, but I would suggest improving some before you head out to study here, simply to save yourself some embarrassment. Not that anyone's going to give you a particularly hard time about it, since people here are generally impressed with any foreigner wanting to learn our language as it's a very rare phenomenon.
>> Anonymous
>>55153
He'll be fine. Judging from his words he just needs a lot of practical experience. Total immersion by living in a country where the language is spoken works really well if you have a decent grasp of the basics and are stuck somewhere at the intermediate level. At least for me (a native Dutchman) this holds true for my Japanese.

>>55140
People do tend to hold back on correcting faulty grammar and syntax, so be sure to explicitly ask any friends you make to do so from time to time.

Compare what you wrote with this corrected version if you feel like it:

„Ik Weet wel dat België een compleet verschillende land met zijn eigen cultuur is, maar ik wil eerst een goede fundering leggen en daarvoor wil ik gewoon de beste school kiezen.

Bedankt voor jouw hartelijke woorden overigens.”

>>55136
I think I'll just hord my armies in Limburg. Take Zeeland when the time is ripe, but hold of on seizing the whole of Noord Brabant until I can afford the wrath of the other players.
>> Anonymous
>>55204
>>Weet
Sorry, that w shouldn't be capitalised.
>> Anonymous
I learned all my dutch in suriname and your reactions are in no way any different from all the other netherlanders I've met. I know it isnt perfect, but maybe two years in holland could help that along.
>> Anonymous
also, are there any schools in Flanders Belgium that are worth applying to?
>> Anonymous
Kanker negers.
>> Anonymous
OP, het is te lezen iedergeval. en als het te verstaan is, hoef je je niet druk te maken denk ik hoor.
>> Anonymous
The VUB is a dutch-speaking college but Brussels is 90% percent french so learning some french wouldn't hurt if you go there.
I go to the Leuven (www.kul.be) and love it, very old college with a very good science department but i haven't been to any other college so i can't really compare. I do know we work with a lot of foreign universities so it shouldn't be to hard to get in.
>> Anonymous
>>55308
>>netherlanders
Dutchmen.

We are Dutchmen, we live in the Netherlands — which people sometimes call Holland — and we speak Dutch.

Of course if you were to say it in Dutch we are Nederlanders and we speak Nederlands. Sometimes people call themselves Hollander and say they speak Hollands, but as a foreigner you should really only say that if you know they come from one of the two provinces actually called (North and South) Holland.

We're not that complicated, really.

I'm Dutch, but I've heard good things about Leuven as well. Mainly because it is the only other university in the Dutch-speaking world with the same department (Japanese) as my university in the Netherlands (which is Leiden University).
>> Anonymous
>>55404
Don't hit me with the "Americans are so stupid that they don't even know how to speak their own language" BS.

If most of 4chan is about showing off the ugly sides of ourselves that we normally hide, why not show off something else you never see: People from the US knowing what and where the hell Holland is, and "Dutchmen" not being anal-retentive and pretentious.
>> Anonymous
>>55409
You really shouldn't jump to conclusions so fast. Does my post above really read as an assault on your intelligence?

Nowhere did I imply that you are stupid for (presumably) making a mistake. On the contrary, learning another language is commendable, no matter where you are from. I see you making an extremely common mistake, and I attempted to offer you an example of common usage. Why would I do that if I though you were an idiot? Idiots cannot be taught.

I am anonymous, I stand to gain nothing from doing so, other than the satisfaction of trying to help someone along with an interest in my native language. If you don't like that, than just say so.
>> Anonymous
Dutch is just low german.
>> Anonymous
>>55420

Nope, it's not. A split-off between ancient German and English, it's nowhere near a Low German dialect.

>>55404

Not worth the argument. the "OH NO YOU DIDN'T JUST CALL US HOLLAND WE'RE THE NETHERLANDS DAWG AND WE SPEAK DUTCH FYI"-stance is getting tired, and I'm saying this as a fellow Dutchman.
Be happy someone's taking an active interest in our country, regardless of these cultural/provincial nuances.
>> Anonymous
>>55430
He typed "netherlanders", which is a mistake no matter your stance.
>> Anonymous
>>55432

If he were to emulate "Nederlanders" he'd be absolutely correct, albeit with an English accent. Try to loosen your rectum, anonymous.
>> Anonymous
Webster's dictionary is the official lexicon of American English. Please look at the fascinating piece of information below.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Netherlander