About
The goal of the Goesting in Taal project is to help people who live and work in Belgium, and who are learning Dutch to do so, to get to know everyday informal language, so they no longer have to feel like an outsider. Understanding and being able to speak Flemish informal language will not only help you understand more, but it will also help you connect with people and have more authentic and natural interactions.
✨And, of course, informal language is just fascinating and fun!✨ It’s the language we use to make jokes, to express our emotions, to show our true selves.
Why this project?
As a Dutch language teacher working in Brussels and Leuven, I was often confronted with the difference between correct Dutch, the language we teach in classes, and the way Flemish people actually speak. The real language of everyday life, though it technically is not a “correct language”.
I noticed that my trainees continued to have difficulties understanding their friends, neighbours and colleagues, even after many classes. After becoming aware of this fact, I started paying more attention to the way we speak in informal situations. And no wonder my students were having difficulties!😲 The spoken Flemish language differs from the standard Dutch, not only in pronunciation, but also in vocabulary and grammar!
That is when I decided to develop self-study tools ✍️ to learn this wonderful and rich informal language. The goal of this website is absolutely not to replace traditional Dutch courses. Knowing correct Dutch is still important to function in our society. Rather, this platform aimes to be a complementary approach, and dare I say a necessary one. Not knowing the informal everyday language is as big a handicap as not knowing the standard language.
I hope this website and my books will offer you a way to break this language barrier once and for all, to feel more relaxed and more comfortable in your everyday life!
My fascination for learning & teaching informal language
I know from experience how uncomfortable it can be if you don’t understand or speak informal language. After studying Arabic for years, I still had trouble understanding and talking with my Lebanese family-in-law. And then I discovered how learning just a little bit of informal language can change your life! Suddenly, you are no longer an outsider.
This inspired me to create the Goesting in Taal project, to help people in Belgium to have the same positive experience!
Are you ready to get started?
Check out our newest e-book for only 8,99 euro
Perfect if you already have an intermediary level in Dutch and you want to transform your “textbook Dutch” to real, everyday spoken language!
Are you a beginner? Then maybe one of our survival guides is right for you!
Are you surrounded by Flemish people at work and you would like to feel more comfortable speaking in Dutch with them?
Check out our Survival Guide for the office!
Do you have a Flemish partner or do your kids go to a Flemish school?
Check out our Survival Guide for Parents and Partners!
Are you an international student doing an Erasmus, a masters or a PhD in a Flemish university, and you want to talk to your fellow students?
Check out our survival guide for international students!