Day: June 30, 2022

It feels almost natural for people to grow up with a command of the English language, but that is not the case in practice. The Netherlands is known as a country with a lot of attention to this foreign language, where it may be different in other countries. Which countries pay even more attention to English, how did it become a real world language and how do you develop a good command of English? You can read about that here.

English as a world language

English is among the largest languages in the world, with 380 million native speakers and more than a billion people speaking it as a second language. Why has English become this world language? It has everything to do with Britain's colonialist past, which brought countries from all over the world under British influence. This allowed the English language to spread effortlessly, so today you can make yourself clear almost anywhere in English.

Where is English used as a second language?

The special thing about English is that people from all over the world speak the language. For example, it is an important second language in large parts of Africa, but it is also common in many Asian and South American countries for people to have partial command of it. Many European countries score well on their English proficiency, so you can almost always get ahead if you have a good English foundation. For all these examples, however, it is mainly residents of large cities that have a good command of the language, so you may not get as far with English in small rural areas.

Why is English an important second language?

Speaking a second language is always valuable, in part because it makes your brain more flexible and efficient. For example, a child with a bilingual upbringing can concentrate more easily, make connections faster and remember more information. English is a good second language because it is a real world language that you use not only during vacations, but is also used within the worlds of science, economics, politics and journalism. Thus, those who have a good command of the English language will have more opportunities to develop in those areas, for example, during a study or job.

Where is English best spoken as a second language?

Year after year, the Netherlands tops the list when it comes to mastering this foreign language. This has everything to do with the international character of the Netherlands, but the young acquaintance with the English language also plays a major role in this. Furthermore, many other countries in Europe score well, such as Denmark, Austria, Norway and Belgium. Singapore and South Africa are also among the countries that have the best command of English as a second language.

English class at school

The benefits of English as a second language are clear, but how do we help children master it to the fullest extent possible? In the Netherlands, it is compulsory to start English lessons as early as elementary school. Primary and secondary schools must introduce students to the English language to maximize their chances for the future. In elementary school, the emphasis is on listening and reading, while high school also pays close attention to speaking and writing.

Learning English outside of school: we'd love to invite you! 

For many young people, their knowledge of the English language does not just come from lessons at school. In fact, children and adolescents learn best through play, for example by practicing English during conversations with their friends or by following English-language media. Movies, series, books and music are often in English and appeal to young people. As a result, they keep up their knowledge of the English language through play and gradually learn new words and sentence structures.

 

Our day camp for children who want to learn English as a second language, gives children an immersive and educational experience. Our experienced instructors take participants on an adventurous journey through the English language, practicing speaking, listening, reading and writing. Through engaging activities, games and cultural exchanges, children develop not only language skills but also self-confidence.

 

 

Grammar is the skeleton of every language. It gives structure to sentences, allowing us to understand each other properly. As logical as this structure may seem when you speak your native language, it can cause a lot of confusion when you are learning another language. Do you want to learn English? Or have you already mastered the English vocabulary, but the grammar is not yet very successful? Here are five tips that will help you.

Become familiar with grammar

The first and most obvious tip is to learn grammar. Although English and Dutch have many similarities, they are two different languages. Therefore, do not try to translate sentences literally from Dutch to English.

 

English sometimes uses different words and word order is different in many cases. A grammar booklet can help you learn more about word order, different tense clauses and irregular verbs.

 

To easily understand sentence structure, it is important to be able to parse the sentence into different parts of the sentence. In addition, it is good to understand the function of different words in a sentence. What is a person form? What is an adjective? What is an adverb? Once you know the purpose of different words and phrases, it is easier to put them in the right order.

Practice, practice, practice

 

You can read a book on how to swim. You can know the theory front and back, but when you first enter the water, you will find out that theory alone is not enough. You need to practice what you have learned. The same goes for learning grammar. So don't just read through grammar rules, but practice in practice.

 

Do this by writing in English every day. For example, write a little story or describe what you experienced that day. Then you can have someone check it off.

 

Practice not only by writing English, but also by speaking it. A practice buddy with whom you meet weekly can be a tremendous help. Keep practicing even if you have already mastered grammar fairly well. Did you go to a summer camp or learn a lot at school? Then try to stay in touch with your study buddies and practice together.

Use mnemonics

Sometimes all the rules can be overwhelming. When you're in conversation with someone, in English, you don't have time to think at length. Mnemonic devices make remembering and applying grammar rules a lot easier. In English, there are many mnemonics you can use. One well-known one is the "he shits" rule: he - she - it - s. This rule helps you remember that when you use the third person singular - he (he), she (she), it (it) - there is an "s" after the root of the person form.

Read books

Are you not very good at studying? While it is nice to build your grammar foundation using grammar books, you can learn a lot by reading regular books. Start easy. Children's books are ideal. These books are designed to help young children master the basics of the language, but the books work just as well for teens and adults. Pay particular attention to sentence structure and verb conjugations.

Are you more advanced? Then read other materials as well. Consider an English newspaper, novels, magazines, blogs, etc. Make note when you noticed something you want to do follow-up research on.

Pay attention to how others speak

Focus not only on written words, but also on spoken words. This will help you understand English better and apply grammar correctly in conversations. You can do this by mimicking sentences, for example, when listening to English radio or TV programs. Watching English movies, possibly with English subtitles as an aid, is also a great way to learn how grammar is applied. Moreover, it is a really fun way to learn something new!

We would love to help you!

Day camps and youth camps for learning English is the perfect place for you to improve your grammar skills while having fun. During grammar classes, you get the chance to understand the complexities of the English language, from verb tenses and sentence structure to grammatical rules and exceptions. But more importantly, you'll learn to apply this in your everyday communication and creative writing assignments.