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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.

English is a language that almost everyone speaks and that you encounter all over the world. It also has a rich history preceding it. For example, the language originated when Anglo-Saxon tribes came from Europe to the British Isles in 400 AD. Today, English has about 1.6 billion speakers, who have access to more than 750,000 words. But how did the language develop into the multifaceted language it is today?

The origins of the English language

English evolved from the Germanic languages that the English used to speak in Britain. The arrival of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes in the British Isles caused the original Celtic inhabitants to be driven out to Scotland and Wales. The languages of these tribes intermingled and developed into Anglo-Saxon, or Old English. The language was subject to many outside influences. For example, the Vikings brought Danish and Norwegian with them around 800. By the way, did you know that the word England comes from Angelen-land?

Development over time

If you start looking at the development of the language you can divide it into three periods. First, between 400 and 1100, there was Old English, which formed a strong foundation for present-day English. Words like "be," "water" and "strong" stem from this stage of the language's development.

Through the blending of Old English and Old Norse of the Vikings, the English language expanded to include some two thousand new phrases. Consider, for example, such familiar terms as "knife," "egg," "run," and "husband. During the period of Middle English from 1100 to 1500, French also left its mark on the language, due to Viking interference. Consequently, you will find many French and Latin words, such as "fruit," "people" and "liberty.

Finally, Modern English made its appearance beginning in 1500, and the poet and stage actor William Shakespeare had a great influence on the language during this time. He coined as many as 1,700 new words that were added to English, including "puppy dog," "fashionable" and "alligator.

Contemporary English

You can describe English as a Germanic language with many Romance influences. The language contains a huge vocabulary and you will frequently come across different words with the same meaning. As a matter of fact, you can see that the Germanic is found more in the everyday language and the French or Latin influence is found more in the written language. It is worth mentioning here that about 30% of contemporary English comes from French.

English as a world language

Seafarers, traders, soldiers, pilgrims and missionaries caused the language to spread worldwide over the years. Today, English is the official language in 58 countries and 23 territories. Countries that have English as an official language include Canada, Ghana, Ireland, Malta, New Zealand and Pakistan. You also find it widely used in business, administrative language and education. Even in aviation, pilots and air traffic controllers have been required to master English at a professional level since 2008. English can therefore rightly call itself a true world language!

English and Dutch

The Netherlands has also made a small contribution to the English language. One can think mainly of words from shipping, such as brandy and dyke. But also waffle, yacht, cookie and Santa Claus are part of the English language. Finally, Frisian is also said to be the closest language family to English.

English as the merriest language

To conclude with a fun fact: English is in the top three happiest languages in the world, along with Spanish and Portuguese. The study looked at the ratio of usage of both positive and negative expressions. The study found that the word happy, for example, is used three times more than the word sad!

English as a second language?

Did you get excited about the English language after reading the article? We don't think that's crazy! Many people and especially in the Netherlands have an excellent command of the English language. Would you like to master the English language well as a second language? Our day camps offer this solution. During a day camp, attention is paid to English culture, cities celebrities and the language. The whole program takes place in English. Is that scary? Of course not, because you are not alone. Everyone in the day program is there to brush up on his or her English. Together with others, you will brush up on your knowledge of the English language and speak better English after coming to Summercamp.

 

When people think of the United Kingdom, they think of English tea, pubs, English breakfast, red double-deckers and... fancy universities! In this country you will find some of the oldest, most expensive and most prestigious institutions. There are too many to mention. Therefore, we have compiled a top four list of the UK's most famous (and expensive) universities.

Regent's University London

Regent's University London is the youngest university in the list. Founded in 1985, although it was then a college (Regent's College), the university can be found in Regent's Park, in the South Villa Estate campus of another London university. It wasn't until 2013 that the college became a university.

 

What makes it so unique is that it is a private university. The UK has only five of those. At the same time, it is the most expensive university in the UK. In tuition fees, students pay as much as £16,400. It is a relatively small institution, accommodating only 4,000 students, making it reserved for the wealthy elite.

Oxford University

At Oxford, English students have to pay "only" 9,250 pounds of tuition. This makes studying at Oxford a lot cheaper than studying at Regent's University London. Oxford enjoys unprecedented prestige. However, tuition is lower because it is a public institution. This does not mean it is easy to get into Oxford. The university has an admission rate of 17.5%.

 

Oxford and Cambridge are the UK's most famous universities. Oxford is slightly older than Cambridge and was founded in the 11th century. This makes it the second oldest university in the world.

 

Oxford's unprecedented educational quality is very consistent, The school is therefore always found in the top five best universities in the world. Not surprisingly, the admission requirements are very strict. Those who are admitted have the privilege of studying at a university where as many as 72 Nobel Prize winners have gone before them. Many prime ministers, presidents, scientists, actors and nobles have also studied here.

 

Another interesting fact about Oxford: it houses the world's largest university publishing house. You'll also find the UK's oldest botanical garden and the world's oldest university museum.

London School of Economics and Political Science

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), like the aforementioned university, can be found in London. The LSE was founded in 1895 by four members of the Fabian Society.

 

LSE is highly regarded not only within the UK but also internationally, taking second place in the QS World University Rankings for no less than five consecutive years. This placed this university just below Harvard. Interestingly, it is very difficult to get into this university, although less well known than Oxford. LSE had an admission rate of only 5.7% in 2018!

 

There are approximately 7,000 full-time students at LSE. In addition, there are about 750 students studying here part-time. Those who want to win a Nobel Prize in economics have come to the right place at LSE. In fact, 17% of these Nobel laureates have studied at this university. A sizable savings is needed, though. Tuition is £9,250.

Cambridge University

At Cambridge University, students pay £9,250 in tuition. For international students, it is as much as £21,732.

 

Cambridge University is one of the most prestigious universities in the world and is often mentioned in the same breath as Oxford (Oxbridge). The school was founded in 1209, making it the fourth oldest university in the world. Cambridge was founded by students who were studying at Oxford, but did not get along well with the locals. They therefore decided to move.

 

Cambridge University consists of 31 colleges. Each college was founded by a monarch or benefactor. Uniquely, one college (Newnham College) admits only women. Two colleges accommodate only postgraduate students. Cambridge has many famous alumni, including Isaac Newton, Stephen Hawking and Emma Thompson. As many as 121 Nobel laureates have graduated from Cambridge University. It is also the richest University in Europe.

Would you also like to attend mini-university, but just in the Netherlands?

Our English day camp offers you the outstanding opportunity to explore the English language while being inspired by England's best universities. Among other things, during the camp you will experience the academic richness of these centuries-old universities through engaging language classes and cultural activities.

If you are going abroad, there is a good chance that you can get by at least in English, if you do not speak the language of the country in question. There are a large number of varieties of the English language, including British English and American English. But what else is there to tell about this widely used language? We would like to give you below ten interesting facts that are unknown even to many residents of the United Kingdom.

Frisian and English: what do they have in common?

To get right to the point: Frisian is linguistically most similar to English. No wonder we Dutch have such a good command of this language! In fact, both languages belong to the West Germanic languages. By the way, did you know that English originated in the area where the Netherlands, northwestern Germany and Denmark now lie?

English the most widely spoken language in the world?

Worldwide, there are some 940 million people who are proficient in English. This is an impressive number, but did you also know that it is not the most widely spoken lingua franca in the world? What language, then, you may wonder. At number one is Mandarin, or Chinese. There are a whopping one trillion people who speak this language.

Also hangry from time to time?

Ever heard of the term 'hangry'? This word was added to the Oxford dictionary in 2015 and is derived from the words "hungry" and "angry. It implies that you can be cranky or even get angry faster when you get hungry. After all, who doesn't know the familiar dip around 5 p.m. when your stomach starts to growl?

Common loan words in English

In English, you will find many words derived from other languages, such as Latin, Greek and the Germanic languages, including Dutch. Examples include 'person' which comes from the Old French 'persone' and the pronoun 'their' which originates from the Old Norse word 'beir'. But even in Old Norse 'leggr' you may recognize an English word, namely 'leg'.

Long English words

'Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis': this word counts as many as 45 letters and is the longest word in Britain. The people of England use it to designate a rare lung disease also known as silicosis. At number two is the term "floccinaucinihilipilification," indicating the habit of deeming actions or words unimportant.

Fun facts for drinks

Running out of conversation topics at a networking meeting or get-together? At least with the following facts, you won't be at a loss for words. If you turn "SWIMS" upside down, you still read "SWIMS. The shortest phrase in English is "I am" or "I am. One last thing to finish with: you cannot rhyme with the words silver, month, purple and orange.

English children and the language

In England, children generally take three years to learn to read and write their mother tongue. They are then at the same level as their peers in the Netherlands, who have spent a year learning to read and write Dutch. English children are five years old when language lessons begin, in the Netherlands they start when they are six.

Ghost words

The English dictionary contains several words that mean nothing, also called ghost words or ghost words. For example, one finds the term "dord" in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, which was accidentally included in 1932 due to an editor's mistake. He wanted to add the word "density" as a possible meaning of the abbreviation D or d, but instead placed the ghost word "dord.

The English lexicon

We like to elaborate on the dictionary, because the English are very active in expanding their vocabulary. A new word is added to the lexicon every 98 minutes. Recently, the words "swag," "selfy" and "normie" were added.

Most used words

The English language is rich in some 600,000 words. But what are the 10 most commonly used words? Here they come: I, a, and, be, have, the, of, to, in, that. And the noun you encounter the most is the word time, of which most of us have too little.

Are you next?

With our exciting English youth camp, children discover not only the joys of the English language, but also a wealth of interesting facts about English culture and history. The children not only learn these facts, but also apply them in fun language activities, games and field trips. This improves their English skills while immersing them in the rich English culture.