‘My Language Learning Journey… Simon Forsell’
With this new series ‘My Language Learning Journey’, you will read about Dutch learners just like you via an interview. For the first blog of this series, I interviewed the Swedish Simon Forsell, who tells us about his Erasmus+ program in Groningen and shares his story of discovering his passion for the Dutch language by listening to music. I am sure Simon’s story will inspire you as much as this interview and his views on things inspired me.
Let’s get started:
Could you please introduce yourself to the community?
My name is Simon, I’m 24 now, and I study urban and regional planning in Upsala Sweden, it’s a bachelor's program and they offer mobility opportunities the last two semesters, so… I took my chance then and went to Groningen as part of the Erasmus program.
Did you enjoy living in Groningen?
Yeah, I really did. It was a bit odd at first, you know to get used to everything, but sooner or later, it starts to feel like home, like, I remember one time in the beginning, I was kind of lost there and missed home, and started thinking of when I would go home. And eventually, I was on a trip to Germany, and I came back from that, and I realised it was so nice to come back home to Groningen. And from that moment it felt like home.
Were you able to choose your Erasmus+ destination? If so, why the Netherlands?
I chose the Netherlands myself, I it was an option at the University. Why? I been there once before with some friends, which was a nice experience, and I always wanted to go back some day. And I started teaching myself some Dutch. And when I had to choose a place to go abroad, it became this once in a lifetime opportunity. I always wanted to go back some day. So, I thought, let’s go for it.
Would you recommend going on mobility to Groningen to others?
Yeah, I would. It was a really nice country to live in. Groningen was nice, campus was nice, I found a really nice room. There was a variety of good foods, supermarkets, special markets. I had a really nice experience with university. So, yes, I would recommend it.
What has been the most challenging part of your mobility experience?
The homesickness was pretty challenging in the beginning. I lived with my parents before, that was my first time moving out. Also, the first week when I was there alone, I got sick, so those first days were kind of a challenge to go through. I’d say that was the biggest thing.
Did you have the opportunity to travel to other parts of the country?
Yes! I went to the Keukenhof with ESN. There were also a lot of other excursions that were mandatory for my course in spatial problems and policies. And I did a Randstad one, and a water management one. We got to go around the ‘Afsluitdijk’ and see the cube houses in Rotterdam.
Were you able to make many friends during your mobility?
Yes! I had really nice people in my corridor. I also met friends through my course. I was in one class it was only exchange students, which was nice because we were all going through the same thing. I also did a lot of ESN activities and made some really nice friends there.
Did you try any Dutch foods that you liked?
I had a packet of chocolate ‘hagelslag’ at my place, which I really liked. It was kind of challenging at first, because when you put it on a sandwich the pieces kept going everywhere. You need something to keep them in place, like butter. I would have it on the weekends as a treat.
As you are already back home after your mobility program, could you share a bit about what life after mobility looks like?
I am still studying my urban and regional planning program in Sweden now. I’m just doing a bunch of random courses now to get the credits to complete my bachelors. After that I want to start working. I’m really looking forward to that, because I’m sure my life is the same as it was before moving to Groningen. But it also feels much more boring now. Because you change when you come home from something like a mobility experience, even if your surroundings are the same as you left.
Are there any distinct benefits, lessons or growth in yourself that you’ve noticed after having been on your mobility program?
I feel more like grown up. I used to really dread moving out, and now I feel like it’s possible. And I feel confident in my abilities to do it. And I also often think back at how many activities I did outside of my course in Groningen. I think that is one of the biggest lessons, you know cause… back then I would catch up to people and I was able to say, I went there, and there, and I’m going to this and that. Now it’s just like, yeah, I’m sitting here, studying, and… just doing my life. The lesson is that in a short amount of time you can have a really full life. It was a way to see what life can be. I feel like now I miss something in my life that I didn’t know before. Because I know that life can be so much more. You’re not just absorbing another language, you’re absorbing another culture, another way of life, and you’re changing in in the process. And that really cool and interesting about this Erasmus experience.
Thank you for sharing that! That’s very insightful. Let’s now switch our focus to the Dutch language; what was the first thing you remember learning in Dutch?
This might be kind of embarrassing to say as an adult, but I had a CD form the Eurovision song festival as a kid, and there was a Dutch song on there that I learnt to sing without knowing anything about Dutch. It was the song ‘Ik ben een teenager, by Rachel’. The cd had a document in it with all the lyrics. And I kind of learnt it before knowing what the words meant. I was like 12 or 13 or something. And I was just singing in Dutch before really knowing what I was singing until I started translating the lyrics.
What did you most enjoy most about learning Dutch?
For me it was just the feeling of improving. It was nice thing to spend time on and to feel the progress. And it was rewarding to listen to a song a few months ago and didn’t understand much. And suddenly understanding things after a few months. Or the time when I came across some Dutch people in Stockholm and started talking to them and it was a bit messy, but in those moments, you really realise that you learnt a lot and I think those moments are really rewarding and nice.
Could you share a memorable moment during your language learning process?
One was when I went to Froukje’s concert, and I was singing along with the lyrics together with everyone else on the crowd. This was a really nice moment because I felt kind of like I just belonged there in the crowd with all the other Dutch people. And no one looked at me like I was foreigner. And that was just a really enjoyable and unforgettable moment.
Do you need to speak Dutch when moving to the Netherlands?
No, you don’t need it. But I would recommend learning it because it makes the experience so much more fun! You learn to understand the culture by learning the language. And you can have some cool experiences, like going to Froukje’s concert and singing along, because I can speak and understand Dutch.
Do you have any specific language learning advice or tips you would like to share?
Make it fun! I used tv, music, children’s book, and such. Language learning doesn’t have to be boring at all. If you focus on what is fun to you, you will learn faster and have less of a barrier to continue learning.
And the same question for someone who might be nervous about going on mobility?
It’s totally understandable if you’re scared in the beginning. It’s a change but it’s also a fun change. I would say trust that. The Netherlands is also great country for students, especially Groningen because there are so many fun things to do. And sooner or later you will find something for you. And that will find people for you. The one thing I keep thinking about, since I came home, the only things I really regret are the things that I said no to.
Is there anything else you would like to share with our community of Dutch learners, or any words of wisdom you’d like to part with?
You don’t have to learn Dutch if you come to the Netherlands, but I would recommend doing it. It makes the experience much more fun. And other appreciate if you do and it helps to understand the culture.
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First of all, a big thanks to Simon for sharing his story and inspiring others on their language learning and mobility journey! I hope you as a reader take some helpful insights from this interview and Simon's experiences. If you would also like to be interviewed as a part of this series, you can let me know via this link, or by writing a message in the comments below!
Until next time!
Marieke, OLS Community Manager – Dutch