Dear visitor,
Dear student,

Welcome to the website of the Goesting in Taal project! This project aims to bridge the language gap between Dutch language learners and Flemish native speakers by helping students to get to know the everyday spoken Flemish language, the so-called "tussentaal" and the many Flemish accents and dialects.

What do we offer?
  • A platform with background information on spoken Flemish, free materials such as exercises, videos, tips and tricks and much more.
  • Survival guides and books to help you understand Flemish people better and to learn to talk like a native speaker.
  • A blog with regular posts on typically Flemish expressions and words.
  • Fun workshops about spoken Flemish for language schools, organisations and companies.
Beste NT2- en NVT-docent,
Beste taaltrainer,

Welkom op de website van Goesting in Taal, een project dat als doel heeft de taalbarrière tussen Vlamingen en anderstaligen te doorbreken. Dit willen we doen door anderstaligen toegang te geven tot leerinstrumenten om de taaldiversiteit in Vlaanderen te leren kennen.

Wat bieden wij aan?
  • Een platform met achtergrondinformatie, gratis materiaal, oefeningen, lestips, interessante links en nog veel meer.
  • Survival guides en handboeken om tussentaal te leren begrijpen en gebruiken.
  • Plezante workshops Vlaamse tussentaal als extracurriculaire of teambuildingactiviteit voor taalscholen, organisaties en bedrijven.
  • Workshops over lesgeven over en in tussentaal voor NT2- en NVT-docenten.
  • Een blog met regelmatige posts over typisch Vlaamse woorden en uitdrukkingen.

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Recent News

There are lots of new materials in the learning environment. Check it out!

Struggling with "de" and "het"?
Discover the new exercise!

Thank you to all the people who have bought our books! Your enthusiasm is awesome!

Is there really such a big difference between Flemish and standard Dutch? There is. Read more here!

Hello, I am Sofie Begine! 
I am a language trainer working in the region of Brussels and Leuven. It's nice to meet you!

I love sharing my passion for the Dutch language in all its variety with my students. I have given language trainings to people with many different backgrounds, from nurses to CEO's. In the past years I have been specialising in teaching Flemish informal language, because I realised how important it is to not feel like an outsider in a Flemish environment.

If you have any questions about the Goesting in Taal project, feel free to contact me!
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 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 remains as important as ever 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.

If you don't know the informal language, the language barrier between you and Flemish colleagues, neighbours and friends will remain in place.

I hope this website and my books will offer you a bridge to the other side and a means to break this barrier once and for all!

As appeared in

Spoken Flemish
A survival guide for international students

Are you an international student, a PhD student or an expat living in Leuven or Flanders? Would you like to speak and understand the everyday language of Flanders? The real language friends, family and co-workers use to talk to each other? 
Then this survival guide is exactly what you need!

Wa zegt ge? - Vlaamse spreektaal voor anderstaligen

Have you already followed Dutch courses, but you feel like what you hear in class just doesn't correspond with what you hear in the office, in the shop and on the streets?
This selfstudy book with elaborate audio will help you to understand and speak with Flemish friends and colleagues without the language barrier!

Blog

By reading my blog, you will accompany me on a discovery of the Flemish language and get to know interesting facts about Flemish, including many tips and tricks to sound like a native speaker!