Is Dutch just another berber? An investigation into the language preferences of immigrants in the Netherlands

What is it about?

The paper reports a study of language learning and language attitudes among immigrants to the Netherlands. Questionnaires were obtained from 69 students taking Dutch at the Language Centre of the University of Nijmegen. Eighteen students were later interviewed about their attitudes towards Dutch, English, French and German. No evidence was found that Dutch was in any way threatened by English for this group. The importance which the students attached to English as an international language did not lessen the importance they attached to Dutch for living and working in the Netherlands.

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