The class is slowly filling up as a message from one of the students arrives in the group app.
‘Ik ben tien minuten te laat. Begin niet aan de “foutjes” zonder mij 🙏🏼!’ (I’m ten minutes late. Don't start the “foutjes” without me)
De foutjes are a fixture in my B-level classes and, apart from the field trips, the favorite of every student.
Each lesson, I revisit under the title “Zoek De Foutjes” those constructions, words, expressions and/or word sequences that didn't go entirely supple the previous time, or that were considered rather difficult.
In short, a set of sentences with previously made mistakes.
De foutjes.
The students must come to the whiteboard one at a time to correct a sentence full of "foutjes" shown on the smart board.
Because classes are held in the evening, most students come straight from the office with their heads still full of work matters. Letting them stretch their legs for a bit and having them actively write on the whiteboard, works well to pull them into the here and now: our Dutch class.
At the same time, it's a good way for them to store information in a different, less passive way than while listening.
Dat is dus twee vliegen in een klap. (So that’s two birds with one stone)
While fixing “de foutjes”, there is a lot of thinking out loud, hesitating, writing, and wiping out again, whispering the right answers to each other, laughing and finally applauding.
Which makes it also very good for bonding.
Nadya from Ukraine comes rushing in out of breath.
‘Ben ik op tijd voor “de foutjes”’? (Am I in time for “de foutjes”?)
'Sorry Nadya, we zijn al klaar’, I reply. (We’ve already finished)
Disappointed look. ‘My bad. Next time...’
The group chuckles.
‘Natuurlijk niet’ (of course not), I put her out of her misery. ‘We've been waiting for you. You can start right away with sentence one.’
Nadya walks over to the whiteboard and reads out the first sentence.
‘Dat zijn twee vliegs op een klap.’*
As she looks bewildered at her classmates, she suddenly wishes we had started without her.
* Dat is twee vliegen in een klap.
Sure, I am Always Talkin’ Food, but I teach NT2 (Dutch as a second language) on the side. Mainly to young internationals who came to Amsterdam for or with love and intend to stay. For privacy reasons the names in these columns are fictitious.
Food lingo
Varenyky - crescent-shaped Ukrainian dumplings boiled in salt water
Chebureki - Ukrainian fried turnovers filled with ground meat and onions (e.g.)
Sauerkraut - de zuurkool
Trout - de forel
Rye bread - het roggebrood
Flawless Ukrainian
It took two years since the start of the war against Ukraine before a Ukrainian restaurant opened up in Amsterdam. Of course, restaurant Oleg worked largely with Ukrainian chefs, but unfortunately it closed long ago. On March 1, wine bar Alex + Pinard opened its doors and kitchen to female refugee Ukrainian chefs and their homeland dishes. Like varenyky stuffed with sauerkraut, sour cherries or potato. Further on the menu: chicken Kyiv, smoked trout, borsch, chebureki, rye bread and much more. All this you can wash down with Ukrainian ciders and beers. In time there will also be a market stall with take-away food on the famous Dappermarkt market street in front of the restaurant. The pop-up stays for at least two months, but given the overwhelming interest from Day 1, the project is likely to be extended.
Alex + Pinard - De Oekraïense Pop-Up, Dapperstraat 10 Amsterdam. Open: Mon -Sun 4 PM - 0 AM.