Expats: Getting Locals to Speak to You in Your Target Language

- June 09, 2021

A year or more ago, I was at a Christmas fair in the Netherlands and I passed a booth ran by a Language School. They were giving away buttons that said "Speak Dutch to Me" (in Dutch of course). I thought this was just brilliant!

One of the most aggravating things about learning a language in a foreign country where everyone speaks English is that when you are trying to order your food or perform another transaction in your target language, many of them hear your accent and ask if it's easier to switch to English.

I found that at least half the time during my first 6 months in the Netherlands, that was the case. Most natives switch to English because they want to practice their foreign language, too. Either that or they just want to help.

But what if switching to English doesn't help? What if you want them to carry on and let you struggle a little bit until both of you come to an understanding?

You can wear the button around, or you can wear one of these shirts or facemasks that I designed through RedBubble.

Available in German, Dutch, and French, you can browse an array of products with the "Speak ____ to Me" catch-line. Spanish, Portuguese and more coming soon! Drop a comment below if you have a special request.

Whether you're at a party with native speakers, in the workplace, at school pickup, or in the grocery store, you can wear your language learning status on your sleeve and encourage others to interact with you in your target language!