Wouter Corduwener: Learning from Tourists

This is the actual fluency podcast, helping you become a better language learner by providing motivating weekly inspiration, as well as top tips and tricks from expert guests. And now, your host, Kris Broholm.

Yeah, I'm fine, but you didn't pronounce my name right. It's Kortlever.

Oh no! That it's really hard.

Kortlever, it's really hard. I know it. So.

Oh God, I have I have lots of trouble with names on the show. So maybe I should start asking the the people to introduce themselves.

Yeah. It's also okay like even uh Dutch news they couldn't pronounce my name, so it's-

That's where I got it. That's where I got it, to be fair. That's why I got it. I I watched the news clip and I was like, ah that's pretty easy to pronounce and I guess it was all wrong. But anyway, this is why I love the uh this is why I love the show, you know, we it's not censored, it's not cut or anything. It's it's it's real life, you know. If if I met you in real life, I would have said exactly the same. So so thank you for that. Um but some people might not have heard about you, uh can you give a a little a background, your how did you get into learning languages? You know, go as far back if you as you need to and how did this hobby start for you?

I think I started at 23, 22, 23. And I was working a while at the Zaanse Schans. That's uh a village in Holland where you have a lot of windmills. And I'm selling there my drawings and I'm making caricatures, stuff like that. And there are many tourists there who really who are really enjoying the place and want to see the windmills. And there I just started by starting with phrases in Mandarin. Mandarin was my first language. And I already knew Dutch, English, German and French. Uh German, German and French at school. And uh yeah, when I was learning the phrases, I saw that people were really laughing and they liked it when they when they heard the language. And I was just going for further by learning phrases. So every day I learned three phrases in Mandarin. And then after after a year, I was able to have like really really basic conversations with people. And I started with other languages too. With Hebrew, with Thai and I was also going to Thailand, so I could practice with Thai too when I was there.

Yeah, for sure. I mean that's uh people really light up when they hear their native language, particularly if it's, you know, they're really far away from from from Asia and they hear Korean or Mandarin in in in the Dutch uh countryside, I guess, you know, people get uh get very happy and and reminded of home, uh I guess.

Yeah, don't take me wrong. I'm not saying that webcam videos of speaking languages are less or something, but I I think maybe in my case because I'm not really good in all those languages, um it was a nice part for the video to practice it with tourists and to have the interaction.

Yeah, well, I think I think I think you're right. There's something to be said about webcam videos and I've seen a lot of them lately where, you know, people say uh Russian girl speaks eight languages or whatever speaks 20 languages or 30 or 50 or whatever. And you know, it's just not real, you know, it's not real because first of all it's rehearsed, you know, it's a like a script basically. And most of the time. Or if it's not a script then people just speak, you know, the first sentence they've learned, like my name is or whatever. Or I started learning this language because

Reading from a wall or something like that.

Yeah, exactly. And and you know, even though your method is kind of similar to that, you know, where you learn you start by learning the phrases. It's so different to speak to a native speaker in the real life than it is to speak into a webcam with no one watching you, you know. Yeah, they're watching you later, but they're not looking at you right now expecting you to to be understood. So that's why I love the videos and I I told you I really enjoyed them. Uh because it's it's real life in a way and and I'm so jealous that you can just kind of jump at people and just uh through you know, start speaking even if even if you know you're not at a very good level in some of the languages. You still you run up to them and you say those few sentences. So what do you think is different from you and most people where they're probably halted by fear or they want to be perfect or something? Where where do you what what do you think about this?

I think many people are yeah, like shy or they are afraid to use the languages. And um there's a reason why they are not developing their self and as I said, I'm saying it about myself. In many of my languages, I have a beginner level and I just started. But to get better, you need to start somewhere, right? And you need to um yeah, you you need to handle it with people are criticizing you and when they're just saying that you're bad in a language or something like that, you could just ignore it, you know? Only use advice which is useful.

So what does that mean to you, the connection? Is it because you're obviously most of these people are tourists, you won't see them again. Uh so when somebody walks by you and you you see that they're probably from Korea or China or something. What what is that personal connection that you really enjoy about that process?

Um yeah, it's yeah, it's like I'm sure that I yeah, how do you say it like, the people who are passing me and who's uh and when I'm speaking the native language uh with them, they're appreciating it a lot and they're probably trusting me more or feeling more comfortable. I even had one time that someone's crying because he was saying like I I don't speak English. It was a Chinese guy and he had to cry because he couldn't speak for three months uh the language with someone. So, yeah, I I think this yeah, that's a little bit what I mean, like the emotional part of um yeah, being at the same level with one, feeling like you're brothers. That's one of the most beautiful things for me.

Right, it's uh life-changing in a way.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's it's really cool, like, um I also had one time that I was speaking five languages to to someone. I I first thought she was Thai. So I spoke Thai, but she didn't understood me. Then I was speaking Chinese, she didn't understood me, Japanese, Korean. And after that I heard that she was uh deaf. So.

Oh. So you need to bring out your uh sign language.

Uh maybe yeah. Benny Lewis is all uh already speaking it or

Yeah, but I the problem is there's so many sign languages.

Yeah, I know. I even know Thai sign language.

Yeah, it's crazy.

Yeah.

Uh but it it makes sense in a way. It's just it's just it's just interesting that developed that way because uh you know, you you'd think that you know, signs for things will be universal, but yeah, there you go. I mean that's uh that's part of the reason I haven't gotten into sign language because I find it really cool, but as somebody living in Europe, it's really hard to find out which sign language to actually learn because it's not going to matter unless you run into that particular nationality. So I don't know, maybe you just learn ASL. A lot of people say that that's that's a good good place to start.

Yeah, yeah, it was uh it was cool too. I was on the news like um I think two weeks after my last video. I was uh I had contact with the redaction of the program. And I was on the news, I really liked it. And uh yeah, three months later I was on the news again. So yeah, I I hope I can have more stuff like that and um that I maybe have the opportunity to Skype with some other YouTubers who uh who are speaking a lot of language languages. Uh Good Polyglot which I really like is Vladimir. Do you do you know him or?

Yes, Kulchitsky.

Yeah, yeah, I couldn't pronounce his second name, but Yeah, that's a good example like he has webcam videos too, but they're really powerful, really clear. The light is really well and he is speaking the languages at a really high level. So it doesn't matter what he's doing. Even when he's sitting on a toilet speaking those languages, people will watch it. I mean, he's a he's a good inspiration for other people who are learning languages and I also recommend to watch his channel if you're watching this video. So.

Yeah, he's really talented, Vladimir. He was uh he was also here.

Yeah, really well.

He was also on this podcast uh sometime ago. I I forget which episode, but uh I think it was season two if I don't if I don't yeah, it was season two. You can check out my talk with uh with Vladimir. He's very inspirational and I I also in New York for the Polyglot conference and he did a talk on his story how he got to, you know, some some like 19 languages and it's incredible. Just uh like you say the quality in each of his languages is just incredible. Like I I don't think I've seen that almost.

His tips are really well too, so Yeah, like in this case, it really works when you have uh yeah, how do you say it like a really clear video. If he is moving and running around and giving the tips people will not find it. So but Right.

Right. Where you want it to be more instructional, you need less distractions, I guess. Um and and then some of the newer videos that you started to produce is is uh is slightly controversial, I guess, uh where you where you get a few beers or quite a lot of beers and you go out and you practice languages. So tell me.

I was really afraid to to lose subscribers because of videos because people were not taking me serious. All right. First I'm drinking beers and the next day I'm giving language tips with a hangover. All right. But I just made this video to show um like how do you say it that nothing what I'm doing is staged or something, you know? It's just a real life. I'm going out with a friend. He takes my um camera and he's making some videos and it's just how it is, you know? And it's really close to myself.

It's a controversial topic also because some people say that they speak uh foreign languages better when they're drunk. Do you get the same or is it is it the same for you?

I'm already yeah, talking about bullshit when I'm sober, so.

True enough.

So when I'm when I'm drunk, it's maybe a bit more.

Well, I'm just thinking like because they say that alcohol one of the effects of alcohol is that you kind of lose uh sort of these uh what can you call it? Um the the fear that you had before, you usually don't care much when you're drunk. So I'm thinking if you already don't care when you're sober, you just run up to people and talk. Yeah. Then alcohol is probably not going to do much for you. But if I go to the pub and I drink a few pints of beer, I can tell you that it's easier for me to uh at least speak. I don't know if my language is better. It's probably not, but at least my my fear is is less. So I guess that's the biggest effect for me. But if some people feel they actually speak better, that that would be very interesting.

You're losing fear, but you're also losing brain cells.

Right, yeah, it's-

I'm not sure about that. Like that would be a really cool video. Like researching if you're losing brain cells or getting more brain cells when you're practicing your languages. Are you getting more clever because you're practicing it or are you losing the information? That would be-

Yeah, that's a good that's a good that's an interesting research. I don't know. I would love to see if I would love to talk to people who say that they speak a language better when they're drunk. Like actual ability in the language, not necessarily just speaking it. Uh but ability in the language because that would be interesting. I I cannot imagine that to be true. The only thing I can imagine is that it's easier for them to speak it in the first place because you know, alcohol removes some of these inhibitions we have to uh to to uh do something that scares us basically, you know, in a nutshell. Um but yeah, I think it's funny that you did it because it's it's like it is definitely real life. Whereas YouTube a lot of time can be kind of a fake reality in a way, it's like a fairy tale. It's created, you know, it's edited and and stuff. And you're you're really out there in the streets uh of of uh is it Amsterdam you're out in or

I was in Amsterdam and uh yeah, I also drunk 10 beers today. So do you recognize that I'm drunk now or can't see the difference?

No, I can't see the difference. Does that does that help you with uh with the the language learning in general or?

I hope you know that I'm not serious, but yeah. I'm sober. So, um I no, it's more like when I go out with friends, there's a really nice ambiance and um you also need a nice of funny people uh and yeah, like when I'm in this atmosphere sphere, it's really easier to to speak it and also funnier.

Do you ever get? Right. Do you ever get do you ever hesitate to speak a language to someone or do you just always go for it?

I always when I see a Chinese or a Korean, I just start talking.

That's so interesting. That's so interesting. I wonder have you always done have you always been like that?

I think I was shy first. I was more shy. But because of my job, I changed a lot because every day I'm meeting a lot of tourists, a lot of people. So the circumstances of my job kind of changed me a little bit like people who know me from before uh the high school, they know me as a shy guy. I think when they see the videos now they will not recognize me, but I think the circumstances changed me and then after that the languages changed me.

Right.

I mean in my case, I'm Dutch, that's my native tongue. It's harder to say than I love you to someone.

Yeah, I totally agree because you have a deeper emotional connection to your native language because it's your first. And uh therefore when you you might not even oops. I just made a little mistake here. Uh or when you um or for instance what would I lost it. I lost the thread.

Are you drunk?

Yeah, I am I'm drunk. I need some I need some more uh beer. Uh but we're talking about-

Maybe you need a beer?

The emotional connection, uh so we're talking about the emotional connection. And what I think is that when you are when you say when you learn sentences in let's say something really obscure as Mandarin, then you don't really know what it means in your brain. You just kind of you know the meaning, but you don't know the emotional under lying that. Does that does that cover? Is is what I want to say because that's why you can just swear away in your in a in a foreign language because there's no emotional connection or it's not as strong as with your native language anyway. Yeah. So that's a good that's a good point.

I think that's right. And like, is it not the same with women, for example, when you go to a bar and you like a women and uh you you you drunk some beers. It's easier to approach her, right? In general.

That's true. Yeah, it's the same, yeah.

I have a girlfriend now. So,

Yeah.

But I mean in the past. I yeah, like when I when I drunk a couple of beers then it was easier. I think it's the same with languages. It helps you with losing fear. And many of my videos are about losing fear. So that's why I also made the video with learning thousand words in five languages in five minutes. I will make more episodes about it. I most of the comments were really positive, but there were also some comments that people were saying like, then I'm clickbaiting too much, you know? But I I think for for those people who said it, I I understand their comment.

Right, practice.

If you make mistakes, yeah, there's not a problem. I mean, that's how you get better. So.

Yeah, exactly. And and speaking of getting better, how are you because you you you started started uh a lot of languages and and obviously because of so many different nationalities walk by you at the at at your work. Um how do you what's your plan for for improving the languages? Are you doing any anything outside of of just using them all the time or do you do you have some courses or some books or-

Ah, that's a good, yeah, good question. I think I didn't even thought about that uh in my previous videos. Um yeah, like what I do is I'm looking a lot at the internet. I'm going to YouTube channels. I'm going to uh research words and I'm also looking at the most at the 50 most important words which we have, the most important verbs. And I'm looking at everything, the past tense, the future. And using those words this way and for the rest, I'm just Skyping with uh people like also other YouTubers who also speak more languages. It's kind of gaming. So I don't have a PlayStation, but I'm just Skyping with people. A bit nerdy, but it works. And I also have books where I find out stuff. I if I don't know something, I write it down and I try to research it. So that's a little bit like my language learning strategy.

I'm trying to maintain all of them. So every week I'm speaking all those languages which I know and then you're getting a little little little bit better each week and after a year you will see the the progress, so.

That's really impressive. Uh so how many language do you have a count on how many languages you're working on every week or?

Um yeah, like I'm just learning the same 18 languages of the first video. I don't learn new languages. So each two or three months I'm trying to learn another language and trying to improve. So if I have a A1 level, I try to reach A2. If I have a A2 level, I try to reach to reach the B1 level in two months. So.

Wow.

Yeah.

That's a lot of languages to to what to work on. It's funny you you remind me a bit of uh Ellen Jovin actually. She might be listening to the show. Um she has she has kind of the same idea where she has a three-month period and I don't I don't remember if she did one or two languages, but she definitely did the similar thing with okay, these are my focus languages and I'm going to improve in those. And then after the time, she actually just went to something else. So you you get that very sort of uh spread out improvement, but it's a consistent and it's it's it's a lot of fun because you don't have to, let's say do Russian for 12 months or German verbs or, you know, you you kind of it's new all the time because oh, I'm bored with Korean. I'm just going to go over to Mandarin or Just thinking is part of your strategy to learn a lot of languages so it's always interesting. Is that is that part of the the the thought process or is it just I and how did you settle on 18 by the way? If somebody comes by and it's like from Malta or something, how do you resist the temptation to add Maltese to it?

I didn't learn Maltese. So.

No, but I mean if you have your 18 languages that you say you want to improve, then somebody from Malta comes by and you want to speak to that person. You're like, oh God, I need to learn Maltese. How do you resist not adding more languages to your your 18?

Yeah, like that's something what I learned later after what I posted the first video. I realized that it's not good to learn too many languages. So I was thinking about not to do it.

So you you settled at 18. 18 is not too many.

Yeah, I stopped with it. Now in the next coming five years, I'm only improving the the other languages. Right. Including my mother tongue. Yeah.

You can always improve all your languages.

Yeah, so that's a little bit like my problem with my first video. Of course, it was going viral. People liked it and it was the start of my YouTube channel. But after I realized that I I want to make better videos. I want to learn each language better at a higher level. So that's the yeah, that's how I how I can say to myself now, all right, I'm not learning this other language.

No more.

If someone is speaking Maltese and I don't speak it. All right.

Too bad.

Yeah.

Too bad. Ah, that's a good I think that's a good point. I always feel a little bit sad sometimes if I don't speak one language. And people are disappointed when I speak all these other languages and they're asking me like, why are you not learning my language? Yeah.

And Yeah, so that's a little bit the problem. That's why I first was really distracted to learn all those languages at the same time. But yeah, you're getting crazy about it. It's not motivating when you're learning too many languages. So now I just have each two months improving another language and maintaining the other uh six now. Like I I think I speak now six languages on a B1 level or better. And the other 12 are on A1 or A2 level. So.

Okay. So you're working on improving one and then you're-

I'm working on yeah. Yeah.

Okay, that's good because it sounded a bit like you were working on improving 18 languages at once.

No, another one. Yeah, every two months I'm picking the other one and I'm only maintaining all the other ones. So by speaking it, practicing it, making new videos.

Oh right, okay. I see. So you're working like-

Yeah. It's just it's just a process. I also want people to see me making mistakes. I don't want to be perfect. I don't want to be really good because I think it's more important to show how bad I am than how good I am because that's the most important thing that that you're starting when you're bad and that you're not afraid to use it. And I think some people don't understand that.

Yeah. No, definitely. I think that's a big problem. Like I said to myself.

Yeah. You should just go up. I mean, why should I make a video to show how good I am? Why? I mean-

It doesn't do anything, yeah. I totally understand. So so what kind of what kind of tips could you give someone like me? I don't know if it's just something that I don't know if it's just part of the personality or there's anything you can do, but um, you know, if I I know a lot of people connect to the idea of I'm scared of using the foreign language, even if they're really good at it. They're scared of using it. So so what kind of advice or tips do you think could you give to people like that? Also includes me.

Um what kind of tips? I don't know you that well. Uh so I don't know which tips you already use. But I think one of the best tips is to listen to other tips. Like weird, but that's what I do too. Like a really good tip I heard from Vladimir was to look at other YouTube channels, to browse and to listen to the conversations and to yeah, to to listen really clearly. And he said something that about the idea that when you're going to vloggers, which are talking about their self, that you will learn other stuff than when you're in a classroom, learning verbs, stuff like that. So it's really close to the reality. So I I think that's a really good tip.

Right, it's a bit like a language exchange in a way.

Yeah, yeah. And another tip is to um to to be close to yourself, close to the daily life. So for example, when you're gaming every day with your headset, you can do a game with some Danish people or Chinese people and you can say, all right, let's shoot that guy in Chinese, you know, when you have a strategy, you talk about it in this language. And yeah, then it's really close to your daily life.

Right. And how about how about then take transferring it to let's say I I had to go to the streets of Budapest and had to practice all my languages. I would be terrified. So what can I what can I do to be less terrified? Except drinking beer, of course, which I will do, but, you know, apart from that.

Um I'm thinking. Uh I think it's the best to just make friends, you know, like in a other way like when you're there, you live in Budapest or.

Yeah.

You live there. What are you doing in your daily life?

Well, I just I work from home, uh yeah, I work.

Sporting or do you have any spots where you go to to parks or whatever, stuff like that.

Uh not really. I guess Starbucks and stuff like that. That's that's about it. Cafes, restaurants. Uh go out with friends to bars and stuff. It's about it.

If you try to practice Hungarian all the time when you have the opportunity to practice it then.

Yeah, I try, but then I get scared of making mistakes and uh and I I just switch to English because it's easier, you know?

Yeah. Why you cannot say to yourself every time that I'm speaking English, I don't have the opportunity to uh whatever, drink a beer or something, you know, when you're going out or why are you not saying to yourself, I I don't have the possibility to speak English. Forget that you're speaking English all these times and this very and to survive. Right.

Ignore it.

Right. If you don't understand something in Hungarian, try to ask if they can point it out uh with a different way, you know?

Right. Um that's also a trick for me. If you don't know something, if you cannot answer at the way how you want to answer, try to say it on a different way. That's what I do too. So even when it's not the right answer which I wanted to give, then I'm already still speaking the same language.

Right, just keep speaking and if you don't understand something, ask them to say it in a different way.

Yeah. And if they if you still don't understand, what do you do? Just keep going. Just keep going. I mean, there's always a way to explain it on another way. If you don't know the meaning of sun, I mean, the sun in the sky, then you can you can say it's something what's really warm or you can say uh it's something which has the this distance from Earth or or it's a star or whatever, you know? You can try try to ask it. Even when it takes five times, it really make you confident that you're still speaking the same language. And when you're more confident, then you will speak it after more and more and more.

Right, you think you think uh doing these kind of activities will make you more confident in general.

I I think so. Yeah.

Yeah. That's funny. It's uh it's turned into a bit of a therapy session here, which uh I hope uh I hope other people can relate to this problem that I'm having, but it's I'm glad for I I really appreciate the the tips and But my YouTube channel is a little bit about losing fear while speaking languages. My channel is about that. I'm I I want to make videos to show how easy it is and I I even have one video that I'm speaking languages while I'm peeing next to others.

Wow, that's real. When when I'm showing with this video, is that most people feel connected with you or they feel really proud about their language or they're they're happy. They feel really comfortable. And even when their culture is different or their language. Yeah. Even while peeing next to them is not a problem when I speak it. So why should why should people dislike you if you just practice it on the streets or in a park or-

The good thing I guess about doing the toilet is that they they can't run away. So so if you say something, um they're they're always going to be uh they're always going to be there. They can't just flee from the scene. But I really enjoyed that video too. And again, it really for me underlines just the kind of you know, you really don't care, you know, you just want to practice those languages. You don't care about, you know, what kind of situation people are in or what time it is, where it is, uh who they are, you know, it could be they could be from China, they could be from Germany. It doesn't matter. And I I really think that's cool and something that we can all learn from that kind of just do it attitude, you know?

It's the same with like, I'm I'm comparing it all the time, but it's the same with women. Like, Sure. If you feel that a girl doesn't like it to have your attention or to talk with you. I think you will feel it when you're at too a meter distance, you know, you will feel it. You can see it on the eyes. You can see it at the at the attitude. It's the same with languages. You will feel it if someone is interested when you're speaking his or her language. And if I don't have this feeling, if I have the feeling that someone wants to be on his or her own, I'm not doing it. I'm only doing it when I feel that there's an interaction and Right. It is the right moment. So.

Yeah, you're not annoying people. That that's for sure. You're not trying to harass people on the street. That's that's for sure. You you you only at least in the videos, I've only seen you interact with people who are very interested in in listening to you. So so that's that's a good disclaimer to put out there that it's not about, you know, harassing people and I guess if you're in if you're in a restaurant or a cafe or whatever and there's like 200 million customers and there's only one waiter and he's flying around, you know, if you had to use English for to get your order sorted really quickly, or spend 10 minutes trying to explain it in your new five words of French or whatever. You know, that's fair, you know, the guy has a job to do. So if he's like trying to switch to English, then maybe just get it over with, you know, you don't want to you don't want to annoy people. I guess that's a good point.

Yeah, of course. Of course, like like if you it's the same what you're seeing in the videos like I I don't want to make jokes about people, you know, against them. I just want to make jokes with them. That's something else.

Yeah, you don't know them yet. So, you know, that's that's definitely the right the right way to do it. And I I guess also did it help your your drawing business that you spoke all these languages with the tourists? Were they more happy to to buy from you?

Yeah, yeah, and there were even sometimes people who recognize me from YouTube or from news. So.

Wow.

That's really cool. Like that's awesome. And then I'm saying sometimes like, are you not the guy who was giving a bad comment on my YouTube channel?

Say it now. It's a good joke. Yeah.

Yeah, it's it's really nice uh if people recognize you and if they like it to practice languages with you. And yeah, I I think most of the people, most of the people like it when you speak their language. Most of them.

Yeah, for sure. It's it's-

Even when it's not good. So.

They appreciate you trying and that's in general, that's also the reception I've been getting down here as well. Like people people are generally happy about you trying and uh you know, it's kind of like when I was learning Russian, I said like one sentence to someone with a few mistakes in it probably and she was like, wow, you're fluent already. It's funny how uh how some countries are really like, you know, over overexcited about it. And then you go to somewhere like Denmark and they're like, that's kind of nice, you know?

They are also in different countries in general. Ancient people are really positive when you speak their language. Why? Because it's really hard for European people. I just know some guys from YouTube who speak Chinese fluently just a couple. Many of them have problems with it, like me. And um I I also think it's something of the culture that they're really um happy to to see you. Do you've been in Thailand or?

I haven't. No. I haven't never been to Asia. That's uh.

Like you will you will see the big smile there and uh how people are inviting you. Uh yeah, it's really cool. Like if you're traveling then it's an extra motivation, an extra boost to learn those languages. So.

Yeah, for sure. I don't think you get much out of going to Denmark with Danish unfortunately. Uh that's uh they're a little bit special in the sense that we don't understand why you're learning it. And then it's like, oh okay, it's kind of nice, you know. They appreciate it and you can have better conversations with people, but they're not they're not as excited about it as as other countries. I guess it's similar to German also, you know, they're not too excited about you speaking German either. You know, they're like, yeah, okay, that's good. Yeah.

Actually, I I met a lot of Danish people who were really surprised about uh the idea that I was speaking Danish because it's not a really common uh language. Uh German is close to Dutch and it's a really common language for polyglots who are learning it.

But did you meet the Danish people in in Denmark or in in in the Netherlands?

In the Netherlands. Oh right. Because when they travel they they get really excited about it. Like it's like I I once went to the Caribbeans with my family when I was really young and at the hotel when we arrived, there was like another Danish couple and we're like, wow, Danish, you know, we're connected, you know, we're like uh we're best friends now. And I was like, we don't know these people at all. They could be serial killers for all we know, but just because they were Danish and abroad, they're like instant friends, you know, so I think something happens when Danish people go abroad, they get like, I don't know, they reawaken their national pride or something. But if you go to Denmark, definitely I think most people would agree that they'll just switch to English and if you try to speak Danish, you know, some people will say, oh that's kind of nice, but they don't really get excited about it, I think.

I've never been there, but maybe later I will find it out by myself.

Yeah, you should go if you want to go to the home of the Tuvors or the Carlsbergs and uh, you know, get drink beer with the Danish people. That would be a very fun video because Danish people can drink a lot. And uh, you know, you could have a long video there about speaking Danish while drunk. Maybe your pronunciation will get better too, I don't know.

I hope my videos are not getting crazier or.

You've been like the crazy polyglot who's like speaking.

But we have a serious interview now. So that's really cool. That's I really appreciate it. That's true, yeah. Serious serious mode on all the time. No, it's just uh, you know, the the podcast is basically like like you try to do in your videos, the podcasts that I try to do is basically a representation of real life. Like if I went to the Netherlands and I sat in front of you over a beer, this is what we would be talking about, you know? Um, so that's what I try to do with the podcast and and try to inspire and motivate, hopefully also, um, it's really cool.

So.

So yeah, even I had someone send me a handwritten letter, which I was really appreciated about I was like, wow, this I mean, my mom hasn't sent me anything. I lived here for six months, but I got a letter from.

You were a good son for her or you were a really annoying guy.

I think you were a really nice to us, but to your mom not, you ever bought her a nice present or-

You will say that about yourself.

Yeah, yeah, I'm a I'm a good son, I think. Uh and and she always loved me. It's not bad.

That's maybe true.

That's maybe true. Maybe I should go back to the therapy idea again.

You look really shy, but in real life you're maybe the biggest uh you know.

No, no, no, no. I'm I'm a cool guy. I I like what you're doing and I I can only say keep up the good work and I appreciate it. It's really cool to inspire other people and I wish that your channel was bigger than it is now because like.

I appreciate it.

Well, I I don't I don't like the commercial channels too much. I really like the stuff of people who are really close to their real lives and they're not trying to get a lot of views or subscribers, uh just only because they know they get a lot of views because of that. But they I-

I appreciate you saying that, but you know also it's it's mainly an audio podcast. This video thing is quite new and I I put the videos basically on YouTube for people to get something extra. If they want to watch the interviews, some people like watching more than listening. Uh but the the podcast has always been, you know, an audio podcast. So that's the reason my YouTube channel is not bigger than it is.

I hope I hope you're doing the same because I I I think people don't want to hear hear an hour of my bullshit, so.

Right, I mean, it could be interesting in its own way, right? But that's actually why and you know, obviously I can't say that if I did that kind of videos that I would get thousands of subscribers. I don't think so, but I just haven't done any of those videos yet. My videos are like, you know, vlogs talking about life and actual fluency or interviews like this. You know, so I haven't done any interesting YouTube style videos where I edit and stuff. But it'll probably come this year. I think, you know, people like yourself have inspired me to and also Chris Huff, my friend, uh who's doing some Turkish videos and stuff like that. Um, he's really you guys are really pushing me to get into the video format more. Also Lindsay Dow, you know, now that we're shouting out, you know, she's done some some hilarious videos that are very well made. Um, so I I hope to get into that, you know, and provide people with quality. Maybe I could even show like practicing Hungarian or other languages in Budapest, you know, I could bring my phone and just record it, you know, How would that be for uh overcoming your fears?

Yeah. I think you just should do it, man. Just try it. Yeah.

Just try it, yeah. Just try it.

You can do it.

Just try it. He says.

You can also lend my head maybe. Maybe that helps.

Does the hat help? Yeah, yeah, it helps. Is it like a confidence hat or is it like people are interested in the hat? So they're easier to speak to.

I feel really protected by my hat. I don't know. Oh really? Just my my hat, you know.

That's a top tip. Yeah. That's a top tip. I really like your hat. It really it really fits with your with your style in in the videos as well.

It's the only thing what fits to my head. It's really hard to find something. So.

You have a big head. He's had another Polyglot.

No, no.

All right, Wouter. Well, thank you so much for taking the time to come on and uh and and help motivate people and and talk about your own language learning story and I wish you the best of luck in in bringing all those languages to to the level you want them to to be at.

All right. Thanks, mate. It was really nice to meet you. I hope we can meet one day and.

Oh yeah, for sure.

Yeah, we can be good friends, you know. I don't have a lot of friends, but you could be one.

Definitely, definitely. I'd love to be your friend. I mean, I I already feel a connection, you know, we're we're here.

Wow, that's really cool.

So um What was I about to say? Oh yeah, for people who are interested in your channel, they can they can go check it out. And if I can't pronounce it then people most likely can't spell it. But if you search for Dutch Polyglot speaks 18 languages with tourists, then your video will definitely show up. And otherwise, I put all the links and the information on actualfluency.com/ 316. So that's where you can get the show notes and all the links and everything we basically we want to we've been talking about here. So um so go check it out. Go check out his channel how he speaks with uh 10 beers. How good his foreign languages are. It's it's quite fun to see.

I hope people still want to drink a beer with me.

Oh, maybe I mean, when the channel grows, maybe people will buy you beers all the time.

Yeah.

That will be a secondary advantage, right? So Anyway, really cool and uh if you ever make it to uh Berlin for the Polyglot gathering, I'd love to connect, say hi. Otherwise, you know, if you're if you're ever in in Budapest, you know, let me know and uh we can go for a beer and some languages.

We definitely do that, man. Cheers.

All right. Cool. See you later.

See you later.

Thank you for listening to The Actual Fluency Podcast.