02/06/2022
Last year the Dutch Ministry of Interior Affairs has stated that English will become the country's second official language. It's hardly surprising, given that the Dutch are already among the greatest non-native English speakers in the world. In addition to introducing a second official language, the government will modify the titles of governmental entities to make them more accessible to foreigners. The tongue-twisting Belastingdienst, for example, will change its name to "His Royal Majesty's Tax Authority." Some Dutch towns and cities will also have their names modified to make them simpler to say for English speakers. Ijsselstein will henceforth be known as Islington, Groningen as Grantham, and Utrecht as Youbourne. Amsterdam will preserve its name in order to avoid international misunderstanding. Thus you can also enjoy speaking in English while living in the Netherlands.