Generation Like | The Youtube generation

The world we live in today, more than ever before, is heavily relient on the online platforms of social media. In just a decade, the average teenager has spent more time online, being exposed to well-constructed advertising techniques. In the past 5 years, average teenagers have found a way to become millionaires by producing simple videos of them doing things. Welcome to the "Youtube generation". Eversince the launch of Youtube in 2005, its record of users has skyrocketed. People are able to share videos to the world about things they are passionate about; whether it is a dancing choreography, a book review, or even a tutorial on how to paint. This social platform allows their users to get creative, and connect with people who share a common interest, even allowing people to 'like' these videos. People who would regularly update their videos about their interests, having many viewers who share a mutual interest has created so called "Youtube celebrities". A term for people getting noticed by others through their videos.

Not only do these new-made celebrities gain popularity amongst viewers, they also earn big amounts of money for promoting products. They do so by subltly, or not-so-subtly advertising particular products in their videos, making a connection between the viewers and the product which is used by the 'celebrity'. The advertisement industry is making big bussiness in using these Youtube stars to promote their products on all different platforms of social media, extending beyond just Youtube. Companies construct these marketing campaigns so that these Youtube stars also promote products on sites other than Youtube such as Instagram or even Snapchat.

The documentary "Generation Like" highlights how the Youtuber Tyler Oakley, a millionair of 'likes' is basically used as an advertisement campaign for brands. It is highlighted how he forms partnerships with brands, using these stars to convince their viewers to use and buy these products. The Youtuber Tyler Oakley even dedicated multiple videos on the tacos from the brand Taco Bell, which he predictably formed a partnership with. Therefore I can draw the conclusion that Youtube stars are being exploited rather than empowered as they are being used to showcase products by companies.

Despite the fact that these stars are showcased as being empowered as they share their interests with the world, they are eventually being exploited as advertisers and motivated by these companies instead of showcasing their interests. This is significant as other Youtubers such as Steven Fernandez are covered head-to-toe in their sponsers' products. In find that based on the examples of Fernandez and Oakley it is clear that the advertisment industry is heavily influencing these celebrities to be used as the marketing of their products. Concluding from this, I believe that 'Youtube stars' are being exploited rather than empowered.

Advertisers and Stereotypes

Do advertisers have a moral duty to avoid stereotyping people? This controversial question is very debatable and can be looked at from many different perspectives. Hereby my perspective on this controversy.
I believe that advertisers plays a big role in influencing their audiences through the representation of others, they can arouse or illiminate particular views on aspects or people. As advertisements can heavily impact their audience, the implications behind each ad should be considered more carefully in order not to provoke negative stereotypes towards others. Advertisers should consider how representations of people can be interpreted, making sure that it is not looking down, or simply denegrating specific groups of people. By doing so, the audience will not be influenced as much by these particular stereotypes that otherwise can be promoted through ads, and as a result is might improve stereotyping slightly amongst society as it will not be promoted in the adverts.

Print Ad Analysis

In this print ad, is printed in color and intended to promote the cigarettes from the brand Marlboro.
The ad is intended for women and men during the 1950's and 60's, who are higher-class and value luxury and social status. The purpose of the ad is to convince the audience that Marlboro cigarettes are superior and more luxurious to other cigarettes.

The appeal of luxury is utilized by portraying a middle-aged woman and man dressed in fancy clothes, the man wearing a suit and the woman wearing a tailored blouse, lighting a cigarette. The appeal of luxury is aroused as well as the exotic location Santa Catalina Antigua, in Guatemala. The appeal of aesthetic sensation is aroused through the impressive view of the mountains of Guatemala in the background behind the Santa Catarina arch. Both the location and the clothes of the subjects suggest the higher social class status of the characters as they are enjoying themselves while visiting a foreign country emphasizing the appeal to prominence.

The woman, dressed in an eyecatching red outfit, arouses charisma as she is portrayed as a bold and confident character. Both subjects have a desirable appearance (for the intended audience at this time period). These beautiful people is used to attract the attention of the audience as it might imply that the audience will look like them as well as achieving the ideal of appearance of that era. The physical appearance of the subjects, particularly the clothing and the setting, are used for association of the product with the desire of luxury and social status to which the cigarette provides a simple solution. The advert makes explicit claims that the Marlboro cigarette has a much finer and mild taste—providing a more luxurious experience of the product. The emphasis on the descriptive words of the product are used as intensity to hype the product.

The emphasis on luxury is significant as it is used as the major persuasive reason of why this product is superior. The woman clearly seems to value luxury most, as she is enjoying the cigarette and dressed boldly. The man seems to be ignored, as he is dressed in luxurious yet less bold clothing in contrast to the woman who is being marginalized as she is smoking the cigarette and dressed boldly. However this ad might imply a hidden message. The man lighting the woman's cigarette is significant as it might imply that he is in control of the pleasure of the cigarette, or it may suggest that the cigarettes are his as the woman doesn't have a lighter. Thereforee gender stereotypes might come into play as the man has control of the pleasure of the cigarette, as if the woman is not capable of lighting a sigarette on her own. The ad therefore suggests that the man uses the cigarette, which is highly valued by the woman as it luxurious, to impress or satisfy the woman who desires luxurious products. In addition this might highlight that the man has a higher income or status, as he is capable of buying the product whereas the woman receives them. This again touches gender roles as men, in this era, are often portrayed as superior as they are portrayed to be in control of providing luxurious cigarettes for the woman who does not buy or have these herself.

Pitch presentation | Glamping

What main appeals did you use in your pitch?
In the pitch, my group placed a main focus on the following advertising appeals during our persuasive pitch.
We used the appeal to luxury as glamping provides a perfect solution for discovering nature as well as having the 'camping experience' as a family, especially if the family members are not very skilled at camping. Therefore the product offers a perfect luxurious option for camping.
The appeal of need to nurture is emphasized as glamping contributes to a family bonding as well as the children having a memorable camping experience with their parents.
We used the appeak of the need to aggress as glamping offers the client to relax, relieve stress from their hectic daily life. Therefore it also appeals to the need for autonomy/escape as glamping offers freedom and independence in nature away from everyday life.
Using visual representations, the appeal of aesthetic sensations is highlighted as glamping offers an opportunity to discover nature and wildlife. Finally the appeal to satisfy curiosity is emphasized as the buyers who are curious about wildlife and nature will have the opportunity to discover these. 

Why did you decide they would be the most effective?
These appeals were selected as each one highlights how glamping offers a way to satisfy the appeal. For example glamping appeals to nurture as it is intended for families who through the glamping experience have the opportunity to bond much stronger as a family.

What were some specific persuasive techniques you used (include examples) why did you believe these would be effective?
Bandwagon was used in the advertising pitch, I believe that this presuasive technique would be effective as this uses the premise that people want to belong and therefore be encourage to go glamping. Secondly the persuasive technique of plain folks is used as this will form a reliable character to which the audience can relate too, as well as form an emotional connection with these plain folks and with the product. Simple solution is used as glamping provides a logic and effective way of solving a few problems including; the fear of not being a close family, not being able to have the 'camping experience' due to lack of skills. Simple solution provides an answer to these complex problems and struggles the audience may be experiencing, and therefore consider glamping as an option to overcome these struggles.

How did an awareness of audience and context influence your overall approach to this activity?
The aim of the pitch was to persuade the glamping company to hire my advertisement company to advertise their product. The techniques and appeals including visuals were used to persuade the company of the success of our potential campaign. Using these techniques and appeals, which seemed most suitable for their product, my advertising company outlined in much detail how their product would be represented and what positive effect it would have on the targeted audience for the product. The context and audience for glamping was Oregon, United States and Middle to High-class families with children. This influenced the overall approach on this activity as these defined the values the audience would have, and therefore make sure to appeal these values based on class, situation and location. The emphasis on camping was used as camping, either in scouts or as a family plays a big role in American culture. Therefore glamping had to measure to this as this 'camping experience' was crucial in order to convince the audience. As the audience is Middle to High-class families, a TV-advertisement was chosen as these families make up the largest amount of viewers, as well as the emphasis on luxury due to its higher class status.

Explain the use of some of the images you included. Why did you feel they would be effective?
In the presentation, the first image we come across is a happy family with younger kids.

This immediately sets the mood as it gives the impression that the product makes families happy, just like in the photograph. A simple image of a skilled camper setting up a tent with a red cross through it is a very basic representation that no particular skills are mandatory for this type of glamping. A picture of a family with children sitting together while enjoying a bonfire gives a visual representation to the family bonding experience glamping offers, as well as offering an emotional expectation towards glamping. Photographs of beautiful landscapes and nature views in Oregon are present to give the audience a visual expectation towards the product as well as arouse curiosity and excitement to explore the nature of Oregon.


Comment on the effectiveness of your presentation. How will this activity inform how you prepare for your FOA?
Overall, the presentation went very well in my opinion. Because each team member spoke very clearly and confidently, which made the presentation more interesting to watch, this was also supported with the applicable outfits. The presentation clearly covered all aspects of the advertisement, functioning as a detailed reasoning for why particular choices were made in the advertisement pitch. The presentation, a prezi, was effective as its visuals were quite eye-catching as well as the image used and the brief information stated on the Prezi. This activity will inform me on how to prepare for my further oral presentation (FOA) as it gave me a clear guideline on what needs to be focussed on, which aspects, and how to effectively present it infront of an audience.

Rhetorical in Advertisements

Flying Reimagined TV Commercial


The intended audience of this advertisement of Etihad are frequent travelers, particularly towards the Middle-Eastern areas. This audience are often well-educated people with a good income, since the advertisement highlights the luxurious travel facilities provided on Etihad flights. The readership is particularly internationally-minded, being open to the Middle-Eastern culture of Abu Dhabi--the country in which the airline is founded.

Ethos | Authority and Credibility
The advertisement utilizes the well-respected actress Nicole Kidman, using this persona as a credible character of persuasion. Nicole Kidman narrates the advertisement informing about the airline, its facilities as well as its history and cultural connection to it's roots to Abu Dhabi. The use of more complex words suggest that Nicole Kidman is well-educated and knowledgeable about the topic.

Pathos | Appeal to Emotions
The use of architectural views as well as impressive settings and details. The details strongly highlight  the neatness, elegance and luxury, arousing a feeling of relaxation and escape to the audience. The advertisement has a futuristic feel as it displays a few architectural futuristic models of buildings such as the Louvre and the Al Bahr towers (honeycomb towers). These settings appeal the desire and dreams of the audience to experience this experience which the airline claims to provide.

Letter to the editor of ‘Twtr? It's majorly bad!’

To the editor,

In response to the article 'Twtr? It's majorly bad!', I would like to touch on a few topics you discussed in this article. Overall it seems that you have quite a negative view on technology as you claim that this 'Textspeak', an effect of the use of social media, is harming students's English.

First of all I disagree with the statement "a generation of children are leaving school without a proper grasp of spelling and grammar because of the impact of so-called textspeak.". Technology, social media to be precise, is definitely not the cause of generations with poor spelling and grammar. This is because first of all not all students are as active on the internet as others, it is unfair to blame poor spelling or grammar on the internet as the student should be able to possess this in order to successfully communicate with one another and before starting abbreviations. In order for students to use word abbreviations, also known as textspeak, they should first be able to make proper sentences before they can start shortening words and replacing letters with numbers. The article claimed that there is a"danger of growing up with limited vocabularies because they (children) spend so much of their free time on sites such as Twitter and Facebook instead of reading". I disagree with this statement because surfing on these sites does not necessarily limit the child's vocabulary. As apposed to reading a book, many internet sites provide information as well which could help expand the child's vocabulary.

The statement "complaints from teachers that pupils increasingly use abbreviations and colloquialisms in school work and tests." is not an indicator that it is just the internet causing students to start using abbreviations and colloquialisms in school. This is because it is the pupil's decision to do so, despite the frequent use of this textspeak on the internet, in the end it is the student's choice of selecting the right words for school work. The student is responsible for distinguishing the difference between the casual English use such as textspeak and the formal used in formal situations, the student therefore is responsible for choosing the correct English based on the situation they are in. The article states that in "An American study, by Pennsylvania State University, detected a decline in scores in grammar tests if text messages contained lots of shortened words.". Again, it is the pupil's responsibility to detect the right form of English based on the situation they are in, whether or not to use abbreviations or not. It is also the pupil's choice to text using proper grammar instead of ignoring these rules out of convenience. 

I appreciate this article as it shows a different perspective on the use of internet and technology, however the claims which are made in this article are very one-sided, meaning that other factors such as personal decision and language selection are completely left out and instead everything is being blamed on the internet. The internet does have some negative effects, however it also has many positive effects on the English language today and therefore we should embrace it instead of criticizing it!

Music as Cultural Memoir | Interview with Andre Hazes

Andre Hazes, the phenomena of the Dutch-music world spoke with our journalist about the impact of his music on his society, his background, and his intentions.

Fere Vande Kerckhove: Good afternoon Andre. As we know you’re music has a solid place in the Dutch culture, how did you start off your singing career?

Andre Hazes: Well, first of all I would like to tell you a bit about how I first started off as a singer. I came from a big, working-class family with a hotheaded father who often lost his temper and a sweet mother. At the age of eight, I was discovered by Johnny Kraaykamp when I was singer at the farmer’s market. We recorded a track, however this wasn’t a big success. However I continued singing as I worked as I bartender in the pubs. I was discovered again at the age of twenty-six, this time by Willi Alberti. And from that moment on, my career boomed.

Vande Kerckhove: Did you always intend to start singing to bigger audiences commercially?

Hazes: I’m glad you asked, but the answer is ‘no’. At first I refused the offer from Alberti, I enjoyed singing in the pub as I created a very relaxed, firm atmosphere where everyone would sing along with me. I wanted to connect with others through my music, and I didn’t want this to be lost when singing to bigger crowds. However after persuasion I agreed to record a track with Willi.

Vande Kerckhove: And that’s when you first recorded your track “Eenzame Kerst”?

Hazes: Yes, Indeed.

Vande Kerckhove: But it was only the song “Een Beetje Verliefd” that made your breakthrough?

Hazes: Yes, due to some tension between me and my record label I teamed up with the producer Tim Griek in 1980 and later on we released “N Vriend”. And after “Een Beetje Verliefd” my career launched and I made my breakthrough.

Vande Kerckhove: You made quite a big impact on the Dutch music industry, why do you think that is?

Hazes: Simple—in my songs I discussed daily situations and adversities with which any person can easily connect with. These themes varied from topics such as heartbreak, loneliness, depression, and struggle to lighter themes describing the beauty and flaws of things that we experience daily. My aim was to connect with the audience, and by choosing relatable topics to sing about I was able to touch the audience as they could strongly relate to my lyrics.

Vande Kerckhove: For which audience would you say your music was intended?

Hazes: For everyone. In my songs I use pretty basic language, so that people from all audiences could easily sing along as well as my themes being clearly interpreted by my audience. For example in my song "Zij gelooft in mij" (she believes in me), which is one of my biggest hits, is a very easy to sing along with. The lyrics of the song are quite simple and the rhymes are also quite basic, not too complicated to memorize. The audience only has to know the chorus which goes like "want zij gelooft in mij, zij ziet toekomst in ons allebei, zij vraagt nooit maak je voor mij eens vrij, want ze weet, dit gaat voorbij". This is so easy to sing along with so that no matter where you're from, you can sing along with the lyrics. I strongly believe that every individual can at least connect with one of my songs as well as sing along with them.

Vande Kerckhove: How do you think that your music affects your society?

Hazes: In spite of my music being sang in Dutch, anyone who possesses a basic understanding of the language can easily interpret the messages I want to send across. My aim is to connect and unite all these people together; no matter what class or background they’re from. Because my songs are about daily and relatable topics I believe that this makes these diverse people unite as one as they all relate to my music, together.

Vande Kerckhove: What do you want to achieve further in your musical career?

Hazes: So far I am delighted with the success I am having with my music. I do not plan on letting this success lift my head up in the clouds. Despite the pressure of being successful, I want to continue to make music that connects to people and unites the audience together. If my audience can sing all together the lyrics from A to Z during my performances, I know that I have succeeded in connecting and uniting the audience together.

3rd of May, 2000

'Bilingual Mind: Understanding How the Brain Speaks Two Languages'

In this text, Jeffrey Kluger reveals that being bilingual not only has practical benefits such as being able to communicate with others fluently in two languages, it also has many intellectual benefits. “The ability to speak two or more languages has a profound effect on the brain, from improving your analytical skills, to enhancing your cognition, to protecting your brain from dementia later in life.” Kluger stated. Bilingual children are believed to exhibit social empathy much sooner than their monolingual peers. “Lynch observed that these students seemed to show a greater facility with skills that relied on interpreting symbolic representations, such as math or music”. Speaking multiple languages are shown to thicken frontal lobes, as well as increase of white matter with as a result a higher level of planning and decision-making. When an experiment on seniors was performed, those who were bilingual required less energy in the frontal fortex to be used when switching between ideas resulting them in being much faster than those who only spoke one language.

Similar to Julia Alvarez’s “Names/Nombres”, Kluger discusses how people who are bilingual often use different words to describe something and how this code-switching often occurs amongst bilinguals in order to allows them to decide how to express something best in different situation. This is called dog-chien dilemma. In contrast to Kluger, Alvarez justifies this dog-chien dilemma as a form of self-expression and identity as they associate the language they use to the origin they feel most comfortable to in that particular situation.

source: Kluger, Jeffrey, and Northeastern University. "Bilingual Mind: Understanding How the Brain Speaks Two Languages." Exploring Language. By Gary Goshgarian. Fourteenth ed. Vol. 487. Boston: Pearson, n.d. 125-27. Exploring Language.

'You Say Up, I Say Yesterday'

According to Lera Boroditsky’s research of language’s impact of cognition. How language can affect thought. She discusses how space, navigation, time, and color can be perceived differently based on the language you speak. Different people who speak different languages focus more on the concept that their language can best describe, such as the different hues of blue. “Russian speakers could distinguish between hues of blue faster if they were called by different names in Russian. English speakers showed no increased sensitivity for the same colors.” 

“Slobin coined the term "thinking for speaking" to describe how the language-specific ways different cultures talk about space and time shape how they think about space and time”. “About a third of the world's languages do not rely on words for right and left. Instead, their speakers use what are called absolute directions—north, south, east and west”. Another dimension, time, also affected cognition as “In the Yagua language of Peru, there are five distinct grammatical forms of the past tense” whereas Indonesian only has one tense to describe all times. So when shown pictures of different motions of an action, the Indonesians described all images as the same as they perceive this time passing during the motion as the same. This is a "psychologically active perceptual boundary.” Where one speaker perceives certain details differently than speakers from a different language. 

This concept of Neo-Whorfianism aligns with the text “Horton Heared a Who” by Steven Pinker as both discuss the relationship between cognition and language. Pinker observes how the human mind plays a role in the English language nowadays, as the child instinctively obtains the main aspects of aspects and understanding of something. This supports Boroditsky’s hypothesis that the language impacts a person’s cognition as a child not only picks up the grammatical structures but also the dimensions such as time, direction, color, etc. Based on the mother language thought the child will (based on Boroditsky’s theory) instinctively focus more on certain aspects which can be described in that particular language (for example the different hues of Blue in Russian). Thus change the understanding of certain situations and concepts based on the thought mother language.


source: Hamilton, Joan O'C., and Northeastern University. "You Say Up, I Say Yesterday" Exploring Language. By Gary Goshgarian. Fourteenth ed. Vol. 487. Boston: Pearson, n.d. 463-68. Exploring Language.

'Yorkshire named top twang as Brummie brogue comes bottom'

The article discusses a social experiment carried out to find out whether accents affect the way people perceive one another’s intelligence. “Researchers asked 48 volunteers to look at photos of female models while listening to recordings of women with different accents describing their lives.” The volunteers had to rate the accents on a scale of 10 regarding intelligence. The accents that were being tested were the Yorkshire, Birmingham, RP accents and silence. “While accent did not change perceptions of the models” attractiveness, it had a significant impact on whether or not a particular model was seen as intelligent.” The results of intelligence rating per accent were as following: Yorkshire with 6.71, RP with 6.67, silence with 5.99, and lastly Birmingham with 5.6. Birmingham’s accent significantly scored the lowest in the rating, as well as rated less intelligent as silent.

Rating	Accent	Intelligence rating out of 10
1.	Yorkshire	6.71
2.	RP	6.67
3.	Silence	5.99
4.	Birmingham	5.6

This article relates to the effect that accent or language use has on perception by society. People are often prejudiced by their limited use of language or their dialect. These dialects are often associated with social classes as well as education. The Birmingham accent is ranked lower than silence. The Birmingham accent is associated with regional stereotypes which are in this case with criminal active regions which then is associated with a lower education and intelligence. In Tan’s essay, Tan highlights how her mother’s limited English use resulted in a less important perception by her society. 

Source: Batty, David. "Yorkshire Named Top Twang as Brummie Brogue Comes Bottom." <i>The Guardian</i>. The Guardian, 4 Apr. 2008. Web.

Good English and Bad

Have you ever wondered why “I’m hurrying, are I not?” is incorrect English whereas “I’m hurrying aren’t I?” is perfect English. In response to the article “Good English and bad” by Bill Bryson, there is no defensible reason why this contradiction of words that are very similar are very right or wrong English. This is because the English language is “a fluid and democratic language in which meanings shift and change in response to the pressures of common usage rather than the dictates of committees”. All the grammatical structures which the English language is based upon interpretation and common use as there “are no appointed guardians of the English language”. “They are because they are”.

Despite that the origins of the English language are based on Latin, these ancient rules do not apply to the complex system of English which is spoken today. This system consists of a variety of unwritten rules that often go against grammatical structures, and which are very complex to be explained to why it is that way.

Some concepts can somewhat be described, for example ellipsis; which is a concept for sentences which contain words that aren’t there. Examples are “What?”, “How?”, “Why”, and “where”. These sentences leave out words that are initially there, we just have to know in what situation and context there are used. For example ‘’Where did she leave her book’’, can be expressed as ‘’where?’’ if we know what situation it is used in. Bryson concludes that “To deal with all these anomalies of the English language, the parts of speech must be so broadly defined as to be almost meaningless”. English is a continuously developing and changing language. “Considerations of what makes good or bad English are to an uncomfortably large extend matters of prejudice and conditioning”. It is influenced by the people themselves as well as authoritarian figures who imply certain words or grammatical structures which are then picked up and socially accepted as right.

Bryson’s discussion touched on my own personal lapses of grammar in English which I make regularly. I personally find English grammar very complex and confusing, with as a result my grammar is not entirely accurate. I agree with Bryson’s statement which dictates that it is absurd to fully base English on Latin rules as these are two complete different languages with little to no resemblance amid them as this results in English grammar becoming unnecessarily complex. I strongly agree with Joseph Priestley’s argument which states that “We need to make no doubt but that the best forms of speech will, in time, establish themselves by their own superior excellence’’ (quoted by Baugh and Cable, pp 269). It is a language that should be able to evolve with its time rather than to stick with strict anticipated rules that limit improvements and changes to be applied with the purpose to maximize communication in the English language.

Source: Bryson, Bill. (1990). Good English and Bad. In B. Bryson, The Mother Tongue (pp. 143-51)

Mother tongue

In response to Tan’s article, the importance of a person’s mother tongue stood out for me the most. In my personal experience, my mother tongue—Dutch, still has a major impact on my daily life. Despite the fact that I spend most of my time speaking and listening to English I appreciate my mother tongue as it is another way to express myself. When I came to Abu Dhabi my English wasn’t too strong, since I had only been thought English six months prior to my arrival, once a week. My Dutch on the other hand was very strong, especially spelling words and having written dictations. However after a couple of years my English was clearly overpowering my Dutch as I had put my focus on improving my English rather than maintaining my Dutch. It was either keeping my mother tongue strong, or my English. I chose the English with no doubt as English was the best way to communicate with my friends as well as doing well in school. The moment I flew home to see my friends, I surprisingly struggled to fluently talk with them in Dutch. I started noticing that I easily forgot words and conjugations that I didn’t use too often when speaking to my family. When I was in a conversation in Dutch, I would often stop talking in the middle of the conversation to search for a word. This was very—I can tell you, very frustrating. After wasting hours to find a certain word I would give up and say the word in English. On top of that I partly lost my beloved dialect (which appeared to be pretty strong when looking back at videos of mini me). I wanted to stop making stupid grammar and spelling mistakes (which I was thought not to make in grade 4). There were three options to solve this awkward dilemma.

1.      To only speak Dutch, even to my English speaking peers and teachers.

2.      Give up my mother tongue and pretend like I never even knew Dutch in the first place.

3.      Some other alternative.

After countless hours, days, and even nights of “wikken en wegen” the pros and cons with my family we came up with an alternative! *cheering crowd*. I figured that the first option might have seemed like a great solution in theory, but in reality I would probably stay grade and-friendless. The second option was enthusiastically thrown out of the window by my family, no further explanation necessary. Option three, the other alternative, seemed like the most decent option of all. Choosing between English and my mother tongue was a tough call, so why not choose both? The alternative was to take Dutch lessons after school so that I could maintain my English, as well as keeping my mother tongue on track (win win situation). I believe that by trying to maintain my mother tongue, which I have spoken for the majority of my life, I can keep the connection to my roots strong as it is part of my identity. Up to this day I still try to embrace my mother tongue, as well as my English. I have started to appreciate my slight Belgian accent which can be heard when I speak English, because after-all it is not my native language, and I shouldn’t be shy of my accent which comes from my mother tongue as this is a part of me.

A Unique Name

Let me introduce myself once again, my full name on my passport is Fere Elise Christianne Marie Vande Kerckhove— a long name to introduce myself by. However I just go by the name Fere Vande Kerckhove, which is—despite the difficult long name, a pretty though name to swallow. When I was born I not only had a mother, grand-mother but also a great-grandmother in the same blood line. This is known as a ‘’four blood bond’’.  This is very unique as most people start pretty late having children. To emphasize this my parents gave me four names. The name Elise comes from the name Elsa, which was my great-grandmother’s name. Christianne is my grandmother’s name and Marie comes from my mum’s name, which is Mieke.

Originally my first name, Fere, originates from the old time when names was first being introduced and recorded in Northern Holland. ‘’Fere’’ is Old Frisian for ‘’Peace and Happiness’’. It is pronounced as Fay-rah (the A is pronounced as U from under, the H and Y is not pronounced).

Despite the fact that my mum missed out on the lunar eclipse when in the hospital prior to my birth, my mother had plenty of time to read books and figure out what she was going to name her first child. She read one book, Nights at the Circus written by Angela Carter, which grabbed my mom's attention. It is a story about a magical aerialist called ‘’Fevvers’’, a beautiful heroine who charmed everyone with her aerial performance as well as her unique personality and appearance. The book was translated into Dutch and the name ‘’Fevvers’’ soon became ‘’Fere’’. My mum initially planned on calling me ‘’Fee’’ (pronounced as Fay), but as this didn’t sound nicely with my last name she had found the perfect name for her child; Fere.

My whole life I have had many comments about my name; some referring it back to the boy’s name Ferre, others mistaking Fere for Vere (a common Dutch name) or Ferry (like the boat). Despite the fact that many people do struggle with my name, I find amusement in the good-willed efforts they make to pronounce my name right. I love my name for being so unique, it is really nice to hear how everyone I meet adds their own personal touch to the pronunciation of my name in the effort to say it correctly.

My last name; Vande Kerckhove, its origins are unknown. ‘’Kerckhove’’ could be interpreted as ‘’Kerkhof’’ or ‘’Kerkhoven’’, which is Dutch for cemetery or church gardens. It might as well refer back to a village in West-Flanders in Belgium, which is called ''Kerckhoven''.

I believe my name contributed to the person I am today as it definitely helped me embrace my uniqueness and be proud of my incredibly long and difficult name. My name for me has been a blessing and a curse. A blessing as it makes me stand out, I often can tell when my name is about to be called out by seeing the confused and concentrated sights given on the paper sheet. It is somewhat a curse as I often have to repeat my name a billion times, especially to non-Dutch speakers. However I have gotten to embrace my name and I really do forgive the many people who still cannot pronounce my name correctly, I understand your struggle.

Introduction: the part that Language plays in my Life

 

Blog. Pronounced as b-l-ɒ-ɡ. Well, what is a blog? Even though I am largely familiar with the term ‘’Blog’’ I have never really understood the true meaning of a blog. I knew it was often a website with someone posting posts on it—so far my knowledge extended. The term ‘’Blog’’ which originated from the term weblogging—obtained a significant rising popularity in the ‘90s; the era of the choker necklaces and the Tamagotchi’s. As for now, in my Language and Literature class I have discovered the meaning of a blog; a regularly updated webpage which discussed specific topics, views and opinion. As for this, I will start this blog to reflect on what I have learned in my English class as well as discussing certain topics.

As for now, I’ll introduce myself. My name is Fere, I’m a native Belgian living in the UAE since five years. As English is my second language, I have always found it fascinating how, despite the different cultures and origins, individuals can easily communicate with each other through the use of the English language. Even though I can consider English my second language, it has not always been easy for me to express myself in a different language. I can still remember my mom and I struggling our way through the first chapters of the novel ‘’The Giver’’. It took me a few weeks before I realized the novel was fiction, to my relief. As one philosopher once said ‘’the only normal way to master a new language is to begin speaking badly’’. Despite the struggles I have faced, I grew an interest in learning and developing other languages such as English, French and Dutch as I enables me to express my ideas to others.

I am also quite passionate about playing the violin. I love how you can express yourself and put so much emotion into a piece of music, which is why I like it so much. I also love how after many years of practice, I can play many famous pieces from big composers such as Beethoven as well as covering pop songs. I care about giving back to the community, I believe that contributing to others can make a positive impact on others. This is especially true when doing voluntary work as you benefit others doing it. This year I aspire to manage my time well so that I can find the right balance between leisure and school work. In this way I will try my best to spend as much time possible with my friends despite the demanding but challenging Diploma Programme. In the future I would like to pursue happiness in as many ways possible, such as doing what I am passionate about.