Low Countries - In Flanders, we now speak Dutch. But that was not always the case. Less than a century ago, most people spoke their local dialect and the upper social class spoke Flemish-colored General Dutch or French.
The status of French was miles above that of Dutch. In three generations, those situations have completely changed: French has disappeared from public life and Dutch is the common language of just about everyone.
In the podcast "Children of ABN," Miet Ooms goes in search of answers. Why was it that in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s so much attention was paid to ABN? That schoolchildren united in ABN centers and took action? That there were ABN weeks and language lessons on radio and television? That every newspaper and magazine had its own language column? And how come that activism suddenly disappeared like snow in the sun from the late 1970s on? And that Flemings began to reject the norm from Holland, which they had pursued until then, and preferred to measure up to the Dutch? ABN activists, media people and language consultants, as well as Jan met de pet and Mien met de schort talk about the role Dutch has played in their lives.
Kinderen van het ABN is a podcast by Miet Ooms commissioned by De lage landen. Soud design and mixing by Lennert Goos. Graphic design by Lotte Peeters. With the support of the Pascal Decroos Fund, the Algemeen-Nederlands Verbond and DeAuteurs. Special thanks to Raf Njotea, who acted as sounding board.
Online
- Spreekt beschaafd!, De Lage Landen, 27/09/2023.
Audio
- Kinderen van het ABN, Aflevering 1, Spreek Beschaafd!, De Lage Landen, 27/09/2023.
- Kinderen van het ABN, Aflevering 2, Hier leert men Nederlands, De Lage Landen, 11/10/2023.
- Kinderen van het ABN, Aflevering 3, Van beschaafd naar Belgisch, 27/10/2023.
