Learning a language? Do some walkin' & talkin'

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of learning Dutch while walking. Despite, or rather thanks to, the structured approach with a set route and a handful of questions to be answered along the way, such a talk walk allows for much more freedom to speak than a regular class.

Even the most shy student opens up on a so-called field trip, making them suddenly realize that they are indeed capable of speaking in the target language. Moreover: they bring that awareness back with them into the classroom.

Whereas the atmosphere is always friendly and relaxed, for some students, a regular class can be associated with a pressure to perform—a fear of making mistakes.

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A good way to counter this inhibition is of course the recurring exercise “De Foutjes”—a relaxed and cheerful way to review difficult topics from the previous class, without the pressure of performing. After all: you learn from your foutjes. How?

By writing by hand on the whiteboard.

Writing activates your brain and engages it in a different way. Plus, you remember things better when you actively write them down by hand.

Another way to remember things better and to activate your brain is by walking.

In that respect, walking is the equivalent of writing by hand. While walking, you process language in a more active way too. Being in motion boosts your verbal skills and helps storing the information more effectively—without ever feeling the pressure to actively memorize anything.

You enjoy the walk and the talk, and as a bonus you learn. Effortlessly.

It’s no coincidence that walking meetings are a thing amongst office workers, to boost productivity and keep creativity and problem-solving skills flowing. It turns out there’s even a name for this: weeting, a rather ugly contraction of ‘walking meeting’. Whoever came up with that lingo was probably not weeting enough.

Anyway, Charles Dickens apparently did it too, weeting. Though I doubt if that’s what he called it back then. But look what it brought him.

So, loop ze! Or: weet ze!

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©️ Marjan Ippel 2026