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Explains the Netherlands’ practical approach to free trade and cultural openness, drawing links between colonial expansion and multilingual communication in places like Amsterdam and New Amsterdam. Discusses language policy in education, including Dutch and English requirements, and highlights how foreign languages support day-to-day work at Georgia’s economic development context.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/languages-and-economic-development-2009-keynote-address/600918/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/languages-and-economic-development-2009-keynote-address/600918.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"mieayamfan","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-02","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":19},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of languages at the start of the talk?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"The speaker frames language as a gateway to opportunity and perspective, but then shifts to personal background to explain how Dutch culture views language learning.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"What role did tolerance and free trade play in the Dutch approach described in the address?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Tolerance is presented as a key ingredient for a thriving economy, and free trade is described as the real goal that multilingualism supported as a practical tool.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"How does the address describe the Netherlands’ contemporary language education system?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"It states that other languages remain highly important, with Dutch and English obligatory through elementary and high school, and many college subjects taught in English.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},600918,1793037523,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":19,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":24,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144},962090893677,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_3d24733baf745e90a7e4bdd5f77d97b2","3  \nLanguages and Economic Development: 2009 Keynote Address  \nNico Wijnberg  \nGeorgia Department of Economic Development  \nWhen I was first asked to speak today, I really wasn’t sure where I’d start. I could start by saying how important it is to be able to express yourself in a different language, or perhaps that languages open doors and widen your horizon to an extent you never thought was possible. Then I realized I would be talking to people who really don’t need to be convinced of the importance of languages, so I decided to start my talk with a little about my personal background. When I mention that I am originally from The Netherlands most people say,“You’re from Europe, so it’s no wonder you speak different languages.” Well, I’d like to elaborate a little on how the Dutch came to place such great emphasis on languages and how language teaching works in The Netherlands.  \nIn the second part of my speech, I want to talk more in detail about my present employer, The Georgia Department of Economic Development, and how Georgia places itself in a world that gets smaller and more international every day. I will also talk about my job and how speaking foreign languages helps me in my day-to-day work in economic development.  \nLet’s first talk about The Netherlands. This small nation of 16 million inhabitants in the heart of Western Europe became one of the world’s major powers, with a huge colonial empire on all continents. So, how did this small, wet delta stand its ground despite being in the crossroads of other major maritime and continental powers? The answer is: by being practical. Without going into too much detail about the history of The Netherlands, or we would still be here tomorrow, one can say that the geographical location of The Netherlands exposed the country to the rest of the world, whether it liked it or not. But it also created immense possibilities. From the very earliest times, the Dutch looked elsewhere for ways to optimize prosperity and financial gain.  \nThe Dutch quickly realized that they needed free trade. And they also realized that the most crucial ingredient in a thriving economy is tolerance. Back in the sixteenth century, The Netherlands was a nation of immigrants, a safe haven for people prosecuted for their ethnic or religious beliefs from all over Europe. The Netherlands brought together talented craftsmen, scientists, and artists thereby  \n40 Dimension 2010: Communication Beyond the Classroom  \ncreating the momentum for the rise of the Dutch colonial empire. During the sixteenth century, Amsterdam was truly the center of the world, and many different languages were spoken there. Why the rulers of that time let things be is very simple: they didn’t care. Religion was then and still remains a very personal matter in The Netherlands, and the society is still very individualistic.  \nOne of the many colonies the Dutch established was called New Netherland, with its capital New Amsterdam, nowadays known as New York. The Dutch exported their tradition of tolerance from Old Amsterdam to New Amsterdam. Quickly the word spread across the globe and the outpost filled with people of all trades and backgrounds. The city that was in name Dutch was in fact a melting pot of all cultures and ethnicities thinkable. The main language was Dutch, but also widely spoken were German, English, Swedish, French, Yiddish, Finnish, and Polish, just to name a few. Tolerance was not in itself a goal; it was merely a means of achieving the real goal, which was free trade. And the same can be said about the languages spoken. The Dutch spoke different languages as a tool to help develop their colonies and better their own status.  \nMeanwhile, New York City changed hands, became English, and subsequently American. But in a way, not much has changed. It still is that dynamic city, the financial and commercial capital of the world. And it still breathes the international atmosphere that is created by people from all over the","cbCaiaZ9edpmndBv","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiaZ9edpmndBv","pdf",20864,"English","# Languages and Economic Development: 2009 Keynote Address\n## Personal background and rationale\n## The Netherlands, tolerance, and free trade\n## Colonial influence and multilingual cities\n## Dutch language education and modern relevance","[{\"question\":\"Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of languages at the start of the talk?\",\"answer\":\"The speaker frames language as a gateway to opportunity and perspective, but then shifts to personal background to explain how Dutch culture views language learning.\"},{\"question\":\"What role did tolerance and free trade play in the Dutch approach described in the address?\",\"answer\":\"Tolerance is presented as a key ingredient for a thriving economy, and free trade is described as the real goal that multilingualism supported as a practical tool.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the address describe the Netherlands’ contemporary language education system?\",\"answer\":\"It states that other languages remain highly important, with Dutch and English obligatory through elementary and high school, and many college subjects taught in English.\"}]","Languages and Economic Development - 2009 Keynote Address | PDF",1792091634,13]