Undergraduate Course: Dutch for Beginners (ELCG08016)
Course Outline
| School | School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Dutch for Beginners is a one-year course intended for committed students with little or no previous knowledge of Dutch. The course will familiarise students with the fundamentals of Dutch grammar, pronunciation and language customs, as well as everyday vocabulary. Focus will be on aural and written comprehension and oral comprehensibility.
The topics covered in the course will take in aspects of Dutch and Flemish culture and history as well as current affairs. |
| Course description |
Dutch for Beginners is taught primarily through the medium of Dutch, with a focus in the classroom on aural comprehension and achieving oral comprehensibility. Supplementary explanations of e.g. grammar will be provided in English when necessary and online materials will include English- and Dutch-language material as appropriate.
The course will follow a flipped-classroom approach, making full use of the additional online listening, reading and speaking practice provided by Coutinho. Students will follow the self-study elements of the Nederlands in gang course and seek further explanation/revision of grammar points in class as needed. Each week, additional, authentic material will be provided to cement this learning and connect it to contemporary issues and discussions in the language area.
Dutch for Beginners will be assessed using a combination of traditional assessment methods, including online and in-person grammar and vocabulary exams, and collaborative and creative tasks such as a group video project and creative writing task.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 18 |
| Course Start |
Full Year |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 40,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 4,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
152 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
30 %,
Coursework
55 %,
Practical Exam
15 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Assessment for this course is 45% exam, 55% coursework.
5% + 5% Mid-term grammar and vocabulary exam (S1, S2, online, auto-graded) x 2
10% (auto)biographical essay (500 words, S1)
20% Group presentation (video, S2)
15% Creative writing essay (750 words, S2)
15% Oral exam
30% Written exam |
| Feedback |
Students receive individual and group feedback for all coursework components.
Individual feedback on pronunciation, intonation and recurring grammar issues will be provided following the group presentation in order to allow targeted revision for the oral exam.
A feedback exercise using the semester 1 essay will be used to prepare for the second essay in semester 2. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Express basic ideas and opinions on everyday topics, responding to a conversation partner and recognising and using different registers in simple sentences as appropriate.
- Write short, straightforward texts of various types demonstrating an overall appreciation of the language area and topics covered in the course.
- Understand written and oral texts of a length and difficulty commensurate with the A1+ level.
- Plan and complete self-guided study as a language learner.
- Work creatively and effectively with others to produce a short audiovisual presentation on a topic, demonstrating linguistic ability and awareness of the needs of their target audience.
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Reading List
Essential:
Berna de Boer, Margaret van der Kamp en Birgit Lijmbach (eds.), Nederlands in gang (Groningen: Coutinho, 2017)
Marja Verburg, Ruud Stumpel et al (eds.), Nederlands als tweede taal. Van Dale pocketwoordenboek (Amsterdam: Van Dale, 2020).
Piet de Kleijn, Het stoplicht: Verhalen in eenvoudig Nederlands (Vilvoorde: Uitgeverij Boeklyn, 2021). |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
creative problem solving
skilled communication
research and enquiry
personal and intellectual autonomy
personal effectiveness |
| Special Arrangements |
Access to School of Scottish Studies Archive and the Centre for Research Collections essential. |
| Keywords | Dutch,Flemish,Netherlands,Belgium,language |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Jennifer Watson
Tel: (0131 6)50 8980
Email: jenny.watson@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Hope Hamilton
Tel: (0131 6)50 4167
Email: hope.hamilton@ed.ac.uk |
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