Prospectus

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Dutch 1 Beginners

Course
2016-2017

Admission requirements

This course is only available for students in the BA International Studies.

Description

Dutch Beginners is a Dutch task-based language course for students with no knowledge of the Dutch language. This course will provide students with sets of grammatical, lexical and phonological items. Communicative tasks will be used to develop speaking, reading, listening and writing skills.

Course objectives

The Dutch language courses for beginners (two blocks) aims at the A2 level of the Common European Framework (CEFR). At this level the student is able to understand and use familiar everyday expressions and basic phrases in real-world situations.
The required competences for A2 language level (CEFR) can be described as follows:
Listening The student can understand phrases and the highest frequency vocabulary related to areas of most immediate personal relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local area, employment). The student can catch the main point in short, clear, simple messages and announcements.
Reading The student can read very short, simple texts. The student can find specific, predictable information in simple everyday material such as advertisements, prospectuses, menus and timetables and can understand short simple personal letters.
Spoken interaction The student can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar topics and activities. The student can handle very short social exchanges, even though he can’t usually understand enough to keep the conversation going himself.
Spoken production The student can use a series of phrases and sentences to describe in simple terms his family and other people, living conditions, his educational background and his present or most recent job.
Writing The student can write short, simple notes and messages relating to matters in areas of immediate needs. The student can write a very simple personal letter, for example thanking someone for something.

Timetable

The timetable is available on the BA International Studies website

Mode of instruction

Three two hour tutorials every week

Attending lectures and tutorials is compulsory. If you are not able to attend a lecture or a tutorial, please inform the tutor of the course. Being absent without notification can result in a lower grade or exclusion from the final exam or essay.

Course Load

Total course load for this course is 10 EC (1 EC = 28 hours), this equals 280 hours, broken down by:

  • Atending classes (6 hrs per week over 12 weeks): 72 hours

  • Preparing classes, exams and extra activities: 208 hours

Assessment method

  1. Midterm exam: 25% (grammar, vocabulary and reading comprehension in class exam)
    1. Two small assignments (quizzes): 7,5% each (grammar and vocabulary)
    2. Listening evaluation: 10%
    3. Final exam:
      a. 1st part Written exam: 35% (grammar, vocabulary and reading comprehension)
      b. 2nd part Oral exam: 15% (speaking and listening)

To complete the final mark, please take notice of the following: the final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average.
To pass the course, the average has to be 5.5 at least.

Resit

If the final grade is insufficient (lower than a 6), there is the possibility of a resit.
The resit will be a written exam of two hours, and will test if the students have reached the end level of this semester. This exam consists of the following components:

  • Reading and writing;

  • Written dialogue;

  • Vocabulary and grammar.

Blackboard

Blackboard will be used. For tutorial groups: please enroll in blackboard after your enrolment in uSis

Students are requested to register on Blackboard for this course.

Reading list

Title: Start.nl deel 1 – Dutch for beginners
Author: Katja Verbruggen
Publisher: Coutinho
ISBN: 9789046903353

Title: Start.nl deel 2 – Dutch for beginners
Author: Katja Verbruggen
Publisher: Coutinho
ISBN: 9789046903797

Title: De Huwelijksreis (serie Amsteldijk)
Author: Hoefnagel
Publisher: Intertaal
ISBN: 9789460301889

The books can be purchased at good bookstores like “Paagman” (or online “Paagman.nl”)

Registration

Enrolment through uSis is mandatory.
General information about uSis is available in English and Dutch

Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs

Not applicable

Contact

C.M. Steenbergen### Remarks

For this course attendance and participation is essential. Classes missed for a good reason have to be discussed with the language instructor BEFORE the class takes place. Frequent absence will inevitably lead to lower participation grades, or denied access to the final exam.
Passing this course is an additional requirement for a positive Study Recommendation at the end of the year.
This course uses Integrated communicative language learning method. Therefore active participation in the classroom activities is essential for successful learning outcomes.