Short Courses
Description
The department of Virtual Dutch offers two tutor-supported distance-education comprehensive language courses for learners of Dutch, i.e. Lagelands for beginners and Hogelands for advanced learners, as well as two tutor-supported distance-education courses teaching reading
skills in specialised forms of Dutch, i.e. Early Modern Dutch and
Business Dutch.
The beginner's course Lagelands is designed to give you the skills you need to speak, read, write and understand basic Dutch in a range of practical everyday contexts. No previous knowledge of Dutch is required; the language of instruction is English.
Hogelands, aimed at intermediate and advanced learners, consolidates the knowledge of Dutch you already have and extends your language skills. It also enhances your cultural knowledge of Dutch-speaking societies, and develops the skills needed to study at a higher level. The course is taught partly in English and partly in Dutch.
The
Early Modern Dutch Reading Skills Course is designed to give you
the skills you need to read sixteenth and seventeenth-century Dutch
texts. The course is for learners with only a minimal starting knowledge
of Dutch. If you already have an intermediate/advanced level of
Dutch but little
acquaintance with the language of the sixteenth and
seventeenth century you may be interested in the second part of the
course
which is entirely in Dutch and specifically aimed at developing reading
skills in Dutch texts from the period. The Business
Dutch Reading Skills Course enables
you to build up a reading knowledge of Dutch sufficient to cope with
reading the business pages of Dutch and Flemish newspapers and
magazines. It can be taken by learners
with a minimal knowledge of the language. The first part of the
course is taught in English, the second part is bilingual.
The Lagelands course is taught over a sixteen-week study period and runs twice a year. You can start either at the end of September or at the beginning of March. Hogelands, Business Dutch and Early Modern Dutch are taught over twenty-six weeks and also run twice a year. You can start either at the end of
September or at the end of March.
Who are the courses for?
Both courses are aimed at suitable candidates who:
- are self motivated and enjoy distance learning;
- are capable language learners either in adult education or at university level;
- have an interest in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Elegibility and outcomes
Lagelands is designed for learners with no prior knowledge of Dutch. The outcome of the course is of a level comparable to A2 as defined by the Council of Europe.
Hogelands requires an intermediate knowledge of Dutch. It is suitable for students who have successfully completed Lagelands or who have reached a similar linguistic standard, roughly equivalent to level A2 as defined by the Council of Europe. If you are uncertain as regards your eligibility for the course, contact Dr An Vanderhelst or look at the taster of the course.
The outcome of both reading courses is of a reading level comparable to B2 as defined by the Council of Europe. Both courses are designed for learners with a minimal knowledge of Dutch.
Click here to check the technical requirements for both courses.
Fees
Lagelands: £ 580
Hogelands: £ 980
Business Dutch: £ 980
Early Modern Dutch: £ 980 (£500 for students who take only the second part of the course)
Application Forms
You can pre-register an interest in the courses by completing and submitting the relevant forms you find in the course descriptions.
To be considered for a place on one of the courses you need to download and complete an application form. The deadline for receipt of applications is 15th September for the first session of the courses and 1st of March for the second sessions. Once you have been accepted for your course, download, complete and forward the payment form to the Virtual Dutch Administrator Els Braeken. Note that not all courses may be offered every session depending on the number of applications received.
Further perspectives
Hogelands and Business Dutch also features as an optional course in the online Postgraduate Certificate in Dutch Cultural Studies and in the online Postgraduate Diploma in Dutch Cultural Studies. Upon succesfull completion of the course you may continue your studies and use the 30 credits of the courses to count towards these degrees and eventually, if you wish, towards a full MA degree in Dutch Cultural Studies.
For further information about these future pathways contact Dr An Vanderhelst.
Back to top
Virtual Dutch is a collaboration of UCL and the Universities of Sheffield, Cambridge and Nottingham – © 2009
