English in the Netherlands
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In the
Dutch's genealogical proximity to English is also noted as a significant factor since both languages share a closely related West Germanic language origin.[5] Occupations that require advanced knowledge of English, such as those in aviation and the sciences, are above averagely chosen in the Netherlands. Furthermore, it is an official and the majority language in the Caribbean municipalities of Saba and Sint Eustatius.[6]
Culturally, the Dutch have a long tradition of foreign language learning. The focus of modern foreign language (MFL) learning in school lies on English, German and/or French. Despite an ever stronger focus on English, learning two or even three foreign languages is still not unusual. For instance, 31% of the Dutch also claim to speak German well enough to have a conversation in it.[3]
History
Various explanations contribute to the popularity of English in the Netherlands. The small size and population of the Netherlands and hundreds of years of it having a trade and commerce economy, particularly between Continental Europe and the United Kingdom, the Dutch put strong emphasis on learning English and other foreign languages, especially German.[citation needed] In the following decades, with American-dominated globalization, English gradually increased in importance as a lingua franca, at the expense of both German and French, which lost popularity as second languages in the latter half of the 20th century. That is in spite of Germany being the most important trade partner of the Netherlands. Nevertheless, knowledge of more than one foreign language is still more widespread than in many other member states of the European Union.[citation needed]
Visitors may find that it is possible to live in the Netherlands for a long time without learning Dutch, mostly because 2.5 million citizens in the country are not fluent in Dutch.
Most important scholarly and scientific publications in the Netherlands are now in English with the exception of government and legal publications.
English-language education in the Netherlands
English is compulsory at all levels of the Dutch secondary education system:
- Many elementary schoolsteach English in the upper grades.
- Pupils must score at least a 5.5/10 for English Language and Literature at the high school finals to be able to graduate, which equals to a A2 level at the lowest (At VMBO high school level),[9] and a B2 to C1 level at the highest (At VWO high school level).[10]
The official goal is for pupils to learn
- Around 100 schools offer bilingual education (Dutch-English). The concept was first introduced in several secondary schools, but it has found its way to elementary schools.
- The first university professor of English, Jan Beckering Vinckers, was appointed at the University of Groningen in 1885.
- Most university master's degrees are in English, and an increasing number of bachelor's degrees are as well,[11] and even the first degrees of community college given in English have made their way into existence. In addition, many degrees that are taught in Dutch use English-language materials (such as books) and names.
- Students are often taught to perform internet searches in English, which allow for far more types and amounts of information than in Dutch.
English-language television in the Netherlands
In addition to the availability of the British channels
There are also a few television stations broadcasting in English, which target the English-speaking community of the Netherlands, such as AF-TV, or dedicate large portions of airtime to programming in English, such as
Dunglish
Dunglish (called steenkolenengels in Dutch translating to coal English) is a portmanteau of Dutch and English and a term often used pejoratively to refer to the mistakes native Dutch speakers make when speaking English.
See also
References
- ^ "EUROPEANS AND THEIR LANGUAGES" (PDF). Ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
- ^ ""English in the Netherlands: Functions, forms and attitudes" p. 316 and onwards" (PDF). Alisonedwardsdotcom.files.wordpress.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
- ^ a b c Language Learning beyond English in the Netherlands - A fragile future?
- ^ A complete guide to education in the Netherlands – Expatica.htm
- ^ ISBN 9781853594793. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
- ^ "Regeling - Invoeringswet openbare lichamen Bonaire, Sint Eustatius en Saba - BWBR0028063". Wetten.overheid.nl. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
- ^ Verlaan, Jos (20 April 2016). "2,5 miljoen Nederlanders beheersen taal onvoldoende". NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-05-16.
- ^ "History - English Reformed Church Amsterdam". Ercadam.nl. Archived from the original on 1 November 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
- ^ "ERK streefniveaus Engels". SLO (in Dutch). Retrieved 2021-11-17.
- ^ "Cambridge English op de vwo: een Engels examen voor iedereen". www.cambridgeenglish.org. Retrieved 2021-11-17.
- ^ "NRC". Nrc.nl. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
- ^ Dyson, B (7 May 2024). "Learn and Teach English | 29+ Definitions of Concepts and Teaching Resources". www.twinkl.nl. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
External links
- Cursus Engels Dutch language article about use of English in science and scholarship] column in the Volkskrantby Bram Buunk 1996
- Talenkennis Dutch language column in the Volkskrantby Bram Buunk on 3 May 1997
- English in the Netherlands Functions, forms and attitude by Alison Edwards Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics University of Cambridge Dissertation submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, April 2014 9