UCL CENTRE FOR LANGUAGES
& INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
Course Units 2015-2016
Dutch Syllabus C
Prerequisite for entry
Successful completion of a similar course to Dutch Syllabus B at the UCL CLIE and have experience of dealing with relevant
authentic material.
Course duration
20 x 2-hour classes.
Self-Study
80 hours in total.
Course codes
LCDU6003, LCDUM003, LCDUG003, LCDU6023, LCDUG023, LCDUM023 (together with Dutch syllabus B), LCDU6034,
LCDUM034 (together with Dutch syllabus D).
Aims and Objectives
The aim of the course is to enable students with a good basic knowledge of Dutch to develop the four skills up to an
intermediate level. Students should be able to communicate in most situations within Dutch speaking countries.
Students will be able to converse reasonably fluently with native speakers and discuss personal, practical, social and
current issues using appropriate structures.
Cultural awareness will be further developed. Language learning skills, including autonomous learning and how to
approach authentic material, will be enhanced. Some transferable skills will also be covered.
Functions
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evaluating/presenting practical information and basic statistics;
giving accounts and detailed descriptions;
describing processes
understanding specific texts, such as job adverts, and writing simple job applications;
giving one’s impression and opinions and evaluating different opinions;
arguing a case;
making appointments and discussing schedules;
offering and giving advice;
recognising, expressing and reacting to emotions;
stating preferences and considering pros and cons;
making comparisons;
making simple hypothetical statements;
Course Content
Main topics/themes to be covered
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learning and foreign languages;
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describing people: family, relatives and life styles;
education and professional life;
career paths and prospects;
travelling for business and pleasure
media, music and arts;
culture and society of the low countries;
spare time activities and going out;
national identity and contemporary debates;
personal relationships, body language and emotions
Linguistic Structures
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consolidating and improving reading and listening skills with increasingly complex materials;
improving oral communication skills with an increasing emphasis on fluency;
introduction of idiomatic expressions
communicating effectively in a variety of situations
Phonetics
Students are expected to pronounce Dutch reasonably well when commencing the course. Where necessary, attention
will be paid to improve pronunciation through reading and oral practice. In addition, tapes specifically targeted at
pronunciation are available to students for self-study in the Self-Access Centre.
Grammar
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revision of main grammar points from Syllabus A and Syllabus B;
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relative clauses;
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perfect and imperfect tense: use;
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the past and present particle: attributive use;
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adverbs of time and place;
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main clauses and subordinate clauses (word order and linking words);
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the use of ‘er’: all uses;
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modal verbs in all tenses;
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comparative and superlative;
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prepositions, prepositional verbs;
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conditional phrases;
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reflexive verbs;
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relative clauses;
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revision: infinitive constructions.
Learning Resources
Course Books
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Nederlands in Actie (Coutinho) – ISBN: 9789046902981
Teach yourself: Dutch Grammar all you really need to know (McGraw-Hill) – ISBN: 9781444189544
Additional material
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A selection of authentic material will also be used (e.g. press articles on current affairs, internet websites).
Online video and audio resources
Beter Nederlands, Grammar and Exercises (Coutinho)
Bilingual dictionary (e.g. Routledge, Van Dale)
In addition there is a wide range of language learning materials available for self-study in the Self-Access Centre.