Fall 2023
Please note that the language classes can be taken fully online on Zoom or partly on Zoom, partly in person. Please contact the instructor for more information.
I. Dutch Language Courses:
Dutch 1 – Elementary Dutch
Prerequisites: None
In this beginner’s course, students will familiarize themselves with the basics of Dutch: its sounds and spelling, its grammatical structure, and its vocabulary. The class focuses on oral communication with an emphasis on vocabulary: learning words and learning how to use these words. By reading texts and dialogues (and listening to the audio version), students will build their vocabulary. In class they will get the opportunity to practice their newly learned words and phrases. By the end of the semester, students will be able to express themselves in speaking and in writing about a variety of topics, including introducing yourself, time, living, studying, traveling, and talking about present and past situations.
Esmée van der Hoeven, M-W 12-2P + F 12-1P, 5 units.
Dutch 110 - Advanced Dutch
Prerequisites: Dutch 2 or equivalent
In this advanced Dutch language course, students will continue to build their vocabulary based on texts dealing with a variety of topics: the history, culture and society of Belgium and the Netherlands, current affairs and discussions, and literature and art. Class revolves around the reading and discussions of texts, and (newly) featured grammar will be discussed along the way. A lot of attention is paid to speaking skills and presentation skills. By the end of the semester, students will have developed their fluency in Dutch to the level of an advanced speaker. The course is open for students who successfully completed Dutch 1 and 2 (or have an equivalent level).
Esmée van der Hoeven, M-W-F 2-3P, 4 units.
II. Courses in Dutch History, Culture, Linguistics and Literature: (in English)
Dutch 166 – Anne Frank and After: Dutch Literature and Film on the Holocaust
“In spite of everything, I still believe that people are good at heart.” For many, this sentence sums up the basic idea of Anne Frank’s diary. Yet, if we take into account the horrors that Anne Frank experienced, a different quote from her diary seems more appropriate: “There’s a destructive urge in people, the urge to rage, murder and kill.” These harsh words will form the basis of our critical reflection on the German occupation of the Netherlands during World War II. Using original documents, film and literature we will analyze the German invasion, the Dutch resistance and collaboration, the horrors of the Nazi regime and the Holocaust. Dutch 166 satisfies the L&S Breadth Requirement for Arts & Literature and counts towards the Minor in Jewish Studies. All readings and discussions in English.
Instructor: Jeroen Dewulf