Dutch

Dutch classes will prepare you for a career that puts your knowledge of a foreign language to good use. Along with your core foreign language coursework, you’ll take classes such as Elementary and Intermediate Dutch, Dutch Culture, and World Literature II. You’ll have unique and dynamic internships to pursue. You’ll have numerous off-campus and on-campus ways to practice your language. And when you graduate, you’ll be ready to make an impact in the workforce right away.

To learn more about what you'll learn with a Dutch major, you can also view the program strengths and learning outcomes for this program.

Students looking to get a Dutch major will complete a variety of Dutch language, linguistics, and culture courses. Students will also be required to earn six credits in study-abroad courses.

• Elementary Dutch I: An introductory study of the language and culture of the Dutch-speaking people. Emphasis on the acquisition of oral and written language skills in a communicative context combined with the study of cultural etiquette and social customs. If desired, students can schedule extra sessions with advanced students (often native speakers) to practice oral skills.
• Elementary Dutch II: Continuation of 101.
• Intermediate Dutch I: An intermediate course that continues the study of the language in a communicative context with emphasis on precision and expansion of linguistic skills. Emphasis is also put on the development of cultural understanding and sensitivity, studying people’s values and beliefs as expressed in their economic, political, and religious systems. Dutch culture will be compared with our culture in the light of the cultural mandate.
• Intermediate Dutch II: Continuation of Dutch 201.
• Introduction to Linguistics: An introduction to the basic principles of linguistics, including phonetics (the sounds of language), morphology (the words of language), syntax (the sentence patterns of language), and sociolinguistics (how language functions in society). Data from different dialects of English and a variety of other languages will be used. Special attention will be given to a biblical view on language.
• Dutch Culture and Reformed Worldview: Study the identity of the Dutch people from prehistoric times to the present while living in the Netherlands for three weeks. Examine the history of the Calvinist heritage from the Synod of Dort through the contributions of Abraham Kuyper and others. Discover how the Reformed worldview has shaped various aspects of Dutch life and society, such as church, politics, trade, and land reclamation. Special attention will be given to events and sites relating to World War II. There are classes in the morning and field trips in the afternoon. Two-day trips to London and Normandy/Paris are part of the program.
• Literary and Cultural Readings: Designed to develop reading skill and an appreciation for Dutch culture and literature with emphasis on contemporary literature. Permission will be granted for individual readings in academic areas of interest to the student.
• Dutch Culture: Designed to cover many aspects of the Dutch way of life. Listening and speaking skills will be developed through classroom activities.
• World Literature II: This course discusses the major literary texts from the Enlightenment to the 20th century, focusing only on texts from the non-English-speaking world. Texts may be chosen from France, Spain, Italy, Japan, Africa, or anywhere else besides the United Kingdom and the United States. The instructor may connect these texts to discuss historical trends and important issues, such as science, colonialism, nationalism, and globalization.
• Individual Studies
• History of the Low Countries: This course will focus on the history of the Netherlands from 1815 until the present, with special attention on the history of religion and the church. The course will be in chronological order generally; some aspects of the Dutch society will be explored in themes.
• Dutch Art and Architecture: An introduction to the history of Dutch art and architecture from the Middle Ages to the present day. There will be many excursions to view various artworks “live.” Students will develop insight into how to understand art and how the Dutch identity is reflected in its art and
  architecture. They will also develop some understanding of the importance of the works in culture and history. This will be achieved by
  presentations of classmates, lectures, readings, and field trips.
• Cross-Cultural Explorations: Conversation, Reflection, and Travel (Portfolio): Living and studying in a different culture brings new information, experiences, and perceptions. This course helps students take the time to observe and reflect on the similarities and differences between this culture and the culture of one’s home through structured and systematic observation and reflection. Students develop their own portfolio (reflective journal) in preparation for a presentation at the semester’s end.
• Dutch Culture and Society: This course focuses on contemporary issues in the Netherlands as an urbanized society. By studying the culture that gets lived out in the heart of the Netherlands, students become part of the “social experiment” that Dutch society is—a society that is in a constant process of evolving and adapting new forms as it enters a new era of economic and political affiliations within a larger European community.
• Conversation: Designed to give the student practice in listening and speaking. The content of the courses will be altered each year. The class will meet two times each week. Graded on a pass/no record basis.

See the course catalog for more information.