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Online Dutch Course - Early Modern Dutch

The Early Modern Dutch course is a tutor-supported online language course aimed at both learners with or without prior knowledge of Dutch. It teaches reading skills in Early Modern Dutch (i.e. the language of the Golden Age of the Netherlands and Flanders in the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth century). The course is available worldwide and delivered via online course materials, supported by weekly one-to-one tutorials. The course is developed and taught by highly qualified and experienced UCL Centre for Languages and International Education tutors. Lessons are via Teams/Skype and can be scheduled depending on a learner's individual needs.

For general information about our online Dutch courses, the next starting dates and how to apply, go to the Online Dutch home page.

Course duration

The course consists of multiple modules which can be studied individually or as 'packages' depending on your interests or your starting knowledge of Dutch:

  • The general module of the course is aimed at learners with no or little knowledge of Dutch. The module runs over 10 study weeks and is taken by all students with little or no prior knowledge of Dutch before they can move on to any of the other modules of the course.
  • The specialist module is for learners who have completed the general module or who have an intermediate reading knowledge of Modern Dutch. The module runs over 10 study weeks.
  • The eighteenth-century module is for students who have completed the specialist Module. The module runs over 5 study weeks.
  • The manuscript module can be taken by students who have completed the specialist or 18th-century module. The module runs over 5 study weeks.

In exceptional circumstance, a short extension may be agreed with your tutor.

Prerequisite for entry

For the general module of the course, no prior knowledge of Dutch is required. The specialist module is for learners who have completed the general module or who have an intermediate reading knowledge of Modern Dutch. The eighteenth-century and manuscript modules are for learners who have completed the specialist module or who already have a reading knowledge of Early Modern Dutch. If you are not sure if you have the correct level, please email the course tutor, Dr An (a.castangia@ucl.ac.uk).

Aims and objectives

At the end of the course, you will have:

  • the ability to read Early Modern Dutch
  • insight into the Early Modern Period in the Netherlands and Belgium
  • insight into language structure and good self-study skills

You will also receive a UCL completion certificate. The Early Dutch Study Guide gives further details regarding the course. If you have any questions about the course, please email the course tutor, Dr An (a.castangia@ucl.ac.uk), or Paul, the course administrator (p.warren@ucl.ac.uk). 

Course content

The general module of the course is aimed at developing reading skills in modern Dutch through various tutor-supported tasks and activities on vocabulary, grammar and syntax, and content. The text materials you study are modernised versions of Early Modern texts.

In the specialist modules, you learn to read texts in the original language of the sixteenth and seventeenth century. The specialist modules consist of three sub-modules: the first covers historical 16th and 17th-century Dutch texts, the second deals with texts on art from the period and the third covers original texts that are important for the history of Early Modern Dutch and Flemish culture. You choose one or two modules which are most closely associated with your own specialist subject. You again practise your reading through various tutor-supported tasks on the original spelling, Early Modern grammar and syntax, and vocabulary.

The eighteenth-century module is geared at developing advanced language, reading and translation skills in eighteenth-century Dutch and Flemish texts. The studied texts are of a historical and cultural nature.

The manuscript module focuses on developing reading skills in handwritten texts of the 17th and 18th century, although other exercises are aimed at improving your knowledge of the original spelling, vocabulary and grammar of the period. The studied texts are primarily of a historical nature.

Course Delivery

The course is delivered via an online learning environment. All course materials can be downloaded for offline use. After you complete the course, you continue to have access to the course materials. All course work is corrected by your personal tutor. The course includes weekly individual tutorials via Teams/Skype. The sessions allow you to interact directly with your personal tutor and to get feedback and explanations on your course work, as well as advice and guidance on reading and understanding the language of the time. Note that these sessions do not take place at a set time. You agree with your tutor for each individual lesson on a day and time that suits you both. You need internet access and a computer (desktop, laptop or tablet) and webcam.

Registration and fees

You can register for the course via the UCL online store

Students with no or little knowledge of Dutch may sign up for one of the following course packages.

Students with an intermediate knowledge of Modern Dutch may sign up for one of the following packages.

Students with a reading knowledge of Early Modern Dutch may be interested in the following course.

If you prefer to pay by bank transfer, please contact Ingrida Maziliauskaite (i.maziliauskaite@ucl.ac.uk).

UCL has a no refund policy for course fees. Refunds of course fees minus a £100 administration charge will only be considered in cases of serious illness. Claims must be made in writing and be supported by verifiable documentation.