UCL Dutch

UCL Dutch, as part of the VirtualDutch initiative, a collaboration of UCL and the universities of Sheffield, Cambridge and Nottingham, offers tutor-supported Dutch language courses that are entirely taught over the internet.

New courses start in late March 2011.

Lagelands Beginners Dutch (by distance education) is designed to give you the skills you need to speak, read, write and understand basic Dutch in a range of practical everyday contexts. No previous knowledge of Dutch is required; the language of instruction is English. The outcome of the course is of a level comparable to A2 as defined by the Council of Europe.

Hogelands Advanced Dutch (by distance education), aimed at intermediate and advanced learners, consolidates the knowledge of Dutch you already have and extends your language skills. It also enhances your cultural knowledge of Dutch-speaking societies, and develops the skills needed to study at a higher level. The course is taught partly in English and partly in Dutch. This course requires an intermediate knowledge of Dutch. It is suitable for students who have successfully completed Lagelands or who have reached a similar linguistic standard, roughly equivalent to level A2 as defined by the Council of Europe.

The Early Modern Dutch Reading Skills Course (by distance education) is designed to give you the skills you need to read sixteenth and seventeenth-century Dutch texts. The course is for learners with only a minimal starting knowledge of Dutch. If you already have an intermediate/advanced level of Dutch but little acquaintance with the language of the sixteenth and seventeenth century you may be interested in the second part of the course which is entirely in Dutch and specifically aimed at developing reading skills in Dutch texts from the period.

The Business Dutch Reading Skills Course  (by distance education) enables you to build up a reading knowledge of Dutch sufficient to cope with reading the business pages of Dutch and Flemish newspapers and magazines. It can be taken by learners with a minimal knowledge of the language. The first part of the course is taught in English, the second part is bilingual.

The outcome of both reading courses is of a reading level comparable to B2 as defined by the Council of Europe. Both courses are designed for learners with a minimal knowledge of Dutch.

Further perspectives

Hogelands and Business Dutch also feature as optional courses in the online Postgraduate Certificate/Postgraduate Diploma/MA in Dutch Cultural Studies. Upon successful completion of the course you may apply to continue your studies and get accreditation counting towards these degrees.

If you are uncertain as regards your eligibility for the course, contact An Vanderhelst or look at the course tasters. You can pre-register an interest in the courses by completing and submitting the relevant forms you find in the course descriptions. 

Course require a minimum number of participants to run.