English in the Netherlands

English in the Netherlands, according to research, can be spoken by 90%[1] to 93%[2] of the Dutch population. According to some, the main reasons for the high degree of English speakers is the country's small size, dependence on international trade, and the use of subtitles for foreign languages on television, rather than audio dubbing. Dutch's genealogical proximity to English is also noted as a significant factor since both languages are closely related West Germanic languages.[3] Occupations that require a complex knowledge of English, such as those in aviation and the sciences, are also abundant in the Netherlands. Furthermore, it is an official and the majority language in the Caribbean municipalities of Saba and Sint Eustatius.[4]

The municipality of Amsterdam recognizes English as an official language, which means that communication with the municipality can be done in English. However English has a lower status than Dutch, which remains the language of publications, meetings and administration.[5]

History

Various explanations contribute to the popularity of English in the Netherlands. The small size and population of the Netherlands and hundreds of years of it having a trade and commerce economy, particularly between Continental Europe and the United Kingdom, the Dutch put strong emphasis on learning English and other foreign languages, especially German. That is in spite of German being linguistically much closer to Dutch than English and Germany being the most important trade partner of the Netherlands. Nevertheless, knowledge of more than one foreign language is still more widespread than in other member states of the European Union.

English-language education in the Netherlands

English is compulsory at all levels of the Dutch secondary education system:

  • Many elementary schools teach English in the upper grades.
  • Pupils must score at least a 5.5/10 for English Language and Literature at the high school finals to be able to graduate.

Pupils learn Received Pronunciation, or the Queen's English. Since secondary schools in the Netherlands have different levels of education (preparatory mid-level professional, higher general continued education and pre-university college/preparatory scientific education), a test from the elementary school and the advice of the teacher determines the level that a pupil will attend. The first teaches a pupil enough English to have simple conversations. The second is focused on achieving the ability to speak formally and in a professional setting. The third is focused on understanding the more difficult texts and communicating on a university/scientific level, which is a bit more than a master in English needed for British universities demands but without the proverbs and or sayings.

  • Around 100 schools offer bilingual education (Dutch-English). The concept was first introduced in several secondary schools, but it has found its way to elementary schools. The aim of bilingual education is for the students to obtain the same level of English as the native speakers in Britain.
  • The first university professor of English, Jan Beckering Vinckers, was appointed at the University of Groningen in 1885.
  • Most university master's degrees are in English, and an increasing number of bachelor's degrees are as well,[6] and even the first degrees of community college given in English have made their way into existence. In addition, many degrees that are taught in Dutch use English-language materials (such as books) and names.
  • Students are often taught to perform Internet searches in English, whose results allow far more kinds and amounts of information than in Dutch.

English-language television in the Netherlands

In addition to the availability of the British channels BBC One, Two and World News, the American CNN and the English edition of Al Jazeera, many programmes broadcast on Dutch channels are broadcast in English with Dutch subtitles.[3] English language children's programmes, however, are usually dubbed. Dubbed commercials, films and television programmes, apart from animations and cartoons, have often come to be disliked by the Dutch public. People very much prefer them to be broadcast with subtitles or even with no form of translation at all.

There are also a few television stations broadcasting in English, which target the English-speaking community of the Netherlands, such as AF-TV, or dedicate large portions of airtime to programming in English, such as RTV7 and Amsterdam local TV channel Salto 1. (See also Television in the Netherlands)

Dunglish
Main article: Dunglish

Dunglish (called steenkolenengels in Dutch translating to coal English) is a portmanteau of Dutch and English and a term often used pejoratively to refer to the mistakes native Dutch speakers make when speaking English.

See also

References
  1. "EUROPEANS AND THEIR LANGUAGES" (PDF). Ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
  2. ""English in the Netherlands: Functions, forms and attitudes" p. 316 and onwards" (PDF). Alisonedwardsdotcom.files.wordpress.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  3. Cenoz J., Jessner U. (2000). English in Europe: The acquisition of a third language. Multilingual Matters, Ltd. ISBN 9781853594793. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
  4. "Regeling - Invoeringswet openbare lichamen Bonaire, Sint Eustatius en Saba - BWBR0028063". Wetten.overheid.nl. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  5. "What languages do they speak in the Netherlands?".
  6. "NRC". Nrc.nl. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
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