"Hallo mensen! Lena, Sophie en Lottie hier! Wij studeren Nederlands and this is what we did in our first year in Dutch Studies. We are running the Dutch Student Society next year and we welcome you to join us!
How we got involved
At the University of Sheffield we are blessed with such a vibrant Dutch community. Throughout the year the Nederlandse Vereniging (NV) and the Dutch teaching staff have put on many different events that not only contextualise our learning but also give us the opportunity to really immerse ourselves in the language and culture of the Netherlands and Flanders.
The great thing about these events is that Dutch students from all years come together as one!
Lena Bradley, Sophie, Lottie
Executive Committee Nederlandse Vereniging
The amazing team that is the Dutch Society (find the NV Instagram here) hosted a variety of events: from movie nights and revision sessions to walks in the Peak District. Whether you wanted a cup of coffee at Wednesday’s Thee en taart or to go all out on a university bar crawl like Dance Your Socks Off, there was an event for everyone! These are such a lovely way to meet new people and talk to others who are also studying Dutch!
The great thing about these events is that Dutch students from all years come together as one! We’re thinking for example of Sinterklaas, a most important celebration in the Dutch calendar. It was a really special evening with singing, joking and a lovely, warm atmosphere. Though many of us were experiencing all these cultural activities for the first time, we felt so welcomed and privileged to be a part of them. A few weeks later, there was the Christmas meal where everyone got dressed up and donned paper party hats.
The biggest event of this year was Kom terug!. As part of the Modern Languages Drama Festival, staff and students from all language levels banded together to create an amazing performance in Dutch and English. The play celebrated some some pivotal moments in the history of the Low Countries, though it was anything but your usual history lesson! It was amazing to feel everyone’s dedication and what an achievement it was! What’s more, those who took part in it – some for the first time – would definitely vouch for the experience being not only great fun but also beneficial for their Dutch vocabulary, grammar, and general confidence.
Learning Dutch
That brings us to learning Dutch. Getting the pronunciation, grammar, spelling right may seem daunting at first but many of us have found that all these skills quickly become second nature. It’s a very satisfying process: we have read and understood short Dutch stories, learnt about how to behave at a Dutch birthday part, and came to share Filip’s love of irregular verbs.
With a highly interactive textbook, we felt encouraged not only to talk more Dutch but to think more Dutch. Some of us have now formed extreme attachments to bagagedragers armed with all the vocabulary you might need when you find yourself at the fietsenmaker on your Year Abroad!
The exponential rate at which we learn and interact in Dutch is astounding and extremely fun and rewarding. This is certainly aided by our wonderful Taalunie Taalcoaches who come with valuable insights into modern everyday phrases and the quirks of living as a Dutch speaker.
Here are our top 3 language tips for you!
1 Though it’s a cliché, try and expose yourself to as much Dutch in your everyday life as possible. Whether that be music, films with subtitles or, if you’re feeling brave, the news.
2 Use your classmates! You are able to form such a special bond with your classmates in the early stages of language learning and that means they’ve seen you get things right and wrong. Use this bond to talk to them, message each other in Dutch, greet each other in Dutch! This also helps to incorporate Dutch into your everyday life.
3 Repeat, repeat, repeat! This applies to vocabulary, to pronunciation, to almost everything in language learning. Whether this be through online tools like Quizlet or through testing your friends, make sure you keep all of your learning as fresh as you can.
It may sound slightly daunting after reading this but trust us, everyone finds their own rhythm and there are plenty of people to talk to if you struggle finding yours.
Dutch Studies pathway: Resist!
For those who want to nurture their curiosity of Low Countries history, culture and society, there are some great content modules. In our first year, we took the module Resist! The Art of Protest in Berlin & Amsterdam. We discussed themes such as national identity, which is vital for truly understanding a language and the people that speak it.
Many students enjoy the difference between this more lecture-based learning and the classroom setting found in the language classes. A difference that ultimately adds up to a wonderfully well-rounded learning experience where there is something for everyone and everyone is given the opportunity to explore their spirit of inquiry.
Welcome and Join Us
All in all, it’s been an amazing year of Dutch at Sheffield. We are excitedly looking forward to the coming year where we are not only welcoming a new cohort of Dutch students but also celebrating 75 Years of Dutch at Sheffield! We’re planning a range of events – some educational and some that require a bit more Dutch courage – and we hope to show our pride and our love of all things Dutch this coming year even louder than usual.
We’re looking forward to meeting you a one of our events! Keep an eye out for updates all of the NV and Dutch & Flemish Studies social media.
Doei doei!"
Lena, Lottie & Sophie