Dutch Level 5

Dutch Level 5

Course Description

Level 5 classes: this course suits people who have recently completed Level 4, or those who already have a solid foundation in Dutch. It will allow them to communicate quite confidently about themselves, their environment, their past, and their future plans. This level will help you communicate with greater confidence about topics that go beyond your immediate environment, and to formulate your opinion on certain topics. In this class, you will develop your confidence to be able to tackle more situations when abroad or speaking to a native speaker of Dutch. In Level 5, we will work at the B1 level of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages*).  

Term duration: 9x weekly 2-hour classes, Tuesday evenings, 18:15 - 20:30 (your last class will finish at 20:15. 

Communicative themes may include:   

 • Giving and understanding instructions to use everyday household or office devices andappliances.    

• Understanding and writing simple recipes using, giving and following step-by-step.   

• Giving and receiving informal advice. Suggesting what someone should or shouldn’t do.   

• Expressing wishes and desires using common verbs and expressions.  

• Describing personality and relationships: Talking about the personality of close people and describing the nature of relationships.    

• Expressing and understanding feelings: Talking about personal feelings and responding to others in both positive and negative emotional contexts.    

• Handling work-related communication: Writing a basic CV, preparing for and taking part in a job interview, or writing a job advertisement. Being able to ask and answer questions about work experience, skills, and preferences. Understanding cultural expectations in the Dutch-speaking work context.   

• Making future plans and arrangements.   

• Talking about the uncertain future: Expressing hopes, dreams, and intentions related topersonal and social topics.   

 Key grammatical points covered may include:  

• Use and form of present perfect and imperfect tenses (revision)  

• More irregular forms of present perfect & imperfect tenses. e.g. dragen, droeg, gedragen 

• More complex constructions, double infinitive, e.g..ik heb hem horen komen. 

• More on expressing future intentions, e.g. ik ben van plan dat te doen. 

• The use of the conditional and modal verbs. Ik zou dat moeten doen. 

• Subordinate clauses and verb word order. e.g. Ik denk dat hij dat zou moeten doen.  

• Giving instructions using imperative: e.g. Raadpleeg, controleer, lees 

• Prepositions and postpositions, e.g. Zij gaat over de brug v. Zij gaat de brug over.   

• Prepositional phrases, e.g. aan de hand van, onder de invloed van  

Note that we adapt the pace of the class to the needs and interests of the group, so the listed themes and grammar may be subject to change and are not meant to be exhaustive.   

Homework may be set between classes, though we do understand that the constraints of everyday life may make it difficult to complete at times. You are under no obligation to complete the homework, but revision of the weekly lessons is strongly encouraged to allow you to make excellent progress and benefit fully from the course.  

Each week you will practise most if not all four communicative skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). You will be encouraged to take an active part in all activities which can include games, pair and group work as well as individual tasks. We aim to establish a friendly, inclusive atmosphere in the classroom so that all students can express themselves freely and increase their confidence.  

*CEFR levels indicated on our level descriptors are not a guarantee that you can take the associated CNaVT exam (Certificaat Nederlands als Vreemde Taal) for this level. If you would like to take the CNaVT (there is an exam centre at UCL in London – the first level is A2), please speak to your tutor to discuss what they think would be most appropriate.