DUTCH

Why Dutch?

There are many reasons why one should learn the Dutch language in Turkey. Currently a total of 300 thousand Turkish people reside in Holland; Turkish-origin people living in Belgium amount to 100 thousand. Also, contrary to common belief, the Dutch language is not a rare language spoken in one country alone. A total of 21 million speak the language in Belgium (North Belgium) and in Holland.

Each year, a few hundred thousand people from Holland and Belgium visit Turkey as tourists. This, naturally, makes a great contribution to tourism in Turkey. Today, the number of those who would like to learn the Dutch language has increased. One reason for this increase is the necessity to provide service for Dutch tourists to Turkey in their native language.

There are other reasons to learn the Dutch language as well. For example, when Dutch and Belgian companies and banks in Ankara and Istanbul require staff, they employ people who are proficient in Dutch. Yet another reason is that Holland is an option for Turkish students aiming to have master’s or doctorate education in Europe. These students come to TÖMER to learn the language in advance.

Lessons

In TÖMER, all classrooms are furnished with a “U-type” seating system so that learners can communicate with the teacher as well as their peers comfortably. Each class features modern, electronic teaching equipment; in accordance with international language learning standards, each class can hold 5 to 16 learners. TÖMER is the only language teaching centre in Turkey to organize courses in the Dutch language. Language teachers at TÖMER are members of Ankara University. The medium of instruction is Dutch, as a result of which learners are exposed to the foreign language itself from the very start. 

Courses for General Purposes

Dutch courses consist of 12 levels: 5 basic levels, 5 intermediate levels, 2 advanced levels. In order to be successful at the final test given at the end of each term, learners need to prove proficient in each language skill tested (reading, listening, speaking, writing). If a learner fails to get a pass mark in any one of these skills, he or she is asked to take a second test for this skill only.

Coursebooks include Code Nederlands 1 ve Nederlands 2; there are also exercise books, listening and video material, and supplementary material designed by TÖMER Dutch Unit. In addition to all these, selected texts from various story books are studied and translation of current news items into Turkish is carried out.

Courses for Specific Purposes

Courses for specific purposes include test preparation classes and classes for translation-interpretation tests given by the Ministry of Culture for those who would like to become tourist guides. The course content includes grammar activities as well as test and translation techniques.

Speaking Classes

Upon demand, speaking courses are organised for learners currently attending TÖMER Dutch courses free of charge.

Final Tests

Normal courses cover 40 class hours and intensive courses cover 48 class hours; at the end of each semester, learners sit for a final test that includes sections on four basic language skills. Grading criterion is presented below. If a learner fails to meet the pass mark required for a skill, a second test is given for the skill concerned only. Yet, learners who fail in more than one skill are asked to repeat the level.