On the course Dutch 1 students will work through chapters 1 through 6 of the Dutch language course book “Contact : Nederlands voor anderstaligen”. Topics during the spring semester include: daily routines, hobbies and sports, food and drink, clothing, shopping, making appointments, transportation, family and friends, physical appearance, personal characteristics and festivals.

Great emphasis is put on building up practical communication skills, by means of listening and speaking activities. Each chapter in the book is divided into three thematic sections, each of which introduce the learner to new linguistic skills, which recur for further exploration as the learner progresses.

Each chapter also introduces various cultural aspects of Dutch society and typical Dutch festivals. All students are expected to give an oral presentation on a cultural topic of their choice.