Introduction to Dutch MOOC - rerun 14 November 2016

The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) Introduction to Dutch was developed by the University of Groningen Language Centre, and is aimed at prospective students and staff of the University, international professionals who intend to live and work in the Netherlands and people from other countries with an interest in Dutch language and culture. The course introduces participants to the basics of the Dutch language, and gives background information on the city of Groningen, the University of Groningen and the region as a whole.

Introduction to Dutch takes three weeks and is intended for anyone who wants to learn Dutch or is planning to visit the Netherlands for work, a study programme or holidays. Participants do not need prior knowledge of Dutch before starting the course. The subjects covered include introducing yourself and talking about family, friends, work or studies. The course also includes short films giving a general impression of home and working life in the Netherlands. Participants can purchase a statement of participation once they have finished the course. More information about the MOOC

Introduction to Dutch in Top 50 MOOCs of All Time

The Introduction to Dutch language course has made it into the Top 50 MOOCs of All Time according to Class Central. The list is based on thousands of reviews written by Class Central users. The University of Groningen Language Centre is very proud that its free online language course Introduction to Dutch is one of the most popular rated courses, according to the users of Class Central. There are only 12 courses in the Humanities section of which two are languages courses, Dutch and Chinese. The University of Groningen finds itself among universities such as Yale, Harvard, Warwick and Cape Town and Tsinghua University.

New courses - reruns

The online course is offered several times per year:

• 14 November - 5 December 2016
• 27 February - 20 March 2017
• 14 August - 4 September 2017
• 20 November - 11 December 2017

Online registration is possible (and free!) via www.futurelearn.com/courses/dutch .

120,000 participants

A total of more than 120,000 participants have registered for earlier runs of the Introduction to Dutch MOOC in 2015 and 2016.

Positive responses
Students from all over the world participated in the MOOC. We have had many positive responses:

• "Sincerely this is one of the best language online courses I have attended. It is all very simple and easy to get and practice. As a linguist I find no remarks for now. So good luck and Godspeed to all of you vriende!”
• “The course goes at a good pace and, of course, anything you haven't quite understood you have the opportunity to review. Dank u veel voor uw help!”
• “It's going well so far. The course is well structured and I think it is also a matter of practice as some words and phrases need to be internalised before moving on with the further teaching material.”

Contact

• Language Centre
  Telephone: +31 (0)50 363 5802
  E-mail: talencentrum@rug.nl

• Contact person
  Margriet Hidding