English language in the Netherlands
Encyclopedia
English language in the Netherlands refers to the use of English
in the Netherlands
. Research states that about 86% of the Dutch population claims to be able to converse in English. According to some, the main reasons for the high degree of English speakers is the country's small size, dependency on international trade, and the use of subtitles for foreign languages on television
rather than dubbing
.
and as a foreign language, at the expense of German
and French
. Nevertheless, German is much closer to Dutch than English and is similar to Dutch in many respects. Germany is also the most important trading partner of the Netherlands.
Especially in Amsterdam, visitors may get the impression that it is possible to live in the Netherlands for a long time without learning Dutch.
Nowadays, most important scholarly and scientific publications in the Netherlands are in English with the exception of government related publications.
Even Dutch who have excellent knowledge of English may have great difficulty understanding certain native English accents, such as Scottish English
.
. In addition:
channels BBC One
and Two
and American
CNN
, many series broadcast on Dutch channels are broadcast in English (i.e. anglophone TV-series, documentaries) with Dutch subtitles. English language children's programs, however, are usually dubbed.
translating to coal English) is a portmanteau of Dutch and English and a name for Dutch English. The word is often used pejoratively to refer to the mistakes native Dutch speakers make when speaking English.
, or more accurately linguistic anglophobia, within the European Dutch language area (i.e. the Netherlands and Flanders
) has evolved out of schools and companies switching to English as medium of communication and a large number of English loanword
s in the Dutch language. Consequentially this has led to some anglophobia with some groups advocating to dispose of all English loanwords.
English disease (Dutch: Engelse ziekte) is a pejorative term for the effect of the English language on the use of linguistic compounds
in written Dutch. It's a part of the anglicism
s (and sometimes americanism
s) denoting the use of English words and expressions in other languages. Examples of the English disease are:
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Research states that about 86% of the Dutch population claims to be able to converse in English. According to some, the main reasons for the high degree of English speakers is the country's small size, dependency on international trade, and the use of subtitles for foreign languages on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
rather than dubbing
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
.
History
Due to the small size of the Netherlands and the reliance on trading, the Dutch put strong emphasis on learning foreign languages. The Netherlands were liberated from the Germans by English speaking troops which boosted the importance and prestige of the English language. In the next decades, English gradually increased in importance as a lingua francaLingua franca
A lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.-Characteristics:"Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic...
and as a foreign language, at the expense of German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. Nevertheless, German is much closer to Dutch than English and is similar to Dutch in many respects. Germany is also the most important trading partner of the Netherlands.
Especially in Amsterdam, visitors may get the impression that it is possible to live in the Netherlands for a long time without learning Dutch.
Nowadays, most important scholarly and scientific publications in the Netherlands are in English with the exception of government related publications.
Even Dutch who have excellent knowledge of English may have great difficulty understanding certain native English accents, such as Scottish English
Scottish English
Scottish English refers to the varieties of English spoken in Scotland. It may or may not be considered distinct from the Scots language. It is always considered distinct from Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic language....
.
English language education in the Netherlands
English is compulsory on all levels of the Dutch secondary education systemEducation in the Netherlands
Education in the Netherlands is characterized by division: education is orientated toward the needs and background of the pupil. Education is divided over schools for different age groups, some of which are divided in streams for different educational levels...
. In addition:
- Many elementary schoolElementary schoolAn elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s teach English in the upper grades. - Around 100 schools use Bilingual educationBilingual educationBilingual education involves teaching academic content in two languages, in a native and secondary language with varying amounts of each language used in accordance with the program model.-Bilingual education program models:...
(Dutch / English). - Most universityUniversityA university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
master's degreeMaster's degreeA master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
s are in English, and an increasingly number of bachelor's degreeBachelor's degreeA bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
s are as well. In addition, many degrees that are taught in Dutch utilise English language materials (e.g. books) and names.
English language television in the Netherlands
In addition to the availability of the BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
channels BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
and Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
and American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, many series broadcast on Dutch channels are broadcast in English (i.e. anglophone TV-series, documentaries) with Dutch subtitles. English language children's programs, however, are usually dubbed.
Dunglish
Dunglish (called steenkolenengels in DutchDutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
translating to coal English) is a portmanteau of Dutch and English and a name for Dutch English. The word is often used pejoratively to refer to the mistakes native Dutch speakers make when speaking English.
Linguistic anglophobia and the English disease
AnglophobiaAnglophobia
Anglophobia means hatred or fear of England or the English people. The term is sometimes used more loosely for general Anti-British sentiment...
, or more accurately linguistic anglophobia, within the European Dutch language area (i.e. the Netherlands and Flanders
Flemish Community
The term Flemish Community has two distinct, though related, meanings:...
) has evolved out of schools and companies switching to English as medium of communication and a large number of English loanword
Loanword
A loanword is a word borrowed from a donor language and incorporated into a recipient language. By contrast, a calque or loan translation is a related concept where the meaning or idiom is borrowed rather than the lexical item itself. The word loanword is itself a calque of the German Lehnwort,...
s in the Dutch language. Consequentially this has led to some anglophobia with some groups advocating to dispose of all English loanwords.
English disease (Dutch: Engelse ziekte) is a pejorative term for the effect of the English language on the use of linguistic compounds
Compound (linguistics)
In linguistics, a compound is a lexeme that consists of more than one stem. Compounding or composition is the word formation that creates compound lexemes...
in written Dutch. It's a part of the anglicism
Anglicism
An Anglicism, as most often defined, is a word borrowed from English into another language. "Anglicism" also describes English syntax, grammar, meaning, and structure used in another language with varying degrees of corruption.-Anglicisms in Chinese:...
s (and sometimes americanism
Americanism
Americanism may refer to:* Americanization* A word or phrase considered typical of American English, English as spoken in the United States* An attitude or conviction which gives special importance to the nation, national interest, political system, or culture of the United States* Americanism ,...
s) denoting the use of English words and expressions in other languages. Examples of the English disease are:
| Wrong use in Dutch | English equivalent | Right use in Dutch |
|---|---|---|
| IBM computer | IBM computer | IBM-computer |
| web pagina | web page | webpagina |
| vakantie baantje | holiday job | vakantiebaantje |
| taxi standplaatsen | taxi stand | taxistandplaatsen |
| schrijf cursus | writing course | schrijfcursus |
| informatie avond | information evening | informatieavond |
| fietsen stalling | bicycle shed | fietsenstalling |
| baby kleding | baby clothes | babykleding |
| eco was bal | eco wash ball | ecowasbal |
| communicatie deskundige | communication expert | communicatiedeskundige |
| yoghurt drank | yoghurt drink | yoghurtdrank |
| restauratie atelier | restoration studio | restauratieatelier |
| dames toiletten | ladies' toilets | damestoiletten |
| heren toiletten | gentlemen's toilets | herentoiletten |
External links
- Cursus Engels Dutch language article about use of English in science and scholarship] column in the Volkskrant by Bram Buunk 1996
- Talenkennis Dutch language column in the Volkskrant by Bram Buunk on 3 May 1997
- http://ec.europa.eu/education/languages/pdf/doc631_en.pdf