Reading comprehension and vocabulary extension: economic and commercial texts in Dutch

Teacher(s)

Vrancx Marlène;

Language

Dutch

Prerequisites

B2 level of listening and reading and B2 level of speaking (Common European Framework of Reference).

Main themes

The course is based on a detailed description of the linguistic (grammatical, lexical and stylistic) features that are typical of the economic and commercial domain as opposed to other registers of the Dutch language. The focus is on significantly increasing specialised vocabulary to enable students to easily understand any text in this domain. Articles from newspapers, magazines, scientific books and websites are used for reading comprehension and vocabulary extension exercises.

Aims

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	At the end of the course, students should be able to understand economic and commercial texts in Dutch and have acquired a solid vocabulary in these areas (at C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference).

The contribution of this Teaching Unit to the development and command of the skills and learning outcomes of the programme(s) can be accessed at the end of this sheet, in the section entitled “Programmes/courses offering this Teaching Unit”.

Content

The course is based on a detailed analysis of economic and commercial Dutch using original texts. These articles are centred on important themes, particularly macro-economics, trade, sales techniques, accounting, the management and structure of companies, insurance and banking. Various exercises and internet research are used to enhance reading skills and vocabulary extension in this domain.

Evaluation methods

Continuous assessment and written examination.
Continuous assessment: students will be asked to present an article related to themes covered in class. This part represents 25% of the final mark.
Written examination: reading comprehension questions on original texts related to themes covered in class and vocabulary exercises based on vocabulary studied in class. This part represents 75% of the final mark.
September exam: written exam (100% of the final mark).

Other information

Texts used include current economic affairs, theoretical texts on economic issues and internet and newspaper articles.

Bibliography

Sirjacobs, G. (coordinateur) (2015) : Néerlandais des affaires, Vol 1 Vocabulaire thématique n/f, De Boeck, Louvain-la-Neuve.
Sirjacobs, G. (coordinateur) (2015) : Néerlandais des affaires, Vol 2 Phrases types, exercices et presse business, De Boeck, Louvain-la-Neuve.

Faculty or entity

MULT