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2004:26 R

Evaluation of undergraduate and postgraduate studies in the Dutch language at Stockholm University

The assessment group is of the view that tuition in the Dutch language at Stockholm University is of a high quality. In spite of the fact of a cramped environment, the Dutch Language Department maintains a tutorial standard of relatively good scholastic breadth. The assessment group is of the view that the Dutch Language Department has achieved a fine balance between proficiency learning and linguistic and literary history studies, and this in turn has produced an admirable in-depth university education. Department lecturers actively engaged in the subject are one university lecturer, one part-time visiting lecturer, two lecturers remunerated on an hourly basis and one postgraduate student. The enthusiasm with which the lecturers have put into their tuition has smitten the students. The students that the assessment group met at the pre-arranged meeting place were very pleased with the tuition, even if those at higher levels would have preferred longer tuition. The department has tried to compensate the paucity of tuition time by interlocking with affiliated subjects. The students, however, have not availed themselves of this opportunity.

The department has difficulty in retaining student perseverance in the subject. Much of the tuition takes place in the evenings, when many of the students study Dutch after work or in addition to other studies. Once the students have finally decided to devote more time to the subject, quite often they opt to study the language in the daytime.

The number of pages making up the literature to be read at undergraduate level is rather extensive. This gives the students an opportunity to acquire a feeling for the language, even if several felt that the number of pages was burdensome and also that far too much of the literature reading comes towards the end of the term.

The department works well with other units in the university and outside higher educational institutes as well, such as the Institute for Interpretors and Translators and various publishing companies. Since the year 2002 the Dutch Language Department is organised as a department within the Institute for the Nordic Languages, and it functions very well there as such with excellent collaboration the subject Nordic languages.

The syllabi are not clear enough about the target each course has. The work on course evaluation is commendable, but there is no systematic feedback. Views of students with regard to courses are made through direct informal contacts with the lecturers. An arrangement that was satisfactory to those students the assessment group met at the meeting place. The C-, D- and E- essays read by the assessment group were judged to be of good quality.

It is the view of the assessment group that postgraduate studies function well and are of good quality. There was only one postgraduate student within the discipline, and postgraduate studies are carried out in collaboration with postgraduate students engaged in Nordic Languages where, inter alia, one third of the courses have been completed. One third of the courses relate to the discipline and one third is made up of different courses common to the faculty.

The postgraduate student’s curriculum is revised each year in concert with the tutor, who is the only lecturer within the discipline with a doctorate. The student also has an assistant tutor from Nordic Languages. The student is very pleased with the assistance provided by these two tutors; neither of them, however, are specialised within the doctoral discipline that the postgraduate has chosen.

The faculty strongly feels that Dutch studies should not be withdrawn from the curriculum. In a document that has the approval of the Swedish government, the Stockholm University has been specifically urged to continue to offer courses in the Dutch language. Unfortunately no financial backing has been forthcoming for this purpose.

Swedish National Agency for Higher Education  Visting address: Luntmakargatan 13  Box 7851, 103 99 Stockholm
Phone: 08-563 085 00  Fax: 08-563 085 50  Email: hsv@hsv.se