Information
This Building Block consists of two courses. One course consists of 10 classes of 1.5 hours each, adding up to 15 hours of teaching per course.

Aim of this Building Block
In Building Block 5, students will build upon their Dutch vocabulary and grammar skills to further expand their knowledge of the language. The Building Block level is indicated with help of the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR) and is equivalent to level B1/B2.
Each chapter of the textbook is dedicated to a specific theme. This theme also forms the main focus of the reading texts and the discussions during this Building Block. Students will be able to confidently engage in conversations in Dutch and write about various topics covered in class.
This Building Block focus on spoken Dutch in a variety of social, business and academic situations. The lessons give you the opportunity to learn and use Dutch in realistic situations, and you’ll get regular homework to help you practice. You will be able to understand most TV news and current affairs programmes such as documentaries, live interviews, talk shows and plays.

Prior knowledge
This Building Block is for students who have completed Building Block 4 at level B1.2.

Building Block level
By the end of Building Block 5 you will be able to reach level B2.1, according to the CEFR (Common European Framework of References for Languages). When you have reached level B2.1, you will be able to both understand and work with texts from Dutch newspapers and can also produce a persuasive text yourself.
This Building Block also helps you to prepare for the Dutch as a second language State Examination Programme II, CERF level B2. This official examination is necessary if you wish to study at a Hogeschool (university of applied sciences) or one of the research universities in the Netherlands. For specific information www.staatsexamensnt2.nl

Teaching method
Teaching is done in Dutch and focuses especially on oral communication. We start with practical situations on which we will work in pairs and with the whole group. In class you will actively take part and practise the Dutch language in everyday situations. We work with dialogues integrating grammar and vocabulary.
Your homework consists of reading texts about the Dutch news and current affairs, doing grammar exercises, describing experiences and events and also preparing presentations.

Building Block material
The textbook we work with is: Nederlands op niveau. Authors:B. De Boer and R. Ohlsen, published by Coutinho.
We also use extra material from the Dutch News and Dutch television programmes about art and history, and we read articles from the Dutch newspapers and magazines about current affairs.