Dutch Studies

Spoken across the Netherlands, Flanders, Suriname and parts of the Caribbean, Dutch is a popular language with students and UK employers.

boats in canal in Amsterdam with a rainbow flag

With around eighty students on our programmes, we are the largest Dutch section in the UK in terms of student numbers. This popularity is a testament to the lively, ambitious atmosphere; there is always something going on and you’ll quickly feel included and at home with us.

Dutch at Sheffield Home

teacher surrounded by kids waving little Dutch flags. Everybody is smiling — Dutch Year Abroad: Teaching

Dutch Year Abroad: Teaching

Student Rober Heaney on a bridge in Amsterdam — Dutch Year Abroad: Studying at a partner university

Dutch Year Abroad: Studying at a partner university

student in Brussels' main square with Belgian flag in the background — Dutch Year Abroad: Studying in the Netherlands or Flanders

Dutch Year Abroad: Studying in the Netherlands or Flanders

Poster in dark colours with a red heart and a yellow moon announcing the a play

a group of about 16 students all with a script in their hands and in the middle three people cut into a cake — Dutch Play: Our first reading

Dutch Play: Our first reading

Student on stage with arms stretched out — Dutch Play: Baltazar Krull heeft een vraag

Dutch Play: Baltazar Krull heeft een vraag

four students on a stage, one points in the distance and the other look in amazement — Dutch Play: Uitzicht op Antwerpen

Dutch Play: Uitzicht op Antwerpen

Grouo of about 20 students with tutors and guest author — Translation Project with Taalunie guest author Rashif El Kaoui (2nd row, far left). Lauren Dalton 2nd row, right)

Translation Project with Taalunie guest author Rashif El Kaoui (2nd row, far left). Lauren Dalton 2nd row, right)

Sint Nicolas with student - Dutch tradition — Sinterklaas on a visit to Sheffield

Sinterklaas on a visit to Sheffield

Group of students with thumbs up in tulip field — Committee Nederlandse Vereniging

Committee Nederlandse Vereniging

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Undergraduate degree combinations

We try to be as flexible as possible, so you can study Dutch over a period of one, two, three or four years and you can start at either Beginner or Intermediate level. In addition to language, we offer a modules on the history, culture and society of the Low Countries. We offer a specialist Translation Project in collaboration with our Writer in Residence and a professional translator.

You can study Dutch language and culture as part of:

BA Modern Languages and Cultures

Within this degree you have two options:

Study Dutch combined with ONE other language and culture
Study Dutch combined with TWO other languages and cultures

Choose from these languages:

French
German
Russian
Spanish
Portuguese
Catalan
Luxembourgish
Czech
Italian

Undergraduate

Modern Languages and Cultures BA

2024-25

/ September start

A Levels ABB

UCAS code T900

4 years

/ Full-time

A modern languages and cultures degree at Sheffield is a confident step into the wider world and you'll be graduating with skills that are highly valued by employers. You'll learn to communicate fluently and effectively in one, two or three modern languages. You'll also develop a sophisticated understanding of the countries where those languages are spoken.

Foreign language study
Study abroad

Dual Honours Degree

You can combine Dutch with the following non-language subjects:

Business Management
Economics
English
History
Linguistics
Music
Philosophy
Politics

You can even combine Dutch with a non-language subject plus another language.

Dual honours degrees

Course structure

Language Modules

At Sheffield you can start studying Dutch from scratch, meaning you need no previous knowledge of Dutch. If you already speak some Dutch you can skip the beginners programme and enter at an appropriate level.

All our language classes are informal and taught in small groups. The emphasis is always on real language in real situations. Right from the start of the course you will be encouraged to speak as much as possible; after all, the best way to learn is by doing. Also, check out our language videos on YouTube.

Dutch Cultural Contexts

You can also opt for Dutch Studies modules. This is the opportunity to put your language skills in the cultural context.

We offer specialist courses on contemporary society, culture and literature of the Netherlands and Flanders as well as course within the context of Germanic Studies. Our small groups teaching means that you have real influence on your course. Many of our courses are aimed at making the most of your position: as a (native) speaker of English you will be in a prime position to negotiate Dutch issues for a global audience.

Dutch as a guided module

You may also be able to study Dutch as part of guided module choice as long as you have some experience with modern language learning. You would be taking the language classes only and you are taught together with the other undergraduate students.

Module information

Dutch For Beginners	4 hours per week 2 semesters 20 credits	For this intensive beginners language course you will work for 4 hours a week in small groups. Dutch is an accessible Germanic language spoken by 24 million people. We will work on all aspects of language learning and and you will read your first short book in Dutch before Christmas. With a bit of effort and dedication you will reach a generous CEF level A2. Our students tend to really enjoy this course. Episode In de kledingzaak from the Nu jij series
Dutch Intermediate Language	3 hours per week 2 semesters 20 credits	This Dutch Intermediate module builds on the language skills you have already acquired before coming to university. At the end of this course you can understand and speak Dutch in common social circumstances, read all but the most complicated Dutch text without difficulty (perhaps with the occasional help of your dictionary) and write Dutch texts in both formal and informal styles. We work around a number of cultural and everyday topics and our lively conversation classes are an integral part of the course. In terms of CEFR you will have attained at least level B1.
Resist! The Art of Protest in Berlin & Amsterdam	1 hour per week 2 semesters 20 credits	Amsterdam and Berlin are two capitals at the forefront of protest and alternative lifestyles from the early 20th century right up to the present. Where did their radical traditions spring from? What do these protests say about how the cities and nations see themselves? How does creative resistance fuel gentrification and urban tourism? This module explores the culture of resistance and protest from the first women’s march for the vote and posters and activism against war and fascism, to the creative resistance of the Amsterdam provo movement and more recently Pride Canal Parade and Black Lives Matter/Kick out Zwarte Piet.

Dutch for Beginners	4 hours per week 2 semesters 20 credits	For this intensive beginners language course you will work for 4 hours a week in small groups. Dutch is an accessible Germanic language spoken by 24 million people. We will work on all aspects of language learning and and you will read your first short book in Dutch before Christmas. With a bit of effort and dedication you will reach a generous CEF level A2. Our students tend to really enjoy this course.
Dutch Intermediate	3 hours per week 2 semesters 20 credits	This module builds on the language skills you have built up during the Beginners' Dutch course in your First Year. At the end of this course you can understand and speak Dutch in common social circumstances, read all but the most complicated Dutch text without difficulty (perhaps with the occasional help of your dictionary) and write Dutch texts in both formal and informal styles. We work around a number of cultural and everyday topics and our lively conversation classes are an integral part of the course. In terms of CEFR you will have attained at least level B1.
Dutch Advanced	3 hours per week 2 semesters 20 credits	For those students who finished Dutch Intermediate in their first year, we offer an Advanced Dutch language course in Second Year. We will build on your vocabulary in Dutch, you will become more fluent and your grammar gets more and more sophisticated. This growing knowledge and confidence in Dutch means that we can introduce a translation element: you will work with a Dutch or Flemish visiting author and a professional translator. We also focus on speaking and presenting in Dutch with confidence and on writing longer pieces for a variety of audiences for example blogs, commentaries, opinion and creative pieces. You will reach level CEFR B2/C1.
Not my (his)Story! Reshaping present-day Netherlands and Belgium	1.5 hours per week 2 semester 20 credits	Dutch, Belgian, and British colonial legacy are no longer the forgotten pages of history. In this module we will look at recent movements that challenge and confront the colonial past and that shape today’s diverse societies. Our material will vary from artistic responses through stories, performance and graphic novels to official representations of the nation’s history in public sites such as monuments and exhibitions. And what about Sheffield? Get ready to leave the classroom. This module contains a project element in Semester 2 and/or a collaboration with our Writer in Residence and a professional translator.
Exploring "Germanic" Lands: Imagined Communities, Tourist Kitsch, and Contested Identities	1.5 hours per week 2 semester 20 credits	This module traces the idea of nationhood and community across genres (including fiction and non-fiction), looks at cultural stereotyping and critical perspectives in TV, film, or audio documentaries, and examines a range of historical sources in order to unpack the ideologies and critiques of national identities such as "German-ness", "Swissness", and "Dutchness". Critically drawing on Benedict Anderson's influential concept of "imagined communities", we will be asking questions like: what happens when shared, commonplace narratives of nation-ness are turned into advertising copy? How is our understanding of other countries shaped by our national self-understanding (and vice versa), and to what extent can the tourist be seen as a "Kitsch-Mensch"? What are the competing visions of community in today's multicultural Germany? In preparation for your own year abroad, you will reflect on popular perspectives on nationhood from an academic distance (via an essay), and will yourselves engage in cultural mediation and critique (through a project, which includes translation).

Dutch Intermediate	3 hours per week 2 semesters 20 credits	This module builds on the language skills you have built up during the Beginners' Dutch course in your First Year. At the end of this course you can understand and speak Dutch in common social circumstances, read all but the most complicated Dutch text without difficulty (perhaps with the occasional help of your dictionary) and write Dutch texts in both formal and informal styles. We work around a number of cultural and everyday topics and our lively conversation classes are an integral part of the course. In terms of CEFR you will have attained at least level B1.
Dutch Advanced	3 hours per week 2 semesters 20 credits	Dutch Advanced builds on Intermediate Dutch: your vocabulary grows, you get more fluent and your grammar gets more and more sophisticated. This growing knowledge and confidence in Dutch means that we can introduce a translation element: you will work with a Dutch or Flemish visiting author and a professional translator. We also focus on speaking and presenting in Dutch with confidence and on writing longer pieces for a variety of audiences for example blogs, commentaries, opinion and creative pieces. You will reach level CEFR B2/C1.
Dutch for Specialists	3 hours per week 2 semesters 20 credits	This course is taught together with Dutch Advanced. We cover advanced reading and writing, introduce translation and we concentrate on speaking and presenting. We draw on a Visiting Author, a professional translator, and other guests and native speakers. You will be at a level that you can really benefit from much exposure with native speakers. We aim for CEFR C1/2 level.
Not my history? Reshaping present-day Netherlands and Belgium	1.5 hours per week + co-curricular events 2 semester 20 credits	Dutch, Belgian, and British colonial legacy are no longer the forgotten pages of history. In this module we will look at recent movements that challenge and confront the colonial past and that shape today’s diverse societies. Our material will vary from artistic responses through stories, performance and graphic novels to official representations of the nation’s history in public sites such as monuments and exhibitions. And what about Sheffield? Get ready to leave the classroom. This module contains a project element in Semester 2 and/or a collaboration with our Writer in Residence and a professional translator. Simone Atangana Bekono on a visit to Sheffield (sponsored by New Dutch Witing)
Dutch Language and Culture Project	fortnightly 1.5 hours support seminar and 6 hours of one-to-one supervision 2 semesters 20 credits	This is our most flexible option: this is about your project for which you will get support and a supervisor. You can either choose to write a dissertation on a Dutch Studies topic OR undertake a substantial translation with a commentary and contextualisation OR plan, execute and disseminate a Dutch Studies project through a chosen format. This is ideal for those students that like to work independently and enjoy engaging with a larger project. It is excellent preparation for postgraduate study too. Your project/translation is likely to be in the field of contemporary Netherlands and Flemish literature or culture or on a sociolinguistic topic. We encourage you to work with one of our many cultural partners and work towards a clear end result that can be shared or presented. In the past this had led to collaborations with the Dutch Centre in London, the British Library, Flemish-Dutch House of Culture deBuren in Brussels, and the-low-countries.com. Example of Dutch research project

School of Languages and Cultures