Ghislaine Giezenaar and Vivika Voskamp-Jagtenborg are trainers in Dutch as a second language at In'to Languages. As well as teaching courses themselves, they are also involved in the NT2 teacher training programme and provide professional development for teachers.
What prompted you to publish this book?
Ghislaine: “I have been working in the NT2 field for 35 years, and I noticed that there are few teaching methods available that allow you to help course participants work on their pronunciation in a fun and engaging way. It often came down to listening and repeating. This is not always motivating. So, I devised my own teaching methods and tried them out in class. At a certain point, I decided to compile them, so that other teachers could also benefit from them. Halfway through the process, Vivika joined me. She is also a speech therapist and therefore has more theoretical knowledge in the field of pronunciation. That was a welcome addition.”
Why is it so important to work on pronunciation?
Vivika: “Anyone learning a second language naturally wants to be understood properly. Pronunciation is crucial in this regard: you can speak perfect Dutch, with an extensive vocabulary and grammatically correct sentences, but if you’re not intelligible, it’s all for nothing.
Especially when there are major differences between the native language and Dutch, pronunciation doesn’t always come naturally. Some sounds in Dutch do not exist in other languages or are pronounced slightly differently, making them difficult to master. Or if someone does not place the stress correctly, it is harder for Dutch-speaking listeners to understand.”
Ghislaine: “It’s not just about what you literally say, but also about the intention behind the message. For example, is someone asking a question or making a statement? And by working on your pronunciation, you’re also building your confidence.”
What do you think are the common stumbling blocks for people learning Dutch?
Vivika: “The stress pattern in Dutch is not very intuitive for NT2 learners, but it is very important for intelligibility that the stress is placed on the correct syllable of a word. Think of ‘vriendin’ versus ‘vrienden’, where it is important to know who is actually being referred to.”
Ghislaine: “A fun teaching method we have developed for this is Klemtoonstappen. In this, coloured circles on the floor represent the number of syllables in a word. The stressed syllable is a different colour, and course participants literally walk through the stress pattern of a word by taking a step for each syllable and standing on the different-coloured circle for the stressed syllable.”
Vivika: "Of course, stress isn’t the only stumbling block. We also focus on recognising and pronouncing the sounds of Dutch, as well as intonation, rhythm and connected speech.”
How does your book help teachers to work effectively on pronunciation in the classroom?
Ghislaine: “The book contains 22 interactive activities designed to practise various factors affecting intelligibility. The activities are very varied; I think there is something for everyone. Many of them involve course participants moving around and working together. It has long been known that combining physical and mental activities works well. And people often simply enjoy working together. We hope that by providing a variety of teaching methods, teachers will focus more on pronunciation.”
Where can teachers go if they want to delve even deeper into NT2 pronunciation?
Ghislaine: “We offer a masterclass a few times a year. In this, we explain the theory, but we also let the teachers experience a number of engaging teaching methods in the field of pronunciation for themselves.” Vivika: “The teachers who attend the masterclass effectively become learners again for a while, and it’s lovely to see how enthusiastically they respond and participate.”
Ghislaine: “Teachers can register for this on our website, and we can also offer the masterclass in-house if required.”
