Students at St. Joseph and St. Dominic primary schools put their Dutch language skills to the test in a fun and interactive way earlier this month, with the “Taalmarkt”, or “Dutch Village”, organised by coordinator Mariette Schrijvers.
The group 7 and 8 students were given a “passport” which tracked their journey and performance at different stands, where they held conversations in Dutch, practicing different everyday situations such as going to the doctor or a restaurant.
Students could choose any four of an available eight stands. These were the doctor’s office, a restaurant, the bakery, the hair salon, the travel agency, the toy store, the gym/sports field/pool, and the bike repair shop,
Welcoming them to each stand were eight Dutch-speaking adults, who acted as doctors, bakers and other professionals. The students would describe why they came, and hold a conversation with them in that setting.
Each stand was complete with props that helped them act out the scene, such as a stethoscope at the doctor’s office and hair products and a mirror at the hair salon.
Although there was a basic script, students had to get creative in holding the conversations, for example, saying where they wanted to travel to and why they were travelling; or describing symptoms to the doctor about what kind of pain they were having and for how long. Students filled in these details themselves, just like they would in real-life situations.
Extra points were awarded when students could hold the conversations without reading from their papers.
Practicing a foreign language in an interactive way is great practice for the future, when unexpected situations arise, and you can become more comfortable once it doesn’t feel so “new” anymore. You know the saying… “practice makes perfect!”
You’re also more likely to do well if you see how a foreign language can help you in everyday settings. It’s likely you’ll go to the Netherlands one day, whether to visit family, or to study when you’re older. Imagine that were soon; would you be comfortable asking for directions, ordering food, or meeting a new friend?
