Lezing met vragen uit de zaal

Lecture and Q&A: on multilingualism

C1 · Advanced · ≈ 27 min · setting: Utrecht, Amersfoort

Public lectures — in libraries, universities, and cultural centres — are very popular in the Netherlands. They are difficult to understand by ear, not because of the words, but because of the speaker's caveats: a C1-level lecturer almost never says “science has proven”. They say Sommige studies vinden …, maar … and Let op: dat gaat om gemiddelden. Listen to a lecture on multilingualism and questions from the audience — the topic is relevant to anyone raising children in the Netherlands in another language.

Question 1: what myth does the lecturer debunk first?
Question 2: what does she say about the vocabulary of bilingual children?
Question 3: how does she evaluate the “bilingual advantage”?
Question 4: what does she advise the father, and why is the school, according to her, partly right?
Question 5: how does she answer the question about dementia?

Lezing — Opgroeien met twee talen

Public lecture at the city library, followed by questions from the audience.

Ingriddagvoorzitter
Dr. Van Leeuwen
Dr. Van Leeuwen
Dr. Van Leeuwen
Dr. Van Leeuwen
Ingriddagvoorzitter
Tarik
Dr. Van Leeuwen
Tarik
Dr. Van Leeuwen
Ingriddagvoorzitter
Ellen
Dr. Van Leeuwen
Ellen
Ingriddagvoorzitter

Formulas for the lecture and answers

Who says what and why

Formula	Who	Function
Het woord is aan u.	host	hand over to the lecturer
Laat ik beginnen met …	lecturer	announce the first point
Dat blijkt niet te kloppen.	lecturer	debunk a myth
Wat wel klopt, is dat …	lecturer	state what is true
Sommige studies vinden …, maar …	lecturer	show that the data is debatable
Het korte antwoord: …	lecturer	essence first, then details
Dat wil ik zo niet zeggen.	lecturer	gently reject simplification
Let op: dat gaat om gemiddelden.	lecturer	caveat
Dan sluiten we hier af.	host	close the meeting

Formula	Who	Function
Het woord is aan u.	host	hand over to the lecturer
Laat ik beginnen met …	lecturer	announce the first point
Dat blijkt niet te kloppen.	lecturer	debunk a myth
Wat wel klopt, is dat …	lecturer	state what is true
Sommige studies vinden …, maar …	lecturer	show that the data is debatable
Het korte antwoord: …	lecturer	essence first, then details
Dat wil ik zo niet zeggen.	lecturer	gently reject simplification
Let op: dat gaat om gemiddelden.	lecturer	caveat
Dan sluiten we hier af.	host	close the meeting

The lecturer never avoids answering, but also doesn't simplify: to “so, the school is wrong?” she replies Dat wil ik zo niet zeggen and explains why the school is right. This is an example of a C1-level answer.

Lecture vocabulary

de lezingpl. lezingen
public lecture
de dagvoorzitter
host, moderator
hardnekkig
persistent, tenacious
in de war raken
get confused
uit elkaar houden
distinguish
afzonderlijk
separate
de woordenschat
vocabulary
schakelen
switch
terugvinden
to find again, to replicate (a result)
bescheiden
modest
de thuistaal
home language
gebrekkig
broken, imperfect
niet per se
not necessarily
de vertraging
delay, postponement
genuanceerd
nuanced, balanced

de lezingpl. lezingen	public lecture
de dagvoorzitter	host, moderator
hardnekkig	persistent, tenacious
in de war raken	get confused
uit elkaar houden	distinguish
afzonderlijk	separate
de woordenschat	vocabulary
schakelen	switch
terugvinden	to find again, to replicate (a result)
bescheiden	modest
de thuistaal	home language
gebrekkig	broken, imperfect
niet per se	not necessarily
de vertraging	delay, postponement
genuanceerd	nuanced, balanced

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Formulas for the lecture and answers

Lecture vocabulary

1. What the lecturer said