The hope is that students with a higher proficiency in Dutch are more likely to remain in Maastricht and the surrounding area after graduation, which is important in a region where it can be hard for businesses to attract employees. And more Dutch is also important in view of the heated debates about internationalisation and the increasing use of English in higher education.
At the moment, over 1100 internationals are following Dutch courses at the Language Centre, documents showed. For some 700 of them, it is a free course (subsidised by the university) in Social Dutch. On completion, speakers will have attained level A1, the lowest level on the European framework. Enough to manage day-to-day conversation, but not enough for integration (the government requires level B1) or a Dutch-speaking job.
Too expensive
The dropout rate is also high, about 30 per cent of students who start don’t complete the course, a report from mid-2024 showed. It is a point of concern, student member Milo Cheng responded when asked. “We are including this in our plan. We could ensure that language courses are better matched with the students’ timetables. Maybe charge a small fee, or award credits for completing a course.”
Of the students who do complete the course, many don’t move on to subsequent courses at the Language Centre. Despite a reduced fee of €300, it is too expensive for many, said Cheng. Their degree also takes up a lot of time, and language classes often clash with exam timetables and study groups. Even though, according to Cheng, internationals often do want to improve their Dutch. “To integrate and find a job”, according to a questionnaire filled out by 74 students. “A small number, sure, but it does give us an idea.”
Financial hurdle
Ilja Schreinemakers, director of the Language Centre, is pleased with the students’ initiative. What could the proposed plans look like? Language courses could be integrated into the wider programme, he said, an option which is currently being trialled at the Faculty of Psychology and Neurosciences. And the Language Centre timetable could be coordinated with the timetables from the faculties. Would that be possible across so many different programmes? “Yes, I think so. Experience has shown, where there is a will, there is a way.”
What about money from UM, to remove the financial hurdle for students? “If we organise the language courses better, and the university includes support for a number of languages in its strategy, then we could talk about it,” Schreinemakers said carefully. He has spent a long time arguing for more money for language education. Why would it work this time? “Because language education is seen less and less as a ‘must’, and high language proficiency is seen as something that leads to better course results and integration.”