Reading and responding
Reading strategies for Dutch texts
The reading and responding section requires you to understand and interpret a range of Dutch texts: articles, advertisements, letters, literary extracts, and online posts. You must identify main ideas, supporting details, purpose, audience, tone, and implied meaning.
Concepts to understand
- Text types and conventions: Formal letters (e.g., Geachte heer/mevrouw), informal emails (Hoi), advertisements (imperatives, slogans), and informative articles (headings, subheadings).
- Cohesion and coherence: How sentences connect through pronouns, conjunctions (want, maar, dus, omdat), and lexical chains.
- Vocabulary in context: Deduce meaning from word formation (prefixes like on-, her-, suffixes like -heid, -ing) and context.
- Tone and register: Recognize formal vs informal language, irony, and persuasion.
- Cultural references: Understand references to Dutch/Flemish society, history, and customs.
Traps in questions
- Literal vs. inferential questions: Some answers are directly stated; others require reading between the lines.
- False friends: e.g., actueel (current) not actual, eventueel (possibly) not eventual.
- Words with multiple meanings: e.g., bank (bank/couch), meer (lake/more).
- Overgeneralization: Avoid choosing an option that is too broad or not supported by the text.
- Time management: Skim questions first, then scan the text for keywords.
Worked example
Text: Steeds meer Nederlanders kiezen ervoor om hun vakantie in eigen land door te brengen. Volgens het CBS komt dat vooral door de gestegen brandstofprijzen.
Question: Waarom blijven meer Nederlanders in eigen land voor hun vakantie? (Why do more Dutch people holiday in their own country?)
Rule of thumb: Locate the keyword waarom and scan for cause indicators (door, omdat, vanwege). The text says vooral door de gestegen brandstofprijzen (mainly due to rising fuel prices). Answer: because of increased fuel prices. Do not add your own reasons; stick to the text.