{"id":629,"date":"2010-06-02T00:00:20","date_gmt":"2010-06-02T00:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/dutch\/?p=629"},"modified":"2010-05-12T19:20:21","modified_gmt":"2010-05-12T19:20:21","slug":"dutch-language-proficiency-exam-nt2-part-two","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/dutch\/dutch-language-proficiency-exam-nt2-part-two\/","title":{"rendered":"Dutch Language Proficiency Exam: NT2, Part Two"},"content":{"rendered":"

In my last post<\/a>, I explained a bit about what the NT2 exam is and where to go if you are living in the Netherlands and looking to learn the language.\u00a0 In this post I’m going to give you some tips about the four sections of the exam: listening, reading, writing and speaking.<\/p>\n

Listening<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the frustrating aspects of the listening exam is that it stops for no one.\u00a0 You’re listening to a conversation or a radio program, and suddenly there is a beep.\u00a0 Then there is a pause.\u00a0 During that time you will be answering a multiple choice question, AND reading the next question to prepare for what you are listening for.\u00a0 It’s a lot to do in a short amount of time.<\/p>\n

To prepare for this section of the exam, I found it most useful to listen to radio programs online (because I don’t listen to the radio usually) and to watch the news.\u00a0 Watching the Dutch news with Dutch subtitles also helps connect what I’m hearing with what I think they are saying.\u00a0 Try to get used to hearing the language spoken with a variety of accents.\u00a0 Although nothing particularly out off the ordinary shows up on the exam, it is not necessarily generic newscaster’s Dutch you will be hearing.\u00a0 You might find yourself listening to someone with a soft “G” or a harsh “R” and you need to understand it anyway.<\/p>\n

For a list of listening resources and how to use those resources, check out these posts:<\/p>\n

Learn Dutch : Dutch Television and Radio Resources<\/a><\/p>\n

Learn Dutch: Using Television and Radio as a Resource<\/a><\/p>\n

Reading<\/strong><\/p>\n

My best advice for the reading is to know what type of reading you need to be doing.\u00a0 You’ll be able to figure this out by looking at the reading material and looking at the questions before diving in.\u00a0 If you are looking at a pamphlet about a new job agency, where to contact them for information and information about the jobs they provide, you are looking at extensive reading.\u00a0 This means that it is NOT necessary to read every single sentence of the pamphlet to answer the questions.\u00a0 Look at the questions on the exam.\u00a0 They are probably more generic information questions.\u00a0 Don’t spend unnecessary time reading every detail or you will run out of time.<\/p>\n

Save your time for the intensive reading.\u00a0 These are articles that ask very specific questions about a news article or other written piece.<\/p>\n

The best practice with reading is…reading.\u00a0 A lot.\u00a0 As much reading as you can do.\u00a0 The wonderful thing about the internet is that there are a lot of newspapers in Dutch online.\u00a0 If you’re looking for resources, or help using those resources, check out our posts here:
\nLearn Dutch: Popular Dutch Newspapers<\/a><\/p>\n

How to Use Newspapers to Help You Learn Dutch<\/a><\/p>\n

Writing<\/strong><\/p>\n

The writing section of the exam can be quite tricky, if you make it tricky.\u00a0 Maybe you’ve heard this one before, but the best advice here is: K<\/strong>eep I<\/strong>t S<\/strong>imple S<\/strong>tupid (KISS).\u00a0 I know you might be able to form really long elaborate sentences with multiple dependent clauses, but this is NOT required.\u00a0 What the exam is testing for is 1. Did you understand the question and the context of the question. 2. Did you follow the directions.\u00a0 3.\u00a0 Was your answer correct in both grammar and vocabulary.<\/p>\n

Now, KISS doesn’t mean you should be writing only the most basic sentences possible.\u00a0 What KISS means is that you should write clear concise sentences that demonstrate that you can use the language.\u00a0 The less complicated you make it, the less chance for errors you will have.\u00a0 The longer and more convoluted your sentence becomes, the more likely you are to make a word order error.<\/p>\n

For practice, try writing short letters, descriptions of events, completing sentences in a work book, and emails.<\/p>\n

Speaking<\/strong><\/p>\n

Speaking was the most frustrating part of the exam for me (albeit not the section I got the lowest score on). (Ok, ok, if you’re curious, that was listening for me…)\u00a0 Anyway, the frustrating part of this exam is that it goes quickly.\u00a0 Very quickly.\u00a0 If you’ve ever taken a course in Zen meditation, this is the time to use those breathing skills and breathe.\u00a0 On the shorter answer section you only have about 20 seconds to respond, just enough time to cough out one or two sentences, and then you are on to the next question.<\/p>\n

Again, use KISS.\u00a0 Don’t make this more difficult than it needs to be.\u00a0 And remember if you should be using a formal or informal tense!\u00a0 If you are looking at a picture where a little old lady needs help crossing the street, you would most certainly ask her if she would like help in the most polite way possible.\u00a0 That means using the formal “U”.<\/p>\n

Of course, practice makes perfect.\u00a0 Try thinking of little scenarios in your head, like…you’re standing on the train platform and are curious if the train is coming late.\u00a0 What would you ask the gentleman next to you?\u00a0 Your neighbor has been playing the drums at one in the morning and you get up for work at 7.\u00a0 What might you say?<\/p>\n

One more note on the speaking section.\u00a0 Don’t be too informal, don’t use a lot of slang.\u00a0 Of course, the language on the street is not always the same, but what the test is looking for is proper Dutch.\u00a0 No swearing because you got mad at the computer, although it is tempting…<\/p>\n

Overall:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The best tool you can have in your arsenal is vocabulary.\u00a0 The more words you know, the less words you will have to look up in your dictionary (yes, you can use a dictionary on some sections of the exam) and the more comfortable you will feel in general.<\/p>\n

All of these sections sort of tie in together.\u00a0 Practicing one will help with another.\u00a0 The more you read, the better you will write, the more you hear, the better you will speak, and all combinations in between.\u00a0 Everyone has things they are better at, and things they are worse at, so find your strength and play to it, and find your weakness and work on it.<\/p>\n

And of course, the best of luck.\u00a0 Just remember that you CAN do this.\u00a0 This exam is not impossible to pass, it simply takes an investment in time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In my last post, I explained a bit about what the NT2 exam is and where to go if you are living in the Netherlands and looking to learn the language.\u00a0 In this post I’m going to give you some tips about the four sections of the exam: listening, reading, writing and speaking. Listening One…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3590],"tags":[2112,8803,8804],"class_list":["post-629","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-dutch-language","tag-exam","tag-nt2","tag-proficiency-exam"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/dutch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/629","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/dutch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/dutch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/dutch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/dutch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=629"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/dutch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/629\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/dutch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=629"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/dutch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=629"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/dutch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=629"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}