Only standard Dutch in the second language classroom? Consequences for newcomers

Newcomers settling in Flanders experience a strong contract between the standard language advocated in policy and education on the one hand and the multitude of non-standard language use and other languages they encounter in daily interaction on the other hand: (1) Flemish integration and language-in-education policy documents propagate Standard Dutch as the only acceptable language variety. In line with a European trend (Pulinx e.a. 2014), mastering the national language is increasingly considered to be a conditio sine qua non for successful participation in Flemish society (De Wilde e.a. to appear; Jaspers 2012). The importance attached to Dutch language competence goes hand in hand with the preference and perceived superiority of Standard Dutch, the official language variety in Flanders (see Jaspers & Van Hoof 2013 on the standard language climate). As a consequence, Dutch as a second language classes are tailored to the instruction of Standard Dutch. (2) However, the insistence on Standard Dutch in education differs strongly from everyday spoken encounters where Standard Dutch is rarely attested (De Caluwe 2009). On an intralingual level, Flanders is characterised by abundant non-standard language use: either, but less and less, dialect, or tussentaal, an often used umbrella term for language use situated between Standard Dutch and the dialects. Next to intralingual language variation, Flanders also has a strong presence of other languages (e.g. French, to name but one). During my talk I will elaborate on the impact of this contrast between policy and language use for L2 learners of Dutch. In specialist and non-specialist literature, indications are given that learners do not understand native speakers (Bolten 2004), that they often lack the appropriate language proficiency for the job market (Jaspers 2012) and that they are not prepared for the receptive demands of academic studies (Deygers to appear). Teachers in and outside the Dutch language area are confronted with unsatisfied students who are giving their teachers the impression they are teaching them 'the wrong language' (cf. Diepeveen & Hüning 2013 on the importance of 'tussentaal' in preparing their students for a stay in Belgium). I will critically discuss the discourse on second language education, and I will end my talk with a plea not to overlook the impact of the contrast between policy and language use on L2 learners.

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