As of recently, there has been a declining interest in learning German language and culture amongst secondary school students in the Netherlands.
Learning the German language has been very common — not to mention required — in most Dutch schools throughout the decades. But it’s becoming increasingly less popular with Dutch students, says De Volkskrant.
It’s no secret that, for most Dutch people, German is easier to learn than other languages, considering that the two languages share similar words, like waarom (why?) and “warum”, or ik ben (I am) and “ich bin”.
READ MORE | Learning Dutch for the first time: how Dutch is ruining my German
In spite of this, fewer Dutch students have German on their final list of subjects when finishing their secondary education.
Numbers are at a 10 years low
In total, about 56,000 students will take the German exam this month, which is the lowest number in 10 years.
However, the number of German final exam candidates haven’t dropped too drastically. This year, 30% of Dutch students will take the German exam, whereas in 2018 it was 33%.
At this point in the school year, some students have already completed their German final exams, but will still have to do it in pre-vocational secondary (VMBO) and pre-university education (VWO).
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During German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit with Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, he criticised the fading interest in the German language, reports De Volkskrant.
Spanish is more popular than German
Another reason behind Dutch students’ lack of interest in learning German is due to their increasing desire to learn Spanish, especially in pre-university education. (“Dios mío!”) 😮
This year, about 4,500 students will take the Spanish final exam. Students are also still in favour of keeping the French language as a top priority to learn within Dutch schools.
What do you think of Dutch students not wanting to learn German? Tell us in the comments below!
