Our activities: turning the language inside-out.
The Taalunie represents the interests of language users in many different ways. Just two examples are its involvement in compiling dictionaries and grammars. It develops special databases and applications that can then be used for other purposes, for example to create translation software. The Taalunie also works to enhance the status of Dutch within the European Union. Another aspect of language promotion is teaching. Although the Netherlands, Flanders and Suriname each has its own educational policy, there are many areas in which they can usefully collaborate: continuing professional development, in-service training, and the development of common basic principles. The Taalunie targets not only primary and secondary school teaching, but also adult education and the teaching of Dutch as a second language. Outside the Dutch language area, the Taalunie supports Dutch language and literature programmes at university level and primary and secondary education in Dutch in the German border region, Northern France and in Belgium's Frenchspeaking community. Finally, the Taalunie encourages language-related cultural and literary cooperation, which takes many different forms. One important point of concern is the way in which information and documentation is compiled and made available, often on the Internet. Another focal point of policy is the position of reading and books in our society. Finally, the Taalunie awards a number of literary prizes, for example the Prijs der Nederlandse Letteren.Former achievements
- A descriptive grammar of Dutch (the ANS), the official spelling dictionary (Het Groene Boekje), a dictionary of pronunciation and various bilingual translating and learners' dictionaries
- The Taalunieversumwebsite, including the language advice service and the digital magazine Taalschrift
- An on-line library of Dutch literature (the DBNL)
- Human language technology (HLT): the HLT Agency (TST-centrale) manages and preserves key digital archives, for example the Spoken Dutch Corpus (Corpus Gesproken Nederlands), a database of contemporary Dutch as spoken by adults in the Netherlands and Flanders
- NL-Translex: a computerised translation system (Dutch-French, Dutch-English and vice-versa)
- Member of the European Federation of National Institutions for Language (EFNIL)
- Support for approximately 220 faculties of Dutch in 43 countries
- Courses for foreign students and teachers
- Certificate in Dutch as a Foreign Language (CNaVT, over 2500 course participants annually)
- Literary and educational awards: the Prijs der Nederlandse Letteren, the Inktaap, the Taalunie Toneelschrijfprijs, the Scriptieprijs and the Taalunie Onderwijsprijs
- Association agreement with Suriname
©
Nederlandse Taalunie, 2000-2008 alle rechten voorbehouden
Wegwijzer – Colofon – Contact – Vrijwaring – Opmerkingen en reacties
Wegwijzer – Colofon – Contact – Vrijwaring – Opmerkingen en reacties
