The Dutch language is in good shape in 2021.

Researchers come to this conclusion in a report published last month that deals with the state of Dutch. In front of the report – which has been published every two years since 2016 – researchers investigate which language choices people of different ages in the Netherlands, Flanders and Suriname make in various situations – in the immediate environment, work, education and on social media. Do they use Dutch? Or do they resort to another language? Or do they stay closer to home by using a dialect or regional language?

Changes

“By conducting this survey among the same respondents every two years, we can get a picture of any changes that occur over time,” explains Professor Frans Hinskens, coordinator of the research into the state of Dutch. And also this year some interesting trends are visible. “For example, when it comes to language choice on social media. We see there – and that is perhaps a bit surprising – that the use of English is decreasing, in favor of Dutch.” According to Hinskens, it can best be explained by glocalization: changes at the local level prompted by globalization. “Actually, it means the world is getting bigger and smaller,” says Hinskens. But how exactly does that affect the language used on social media? “Precisely because of the increase in scale, you see that people are becoming more aware of their place in the bigger picture and their identity. And for some, that includes their own language or dialect.” And that own language seems to be increasingly cherished on social media – the pre-eminent places where people display themselves and their ideas.

Education

A second striking change concerns the attitude of teaching staff and students at universities towards Dutch. “In recent decades, the use of English has increased considerably, especially at Dutch universities. But we are not only seeing English appearing more and more in research – where the use of English is still useful, because you naturally want your research results to be internationally available – but also in areas where you wouldn’t expect it so soon.” Like in lectures, for example. “We see that in our research this is not really getting any less. But at the same time, the attitude of teaching staff and students is changing. They are no longer convinced that in the academic setting it is useful in all situations to exchange Dutch for English.” In fact, people seem to be increasingly aware that it can actually be useful – also with a view to students who want to learn the Dutch language – to use Dutch. “For example, it is not necessarily useful for future doctors if they are taught in English, while most of them will soon have to help mainly Dutch-speaking patients. The same applies to case law; Dutch lawyers don’t necessarily have to be taught in English either.”

The fact that the attitude of students and staff in education is changing suggests that we may expect Dutch to regain ground in higher education. This could put an end to what Hinskens calls the “almost aggressive advance of English”. “We see that much more in the Netherlands than in Flanders, Brussels and a multilingual country like Suriname.”

Strong position

The researchers not only looked at the language choices people make on social media and in (higher) education; they also examined which languages ​​or dialects people use in other situations. For example in social traffic, at home or at work. However, it appears that not much has changed in recent years. “We see little or no major changes between the three measurement moments that we now have (2016, 2018 and 2020, ed.). Nor do we see any substantial changes between generations.” The latter is important, because it shows that Dutch is also unabatedly popular among young people. “Dutch has a strong position in all areas studied – including areas where regional languages ​​are spoken – and also in all sub-domains. Its use is certainly not tampered with in Suriname and Flanders, but also in the Netherlands. It’s only a bit of a mess in university education.” But even that is not a cause for concern for the time being. “Even there, Dutch is not really under threat,” emphasizes Hinskens. “At most, there is competition with other languages, especially English. “And I am confident that Dutch can hold its own there too.”

Dialects and regional languages

Unfortunately, things look a little less rosy for the dialects and regional languages. Where 66 percent of the Flemish people surveyed in 2018 still indicated that they speak a dialect – or something in between dialect and Dutch – in 2020 this was only 52 percent. And in the Netherlands and Brussels the percentage of dialect speakers also decreased from 46 and 29 percent to 33 and 24 percent respectively. According to Hinskens, the decline of dialects and regional languages ​​is based on several factors. But one of the main causes is that dialect-speaking parents no longer give their children a dialect. “That naturally raises the question of why parents don’t do that. And that often stems from the conviction that you cannot achieve much with a dialect and that Standard Dutch is more important.” After all, this is also the language of instruction in education, which, according to Hinskens, can be traced back to the French era and the nineteenth century. “Then the idea arose that a state is only a unit if one language is spoken. Everything that deviated from that language was seen as a threat to unity and that view has long had an effect, also in education, where Standard Dutch is still the language of instruction.”

deplorable

It is regrettable that dialects and colloquial languages ​​lose out. “There’s a lot of linguistic richness and diversity that evaporates like that. But it is also a great pity for the speakers themselves, because with their dialect or regional language, a part of themselves also disappears.”

rescue operation

Saving a dialect or regional language from destruction is difficult in the meantime. Not least because such rescue attempts have to come from within; from the community that always uses the dialect. But outsiders are not completely powerless, notes Hinskens. “You can support dialects, for example by making way for the spoken language in the media, government, the judiciary and education. In this way, from a social point of view, there can be more support and recognition for a dialect or regional language.” At the same time, we must also be realistic. “Whether the tide can still be turned is highly questionable.”

The future of Standard Dutch looks a lot more carefree. “Dutch continues to do very well in social traffic, on social media and at work,” conclude the scientists in their research report. Where parents do not pass on dialects and regional languages, they do so with Dutch. Even when Dutch is not their native language. “Even though not all non-native speakers think Dutch is an equally beautiful language, most do find it important that their children master it.” In this way, the future of our Dutch language in living rooms and classrooms is secured in passing. “When it comes to language choices, Dutch continues to occupy the most important place in social life,” concludes Hinskens. “And there’s no reason to believe that’s going to change in the short or even medium term.”