Dutch Institute offers summer courses about language, Anne Frank

Far from windmills and wooden shoes, roughly a dozen students will be on campus this summer immersing themselves in Dutch language and culture through the Summer Dutch Institute.\nThe program, an intensive introduction to society of the Netherlands, consists of two sequential language courses and a culture course, said Fritz Breithaupt, West European Studies director. All of the classes are taught during Summer Session I, from May 10 to June 16 on the Bloomington campus.\nThe culture class, titled "Anne Frank in Perspective," examines the young Holocaust victim and her writings through the lenses of history, culture and literature, said SDI Director and Professor Esther Ham, a native Dutch speaker.\n"You learn much more than, 'How do you say this?'" Ham said. "SDI is an ideal way to learn a language quickly. It's a shower in Dutch in six weeks."\nLearning the language is necessary for understanding the culture, she added.\nSDI returns to IU this summer after bouncing from school to school in recent years. The Department of Germanic Studies and West European Studies will co-host the program. SDI was first held at IU in 2000, said John Lary, graduate student and SDI assistant to the director.\n"(SDI) is a collaborative project among universities in the Midwest," Lary said. "Presently (its location) is alternating between IU and the University of Minnesota."\nThe two schools are revamping the program this year, Breithaupt said.\n"Each year it's been organized a little bit differently," he said. "We're trying to figure out a new model that really works so that it can be done over and over again."\nSDI keeps afloat because it receives federal Title VI grant funds via West European Studies.\n"Incidentally, the mission of Title VI is to support less commonly taught language instruction such as Dutch in American universities," Lary said.\nAll SDI students pay in-state tuition for the program because of the funding from Title VI, he said.\nMost students who enroll in SDI are undergraduates from IU or Minnesota, Ham said, but both undergraduate and graduate students from all over the United States are free to take advantage of the program.\n"Everybody could benefit from it," she said with a grin.\nOn average, only about 10 to 15 students enroll in SDI each year, Ham said. \nHowever, this size works toward the advantage of the students involved, Breithaupt said.\n"The best way to learn any subject matter is in an intense, small group where many people will have good reason to study it and will be really devoted to it," he said.\nWhile no undergraduate Dutch major exists at IU, students can minor in the subject, Ham said. \nLearning Dutch can add value to a degree in any of a wide array of subjects, she said.\nBreithaupt agreed.\n"If you have specialized knowledge of one country, that will help in any field," he said. "We have professors here who study the Netherlands in different disciplines. Sociology, journalism, art, history -- you can make Holland a major topic of your work, no matter what (your) field."\nThe Dutch language can be a special asset in business, Breithaupt added.\n"It's a real skill in the business world," he said. "Many Dutch companies do business with America, and the language (provides) real training that will set you apart." \nUndergraduates may study Dutch for other reasons as well, Lary said, but the end result is just as beneficial.\n"Amsterdam is a very popular city known for its tolerance, sub-cultures and overall vibrancy, and Antwerp is a very beautiful city as well," he said. "Even learning a small amount of Dutch makes your experience of such places much more meaningful."\nPlanners of this year's SDI don't conceal their excitement for the program.\n"This is learning at its best," Breithaupt said. "How learning should always be: focusing on one subject matter at a time."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Kate FitzGerald at kafitzge@indiana.edu.