- Caught between norms: The English pronunciation of Dutch learners by Monique van der Haagen
In Dutch schools, the model of English used in foreign language classes has traditionally been and still is Received Pronunciation (RP). In spite of this, it is quite reasonable to assume that Dutch youngsters have been exposed—outside of the classroom—to a considerable amount of American English and that this may be evident in their usage of English, especially when they are not paying attention to the ‘classroom correctness’ of their pronunciation. Such is the research topic of this book, which is based on a questionnaire filled out by and an interview of native Dutch speakers in a representative sample of seniors in the Dutch secondary school system. Depending on the course of study, the subjects are typically either sixteen or eighteen years old.
Van der Haagen lists five closely related research questions in her introduction and provides clear answers to each one in the following four chapters. In the conclusion, she summarizes her results and invites the reader to examine whether the RP model is indeed what should be taught exclusively at Dutch schools. Her results are hardly surprising and confirm the expectations. It is indeed true that American English features show up in the speech of Dutch learners, and it is also true that Dutch learners have a positive attitude toward Americans and things American. Given the overwhelming presence in the Netherlands of American pop music in record stores, of talk shows, soaps, and sitcoms on TV, and of movies in theaters, these can hardly be called astonishing results.
In the conclusion, VH raises the question whether Dutch schools should consider teaching more than just the RP model to their students, admitting that she is not the first to bring up the question. Teachers, to a large extent, seem to be in favor of the RP model. Among the chief reasons for this, according to the author, is the fact that they were educated to develop fluency in RP. She never questions whether the teachers really do speak RP as they claim they do. In addition, she does not address why the teachers, especially the younger ones, supposedly remained immune to American English influence, unlike their students.
This book has a limited audience; I would recommend it to sociolinguists interested in carrying on similar research in countries other than the Netherlands. The ten-page conclusion may be relevant to teachers of English as a foreign language in non- English speaking countries.