On September 29 and 30, the conference on Dutch as a Foreign Language (NVT) took place, organized by the NVT Network in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport Caribbean Region (OCW CG). The Curaçao Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport (OCWS) Van Heydoorn opened the conference, where teachers, policymakers, researchers, and education professionals gathered to share knowledge and insights about NVT within the multilingual Caribbean context.
Various speakers from Curaçao, Aruba, Canada, and the Netherlands shared their knowledge with the audience, and the presentations were considered very informative, current, and relevant.
What is NVT?
NVT stands for learning Dutch in an environment where it is not the language of communication, such as in the Caribbean. The goal is for students to use the language functionally and purposefully in their studies, work, and daily lives, while maintaining their multilingual identity.
Through awareness and deepening of NVT, more insight is gained into the correct didactic approach and how it can be shaped in practice. This contributes to future-oriented and suitable language education in the Caribbean, respecting the reality of students and teachers.
Purpose of the Conference
During the conference, this awareness and deepening were central: the goal was to develop a shared vision of NVT in the Caribbean context and translate that into educational practice and policy.
Theory and practice came together in concrete examples from the region. The participants mainly came from Curaçao, and Suriname, Bonaire, Aruba, Sint Maarten, and Saba were well represented. The NVT Network and OCW CG look back on a very successful event.
Maritsa Silberie, head of OCW CG, summarized the essence of the conference as follows: “Learning is a journey without borders; Dutch as a foreign language is the key that offers new opportunities.”
