Secondary school pupil from Haarlem wins 2023 Dutch Language and Culture Olympiad

Charlotte Schravendijk from the Stedelijk Gymnasium Haarlem has won the 2023 Dutch Language and Culture Olympiad. This year, the Dutch Language and Culture Olympiad was organized by the Dutch Language Profile Strengthening team of the University of Groningen. The finals took place in Groningen last Friday. In the finals, eight secondary school pupils from the Netherlands and Flander presented the research study that constituted their final assignment. The winner, Charlotte Schravendijk, investigated whether adults are less successful at learning a language if the language input contains errors. She hopes that her research will contribute to helping children with language development impairments to acquire language skills.

The Dutch Language and Culture Olympiad is an annual competition for secondary school pupils interested in Dutch language and culture. In February, over 750 school pupils enrolled for the qualifying round, which consisted of a written test with challenging language-related questions. The eight best pupils were selected to take part in the next round. Under the guidance of academics, they conducted a research study in the field of Dutch Studies.

Clear and engaging presentation

During a poster fair, the finalists presented their research results to a jury consisting of experts in the field of Dutch language and literature from the Netherlands and Flanders, from academia and professional practice. The jury praised Schravendijk for the scientific quality of her research as well as the exceptionally clear and engaging presentation. Charlotte received prize money, a book package, and an e-reader.

The second prize went to Maya B. Calem from Sint-Niklaas, who did research on genre differences between comedies and tragedies in seventeenth-century theatre. Theun Koning was awarded third prize with his study on anti-smoking campaigns among schoolchildren. Chair of the jury, Dr. Ninke Stukker, praised the winning posters: "They are a wonderful representation of the Dutch studies, encompassing the fields of linguistics, literature, and language proficiency.”

The prize award ceremony was a festive afternoon in celebration of the Dutch language. The afternoon included a guest performance by poet and performer Theo Danes, and an interview with musician and author Aafke Romeijn.

About the Dutch Language and Culture Olympiad

The Dutch Language and Culture Olympiad is an initiative of the universities of Antwerp, Utrecht, and Nijmegen. The hosting of the final round rotates. This year, the University of Groningen had the honour of welcoming the school pupils.