We are making a MOOC!

Hi everyone! My name is Gerbrich de Jong. Since March this year I have been working on a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) called ‘Introduction to Frisian language and culture’. It will enable people from all over the world to learn the basics of the Frisian language. The course is aimed at people with a strong interest in learning languages and without any prior knowledge of Frisian. It will give them a taste of the language that will help them survive in a Frisian-speaking environment. The main focus of the course will be on receptive skills like reading and listening.

The course runs over three weeks. After finishing the course, learners are able to introduce themselves and to talk about family, work and their studies. They learn these things by watching video’s, repeating sentences, making quizzes, joining discussions and studying wordlists. Besides that, they will get introduced to the landscape and culture of Friesland.

The video’s in the MOOC could not have been made without the help of many volunteering actors and actresses. Luckily, I found many Frisian-speaking people willing to help with this first Frisian MOOC. On the top you can see Albert and Rosa during their dialogue shoot. The other picture shows the audio studio in which the grammar parts were recorded.

Anyone interested in this first MOOC on the Frisian language can subscribe from July onwards. Don’t worry, we will remind you! The MOOC will be launched at the end of September 2016 and we hope to welcome many learners from all over the world!

By Gerbrich de Jong