Erasmus Dictation written by teacher Valerie Poore and EUR-philosopher Tim de Mey

The English version of this year’s Erasmus Dictation is written by Valerie Poore. She is author of several novels and freelance teacher and coach academic and business writing in English. EUR-philosopher Tim de Mey wrote the Dutch version of the Dictation.

The theme of this year’s dictation is bilingualism. So logically, the Dictation will be full of foreign words. EM asked Tim de Mey to show us some glimpse of what to expect. “Just like the Dutch and Belgian people have committed themselves to accommodate refugees, we should also do our utmost to open up to the use of foreign words in our language”, he said. “Sometimes foreign words can express something more accurately than the Dutch (or English) version, so it would be unlogical to ignore them. So yes, loanwords will be eagerly used in the dictation. “

Not a philosophical argument

Although a philosopher is not necessarily a poet, the linguistic qualities of De Mey are indisputable. For years, he was a columnist for Erasmus Magazine and last year he wrote a school book. De Mey: “But fear not, the dictation is not a philosophical argument; it does make sense.”

So if you excel in the English or Dutch language, sign up for the Erasmus Dictation. There will be some great prizes, such as an Oxford Dictionary for the winner of the English version and a  Van Dale dictionary for the Dutch version.

You can register via the website of sgerasmus.nl (only for students and staff of the Erasmus University Rotterdam).

The Erasmus Dictation is sponsored by Van Dale dictionaries.