Dutch Conversation-Grammar 1732 Studios

Dutch · Unit 21

Unit 9: Ridders en Kastelen

Refresher Course, Book I

Ridders en Kastelen

201 lines

Ridders en Kastelen: the narrative

The narrative

Each unit of Book I opens with a short account of one side of life in Holland. The 1961 speaker reads it at the speed of ordinary speech.

Read each sentence, then listen to it. The English is beside it. The words of the narrative come back in every section that follows, so this reading is the ground of the unit.

  1. 1

    Centuries ago, the Netherlands were divided into small counties and principalities, and the castles of knights, counts and barons were situated all over the country.

    Eeuwencenturies
    geledensuffered
    wasto be (irregular)
    NederlandNederland
    verdeelddivided
    inin
    kleinesmall
    graafschappencounties
    enand
    vorstendommen,principality
    enand
    dethe
    kastelencastles
    vanof, from
    ridders,knight
    gravena count, counts
    enand
    baronnenBarons
    stondento stand
    overaleverywhere
    doorthrough
    hetit; the
    landland
    verspreid.spread
  2. 2

    Presently, only a few of those reinforced houses exist.

  3. 3

    Most of them have been destroyed, and they have deteriorated to ruins in the constant wars that harassed the country for centuries.

  4. 4

    The remaining castles are preserved with care and pride.

  5. 5

    They tell us a story of struggle and glory, a tradition of centuries.

  6. 6

    The most important castle is undoubtedly the “Ridderzaal” [i.e., Hall of Knights] that is situated in the heart of the Hague.

  7. 7

    Formerly the “Ridderzaal” was owned by the earls of Holland and it dates from the thirteenth century.

I. Narrative

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book I, Lesson 28: Ridders en Kastelen.

The section appearing as "I. Narrative" presents an account, read at normal conversational speed, of an historical or cultural facet of life in Holland, and is accompanied by both Dutch and English texts.
  1. 8

    Every year, according to tradition, the Queen officially opens parliament here.

  2. 9

    The castle with the oldest foundations is certainly the castle of Batenburg.

  3. 10

    Originally it was a Roman fortress.

  4. 11

    It is one of the most indestructible castles still existing.

  5. 12

    Time and again it was besieged and set on fire, but, again and again, it was rebuilt in its former glory.

  6. 13

    Few people know that the Netherlands possess a real mountain castle that is situated high above a ravine.

  7. 14

    That is in Valkenburg, in the province of Limburg.

  1. 15

    It was such a powerful castle, that even in the nineteenth century it was one of the strongholds of Holland against the French.

  2. 16

    Close to Alkmaar, the cheese city, are the ruins of the castle of the earls of Egmont who, for a long time, played an important role in the Netherlands of the Middle Ages.

  3. 17

    The walls are only one meter above the ground now, but they give a good impression of the vastness of the castle.

  4. 18

    It has been a ruin for four centuries.

  5. 19

    The Spaniards destroyed it when they conquered the Netherlands.

  6. 20

    Many castles are still in existence.

  7. 21

    You will not find them in the big cities, but mostly in small villages and towns with unfamiliar names.

  8. 22

    But once they were bastions of the knights that lived there.

Ridders en Kastelen: vocabulary, part 1 (1)

Vocabulary practice

These are the words and phrases of the narrative, one at a time, in the speaker's voice.

Listen to each one, then say it. The scorer on the device compares your reading with the speaker's and shows which sounds matched.

  1. 23

    graven en vorsten

    counts and princes

  2. 24

    het kasteel

    the castle

  3. 25

    verspreid

    scattered, spread out

  4. 26

    de woning

    the house

  5. 27

    nog

    still, yet

  6. 28

    sterk

    strong

  7. 29

    versterkt

    reinforced

A. Vocabulary Practice

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book I, Lesson 28: Ridders en Kastelen. Learning the Narrative, Part 1.

This part contains words and phrases which you will later hear used in the narrative sections of this unit. On tape you will hear the word or phrase in Dutch, then in English. You will immediately repeat the Dutch word or phrase on tape in the pause left for this purpose. The native speaker will then repeat the word or phrase in Dutch as a guide to good pronunciation before continuing with the new word or phrase in both Dutch and English.

Before moving on to the next part of this lesson, try doing the vocabulary practice again with your book closed.

Ridders en Kastelen: vocabulary, part 1 (2)

  1. 30

    vervallen

    to deteriorate

  2. 31

    de oorlog

    war

  3. 32

    teisteren

    to harass

  4. 33

    de zorg

    care, worry

  5. 34

    de strijd

    struggle, strife

Ridders en Kastelen: oral reading, part 1

Oral reading

The narrative's sentences come back in the book's variations: a change of tense, of case, of modifier. They build up to the sentence as the narrative has it.

Say each variation after the speaker. The sentence marked as basic is the narrative's own, and it closes the run.

  1. 35

    Holland was divided among earls and princes

  2. 36

    Holland was divided into earldoms and principalities

  3. 37

    Centuries ago, Holland was divided into small earldoms and principalities.

  4. 38

    The castles are spread out

  5. 39

    The castles were spread out

  6. 40

    They built the castles all over

  7. 41

    The castles were situated all over the country.

B. Oral Reading Comprehension

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book I, Lesson 28: Ridders en Kastelen. Learning the Narrative, Part 1.

The sentences of the narrative now appear in a variety of grammatical patterns to facilitate the learning process. Repeat each phrase or sentence on tape after the native speaker, building up to sentences which are contextually equivalent to those in the narrative. At the end of each quarter these sentences appear in their natural contextual sequence on tape and in the book. Repeat each sentence after the native speaker.
  1. 42

    The castles stand in the countryside

  2. 43

    The castles are spread out all over the countryside

  3. 44

    The castles are found spread out all over the countryside

  4. 45

    The castles were found spread out all over the countryside.

  5. 46

    The houses still exist

  6. 47

    The houses still existed

  7. 48

    The houses have still existed

  1. 49

    The houses are strong

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    The houses are reinforced

  3. 51

    Nowadays, only a few of those reinforced houses exist.

  4. 52

    The castles deteriorate

  5. 53

    The castles deteriorated

  6. 54

    The castles are deteriorated

  7. 55

    Most of the castles were destroyed and have deteriorated to ruins.

  1. 56

    Wars harass the country

  2. 57

    Wars harassed the country

  3. 58

    Wars have harassed the country

  4. 59

    The country was harassed by wars

  5. 60

    The castles deteriorated int the constant wars that harassed the country.

  6. 61

    The castles remain

  7. 62

    The castles remained

  1. 63

    The castles have remained

  2. 64

    The remaining castles were preserved with care and pride.

  3. 65

    They tell a story

  4. 66

    They told a story

  5. 67

    They have told a story

  6. 68

    They tell us a story of struggle and glory.

  7. 69

    Centuries ago, Holland was divided into small earldoms and principalities.

  1. 70

    The castles were situated all over the country.

  2. 71

    The castles were found spread out all over the countryside.

  3. 72

    Nowadays, only a few of those reinforced houses exist.

  4. 73

    Most of the castles were destroyed and have deteriorated to ruins.

  5. 74

    The castles deteriorated in the constant wars that harassed the country.

  6. 75

    The remaining castles were preserved with care and pride.

  7. 76

    They tell us a story of struggle and glory.

Ridders en Kastelen: vocabulary, part 2

  1. 77

    belangrijk

    important, significant

  2. 78

    ongetwijfeld

    undoubtedly

  3. 79

    het eigendom

    the possession

  4. 80

    vroeger

    formerly

  5. 81

    de zaal

    the hall

  6. 82

    het jaar

    the year

A. Vocabulary Practice

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book I, Lesson 28: Ridders en Kastelen. Learning the Narrative, Part 2.

This part contains words and phrases which you will later hear used in the narrative sections of this unit. On tape you will hear the word or phrase in Dutch, then in English. You will immediately repeat the Dutch word or phrase on tape in the pause left for this purpose. The native speaker will then repeat the word or phrase in Dutch as a guide to good pronunciation before continuing with the new word or phrase in both Dutch and English.

Before moving on to the next part of this lesson, try doing the vocabulary practice again with your book closed.

Ridders en Kastelen: oral reading, part 2

  1. 83

    The Ridderzaal is an important castle

  2. 84

    The Ridderzaal is a more important castle

  3. 85

    The Ridderzaal is a most important castle

  4. 86

    The Ridderzaal is very important

  5. 87

    The most important castle is, without a doubt, the Ridderzaal.

  6. 88

    The earls of Holland owned the Ridderzaal

  7. 89

    The Ridderzaal was a possession of the earls of Holland

B. Oral Reading Comprehension

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book I, Lesson 28: Ridders en Kastelen. Learning the Narrative, Part 2.

The sentences of the narrative now appear in a variety of grammatical patterns to facilitate the learning process. Repeat each phrase or sentence on tape after the native speaker, building up to sentences which are contextually equivalent to those in the narrative. At the end of each quarter these sentences appear in their natural contextual sequence on tape and in the book. Repeat each sentence after the native speaker.
  1. 90

    The Ridderzaal was in the possession of the earls of Holland

  2. 91

    The Ridderzaal was the property of the earls of Holland

  3. 92

    Formerly, the Ridderzaal was the property of the earls of Holland.

  4. 93

    The Queen opens Parliament

  5. 94

    The Queen opened Parliament

  6. 95

    The Queen has opened Parliament

  7. 96

    Every year, the Queen opens Parliament in the Ridderzaal.

  1. 97

    The most important castle is, without a doubt, the Ridderzaal.

  2. 98

    Formerly, the Ridderzaal was the property of the earls of Holland.

  3. 99

    Every year, the Queen opens Parliament in the Ridderzaal.

Ridders en Kastelen: vocabulary, part 3

  1. 100

    de grondvesten

    the foundation

  2. 101

    oud, ouder, oudst

    old, older, the oldest

  3. 102

    de oorsprong

    the origin

  4. 103

    Romeins (adj.)

    Roman

  5. 104

    belegeren

    to besiege

  6. 105

    in brand steken

    to set afire

  7. 106

    keer op keer

    time after time

  8. 107

    hoog boven

    high above

A. Vocabulary Practice

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book I, Lesson 28: Ridders en Kastelen. Learning the Narrative, Part 3.

This part contains words and phrases which you will later hear used in the narrative sections of this unit. On tape you will hear the word or phrase in Dutch, then in English. You will immediately repeat the Dutch word or phrase on tape in the pause left for this purpose. The native speaker will then repeat the word or phrase in Dutch as a guide to good pronunciation before continuing with the new word or phrase in both Dutch and English.

Before moving on to the next part of this lesson, try doing the vocabulary practice again with your book closed.

Ridders en Kastelen: oral reading, part 3

  1. 108

    The castle of Batenburg is the oldest

  2. 109

    The castle of Batenburg has the oldest foundations

  3. 110

    The castle with the oldest foundations is the castle of Batenburg.

  4. 111

    The origin of the castle was a Roman fortress

  5. 112

    The castle was a Roman fortress by origin

  6. 113

    Originally, the castle was a Roman fortress

  7. 114

    The enemy besieges the castle

B. Oral Reading Comprehension

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book I, Lesson 28: Ridders en Kastelen. Learning the Narrative, Part 3.

The sentences of the narrative now appear in a variety of grammatical patterns to facilitate the learning process. Repeat each phrase or sentence on tape after the native speaker, building up to sentences which are contextually equivalent to those in the narrative. At the end of each quarter these sentences appear in their natural contextual sequence on tape and in the book. Repeat each sentence after the native speaker.
  1. 115

    The enemy besieged the castle

  2. 116

    The enemy has besieged the castle

  3. 117

    They set the castle on fire

  4. 118

    They set the castle on fire

  5. 119

    They have set the castle on fire

  6. 120

    Time and again, the castle is besieged and set on fire.

  7. 121

    The mountain castle stands high above a ravine

  1. 122

    The mountain castle is situated high above a ravine

  2. 123

    Few people know that the Netherlands have a mountain castle that is situated high above a ravine.

  3. 124

    The castle with the oldest foundations is the castle of Batenburg.

  4. 125

    Time and again, the castle is besieged and set on fire.

  5. 126

    Few people know that the Netherlands have a mountain castle that is situated high above a ravine.

Ridders en Kastelen: vocabulary, part 4 (1)

  1. 127

    een hele tijd lang

    a very long time

  2. 128

    dichtbij

    close by

  3. 129

    te zien zijn

    to be seen

  4. 130

    al lang

    for a long time now

  5. 131

    de stad

    the city

  6. 132

    het dorp

    the village

  7. 133

    prachtig

    beautiful

A. Vocabulary Practice

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book I, Lesson 28: Ridders en Kastelen. Learning the Narrative, Part 4.

This part contains words and phrases which you will later hear used in the narrative sections of this unit. On tape you will hear the word or phrase in Dutch, then in English. You will immediately repeat the Dutch word or phrase on tape in the pause left for this purpose. The native speaker will then repeat the word or phrase in Dutch as a guide to good pronunciation before continuing with the new word or phrase in both Dutch and English.

Before moving on to the next part of this lesson, try doing the vocabulary practice again with your book closed.

Ridders en Kastelen: vocabulary, part 4 (2)

  1. 134

    de muur

    the wall

  2. 135

    een indruk geven van

    to give an impression of

  3. 136

    de burcht

    the castle

  4. 137

    het bolwerk

    the bastion, bulwark, stronghold

  5. 138

    de ridder

    the knight

Ridders en Kastelen: oral reading, part 4

  1. 139

    The earls of Egmont have played an important role

  2. 140

    The earls of Egmont played an important role for a very long time

  3. 141

    The earls of Egmont played an important role for a long time

  4. 142

    Close to Alkmaar are the ruins of the castle of the earls of Egmont who for a long time played an important role in Holland.

  5. 143

    It has been a ruin for a long time

  6. 144

    It has been a ruin for four centuries.

  7. 145

    You will find many castles in the cities

B. Oral Reading Comprehension

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book I, Lesson 28: Ridders en Kastelen. Learning the Narrative, Part 4.

The sentences of the narrative now appear in a variety of grammatical patterns to facilitate the learning process. Repeat each phrase or sentence on tape after the native speaker, building up to sentences which are contextually equivalent to those in the narrative. At the end of each quarter these sentences appear in their natural contextual sequence on tape and in the book. Repeat each sentence after the native speaker.
  1. 146

    You will find them often in the cities

  2. 147

    You will find them more in the villages

  3. 148

    You will find them mostly in small villages

  4. 149

    You will not find them in big cities but mostly in small villages and towns with unfamiliar names.

  5. 150

    The castle is big

  6. 151

    The castle is bigger

  7. 152

    The castle is the biggest

  1. 153

    The big castle is beautiful

  2. 154

    The vastness of that castle can easily be seen

  3. 155

    The walls give a good impression of the vastness of the castle.

  4. 156

    The knights lived in those castles

  5. 157

    Once they were the bastions of the knights that lived in those castles.

  6. 158

    Close to Alkmaar are the ruins of the castle of the earls of Egmont who for a long time played an important role in Holland.

  7. 159

    It has been a ruin for four centuries.

  1. 160

    You will not find them in big cities but mostly in small villages and towns with unfamiliar names.

  2. 161

    The walls give a good impression of the vastness of the castle.

  3. 162

    Once they were bastions of the knights that lived in those castles.

Ridders en Kastelen: check-up

Check-up

Two speakers put the narrative as questions and answers.

Answer each question from what the narrative said, then say the answer. Later sections ask the same questions without the text, so answer from memory where you can.

  1. 163

    How was Holland formerly divided?

  2. 164

    In what did the knights, earls and barons live?

  3. 165

    How many castles are still left now?

  4. 166

    Why did the castles disappear?

  5. 167

    It was formerly divided into small earldoms and principalities.

  6. 168

    They lived in castles which were situated all over the country.

  7. 169

    Only a few of those castles are left nowadays.

  8. 170

    Most castles were destroyed in the constant wars that harassed the country.

II. Check-Up

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book I, Lesson 29: Ridders en Kastelen.

The material of the narrative is now presented in still another form to assist you further in completely assimilating the narrative. You will repeat both questions and answers based on the narrative material after the native speaker. Do this section thoroughly since you will be expected in the sections that follow to answer as well as ask these questions from memory.
  1. 171

    What happened to the remaining castles?

  2. 172

    What is the most important castle that remained?

  3. 173

    Where is the Ridderzaal?

  4. 174

    For what is the Ridderzaal still used?

  5. 175

    The remaining castles are carefully preserved.

  6. 176

    The most important remaining castle is the Ridderzaal.

  7. 177

    The Ridderzaal is situated in the heart of the Hague.

  8. 178

    The Queen opens parliament in the Ridderzaal.

  1. 179

    What is the oldest castle?

  2. 180

    Why wasn’t this castle destroyed?

  3. 181

    Which castle was a stronghold against the French in the nineteenth century?

  4. 182

    Where was the castle of the earls of Egmont?

  5. 183

    What is left of this castle?

  6. 184

    The castle with the oldest foundations is the castle of Batenburg.

  7. 185

    The castle of Batenburg was destroyed and set on fire many times, but it was always rebuilt in its former glory.

  8. 186

    The Dutch mountain castle that is situated in Valkenburg in the province of Limburg was such a powerful castle that it was a stronghold against the French.

  9. 187

    The castle of the earls of Egmont was situated near Alkmaar.

  10. 188

    Only the walls of that castle remain.

Ridders en Kastelen: the dialog

A conversation to listen to

Two Dutch speakers talk about the matter of the narrative, recorded without a script.

Listen first with the text, then without it. The aim is to follow the whole conversation by ear.

  1. 189

    Say, I just came from the Hague. I attended the opening of parliament there in the Ridderzaal. I was very much impressed by the ceremony, but the building itself is very impressive!

  2. 190

    Yes, it’s a beautiful piece of architecture. Just imagine, it was built in the thirteenth century and is still standing in all its glory.

  3. 191

    It’s wonderful to walk through the halls of this building. It revives the romanticism of the time of knights and castles.

  4. 192

    Did you ever visit the other famous castles in Holland? The castle of Valkenburg, for instance?

  5. 193

    Oh, yes; that castle that looks out over ravine in Limburg. I was there last summer. It was very interesting.

  6. 194

    It’s a pity that all those constant wars destroyed and disfigured our castles. You can see what they looked like in old prints.

  7. 195

    Yes, that certainly is too bad. Those castles probably made up a large part of Dutch history.

I. Dialogue for Listening

DLI Dutch Refresher Course (1961), Book I, Lesson 30: Ridders en Kastelen.

The Dialogue for Listening section is for oral comprehension. The student should follow this section in his text, as he listens to it on tape, until such time as he can dispense with the text and understand everything from the tape alone.
  1. 196

    Oh, yes. Take, for instance, the castle of Batenburg. It was a Roman fortress. The castle was situated so strategically that it was always the objective for invading troops. Consequently, it played an extremely important role in the history of the Netherlands.

  2. 197

    I think it’s a good thing that the state restores those castles with state funds.

  3. 198

    That certainly is a good project. Unfortunately, there are many castles that are already hopelessly destroyed as, for instance, the castle near Alkmaar.

  4. 199

    Which castle is that?

  5. 200

    Maybe you know it under the name of the castle of Egmont?

  6. 201

    That’s a name that often appears in the history of the Netherlands. The earls of Egmont were one of the most influential families that ever lived in Holland.

The particulars

The course
Valette, Dutch Conversation-Grammar (1913) and its Key (1893); Defense Language Institute, Dutch Refresher Course, Books I to III (1961). Public domain. The teaching pages, the readings' English, the answers to the conversations and the narration are ours.
Reading aloud
Digital narration, directed by 1732 Studios.
The book
Max Havelaar, the work this course leads to, free to read here.
Data
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