Certificaat Nederlands als Vreemde Taal (CNaVT)

CNaVT (Certificaat Nederlands als Vreemde Taal, Dutch as a Foreign Language Certificate) is a government-subsidised non-profit organisation that was founded in 1975 and is affiliated with the Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven) in Belgium and the University of Amsterdam (UvA) in the Netherlands. In 1985, the CNaVT was placed under the auspices of the Nederlandse Taalunie, an organisation supported by both the Flemish Ministry of Education and the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. The Nederlandse Taalunie focuses on strengthening the international position of the Dutch language by creating an infrastructure for a joint language policy, and by integrating the Dutch-speaking people in the Netherlands with the Dutch speaking (Flemish) community in Belgium in all areas that relate to the Dutch language. Within this framework, the objectives of the CNaVT are to design and develop proficiency tests in Dutch as a foreign language, to develop and maintain a databank of tests and test tasks for use by teachers of Dutch as a foreign language, and to conduct research to provide these tests with a scientific basis. All tests are composed centrally by the CNaVT staff located at the Centre for Language and Migration (CTM) at KU Leuven, and the Leerstoel Tweedetaalverwerving at the University of Amsterdam. The two institutes also jointly organise and administer the tests.

The Dutch as a Foreign Language Certificate is being closely tailored to the needs of its target group. Various certificates are issued relevant to the minimum levels of proficiency that candidates require to function within the various fields of knowledge or situations in which they need to use Dutch. One person, for example, might need a CNaVT certificate to qualify for a job in Dutch-speaking Belgium or the Netherlands or for working at a Dutch-speaking firm. Another person’s needs might involve attending an educational programme given in Dutch. And someone else might have family or friends in Dutch-speaking Belgium or the Netherlands with whom he/she wants to communicate.

An important factor in creating socially relevant certificates is to make sure that they meet the language needs of the target group as well as the language requirements of society. These needs have been inventoried and analysed by means of a needs analysis. Although the number of situations and fields of knowledge in which people want to function and use Dutch is almost endless, the new CNaVT has categorised the fields of knowledge and situations into clusters indicated by the target group as being important.

The CNaVT offers examinations for six separate socially relevant profiles:

Profile for Tourist and Informal Language Proficiency (PTIT)

Profile for Language Proficiency in Practical Professions (PTPB)

Profile for Social Language Proficiency (PMT)

Profile for Professional Language Proficiency (PPT)

Profile for Language Proficiency in Higher Education (PTHO)

Profile for Academic Language Proficiency (PAT)

For each of these profiles, final objectives have been defined that describe the minimum level of language proficiency required to function in that particular profile. Based on these final objectives, an examination is being developed for each profile. If a candidate passes that examination, he/she receives a certificate for that profile.

Administration of the examinations will take place once a year. Local centres where the examinations will be given will receive subscription forms in January, and candidates can register up to eight weeks before the examination date. It is the responsibility of these centres to make sure that registrations reach the CNaVT by March 15. The examination will take place during the first two weeks of May at which time the examination papers will be sent to the local examination centres. Results will be sent to the centres approximately eight to ten weeks after the examination. Certificates will be issued two weeks later. These certificates can be sent to the centre or directly to the individuals who have passed the examinations.

For any further information regarding CNaVT examinations:

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven / Universiteit van Amsterdam
Secretariat
Certificaat Nederlands als Vreemde Taal
Blijde-Inkomststraat 7
B-3000 Leuven
België
Tel +32 (0) 16 32 55 16
Fax +32 (0) 16 32 55 12
E-mail cnavt@arts.kuleuven.ac.be
Internet www.cnavt.org