New Dutch spelling rules meet with heavy resistance

THE HAGUE - Teachers and journalists throughout the country are ignoring the newest spelling rules as introduced recently in the so-called ‘Green Booklet.’ Calling the new rules ‘confusing once again,’ editors of newspapers and other periodicals, some book publishers and most Dutch language teachers refuse to use them. The guidelines officially will come into effect later this year. The most recent changes are variations, updates or corrections to the controversial 1996 overhaul of the official spelling. The ‘Green Booklet’ is published by the Dutch Language Union (Taalunie), consisting of the Netherlands, Flandres and (for the past few years) Surinam.