Aflezingen

Aflezingen is the plural form of aflezing, a Dutch noun describing the act of reading aloud from a text, usually a passage that has been prepared in advance. The term emphasizes the procedural aspect of reading from a written source, rather than spontaneous or impromptu speaking.

Historically, aflezingen were used as a formal exercise in education and religious services, where participants were required to recite a prescribed text before an audience or examiner. In contemporary Dutch, the practice is less common in everyday usage, and the verb voorlezen is often used for the general act of reading aloud; aflezing remains primarily found in prescriptive or historical contexts, or in specific institutional settings, such as classical schools, exam syllabi, or liturgical contexts.

In practice, an aflezing involves accurate reading of the text, correct pronunciation, intonation, and pacing, sometimes with emphasis on rhetorical features or interpretation as directed by an instructor or examiner. It may be assessed on clarity, fluency, and expression.

Related terms include voorlezen (to read aloud), lezing (lecture or reading aloud in general), and spreekbeurt (oral presentation).