Breakdown of Je moet voor de opleiding zowel veel lezen als vloeiend praten.
veel
much / many / a lot of
lezen
to read
praten
to talk
moeten
to have to, must
Questions & Answers about Je moet voor de opleiding zowel veel lezen als vloeiend praten.
How exactly does zowel ... als work here instead of just using en?
It translates to 'both ... and'. While you could just say veel lezen en vloeiend praten (read a lot and speak fluently), using zowel ... als strongly emphasizes that you absolutely must do both of these things for the program.
Why are the main verbs lezen and praten placed at the very end of the sentence?
This happens because of the modal verb moet (must). In Dutch, a conjugated modal verb pushes the main action verbs to the end of the clause. Since the conjunction connects two actions here, both infinitives (lezen and praten) end up at the back.
Why is zowel placed right after voor de opleiding?
The phrase zowel ... als wraps tightly around the specific things being linked. Because it links the two actions (veel lezen and vloeiend praten), zowel goes right before the first action. Putting it before voor de opleiding would imply you are talking about both this program and another one.
Can I use opleiding to talk about 'education' in general?