Language teaching in Belgian school

In Belgian school, is it compulsory to learn the language of the other Community?
French is a compulsory subject in Flemish schools?
Dutch is a compulsory subject in Wallonian schools?
And in Bruxelles' schools? Or in the German cantons?

In Switzerland it is compulsory to learn at least two national languages. In Luxembourg, how many? Three? :p

The UK is horrendous for learning Foreign Languages.

I don't think it is compulsory here in Belgium but many(if not all)schools have these thing as a standard in there programs.

In Luxembourg you have to learn French, German, English and Luxembourgish and don't forget the many immigrants. That takes it to 5 or more languages.

MCKitkat wrote:In Luxembourg you have to learn French, German, English and Luxembourgish and don't forget the many immigrants. That takes it to 5 or more languages.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

It's Letzebuergish

tommot wrote:I don't think it is compulsory here in Belgium but many(if not all)schools have these thing as a standard in there programs.

I asked because it seems that a lot of Belgian here can't understand French or Dutch

Well, i had french on my learning-program but i never remembered anything of it(i always received the worst grading's on french).

I never had dutch at secondary school (2 years in primary).

So it's not compulsory even if most people do take the other tongue as second language. The other usual choice is english.

Maybe that in the far east german is also a tongue usually taken, I don't really know^^.

In Flanders (not Wallonia/Brussels), you start with French lessons at the age of 10-11 (so last 2 years of Primary School), and you'll probably get french till you end school. English class starts at 1st/2nd year secundary school. You can have German, if you chose the right subject, f.e. Economy-Languages, Latin-Languages. But that's only from 3rd year secundary school.

You can also get Spanish, but that's only the subject Tourism that get that as far as I know.

In the Netherlands they get on primary school the last two years english.
Later they also get german and french.
Most people drop french because they find it to hard to learn.

MCKitkat wrote:In Luxembourg you have to learn French, German, English and Luxembourgish and don't forget the many immigrants. That takes it to 5 or more languages.

French, German, English, but also the very local language. Wonderful.
I love Luxembourg.

Jofroi wrote:
The other usual choice is english.

And the French speaking people are not very good at that either from what I can see, even at university. It may be related to the French issues with foreign languages, I don't know.

Procuste wrote:
And the French speaking people are not very good at that either from what I can see, even at university. It may be related to the French issues with foreign languages, I don't know.

Well, in the scientific areas of the university they're not doing it that bad ^^.

Procuste wrote:
And the French speaking people are not very good at that either from what I can see, even at university. It may be related to the French issues with foreign languages, I don't know.

For the dutch speaking (netherlands) it is just the way around they have very difficult to learn french and speak it well.

Jofroi wrote:
Well, in the scientific areas of the university they're not doing it that bad ^^.

Sweetheart... beware of that argument with me.


Cotarius, French is a tough language to learn - even for the French - so it's understandable.

Critically wrote:In Flanders (not Wallonia/Brussels), you start with French lessons at the age of 10-11 (so last 2 years of Primary School), and you'll probably get french till you end school. English class starts at 1st/2nd year secundary school. You can have German, if you chose the right subject, f.e. Economy-Languages, Latin-Languages. But that's only from 3rd year secundary school.

You can also get Spanish, but that's only the subject Tourism that get that as far as I know.

depends on the school
I knew some people studying languages that got Spanish as well, furthermore in my school everyone got german

Normally the school has a certain liberty for the 4th language, but dutch, french and english you will have