Language Research

GERMAN

German is spoken in 9 out of Belgium's 589 municipalities. These nine municipalities are part of the Walloon Region, which means that the German-speaking community has no autonomy in regional matters.

The German-speaking area of Belgium covers New Belgium (NB) and Old Belgium (OB). There are two districts in NB, Eupen, and the more southerly St Vith. There are three districts in OB: the area around Montzen, also known as the Welkenraedt Region (Old Belgium North), Bocholz with the villages of Deifeld, Urt and Watermal (Old Belgium Central) and the Arelerland on the Luxembourg border.

In New Belgium, German is the official language as well as the practical language of the territory. Local government is trying to establish bilingualism in German and French. According to sources, problems arise when dealing with the local authorities because the regional authorities are agencies of both the German community and the Walloon government. The ministries of the Walloon Region take little account of the need to prepare applications and forms in German for the German municipalities. Despite major shortcomings in this respect, it appears that the policy of the Walloon government has clearly altered in favor of the recognition of German in its Region over the past few years. As for education in NB, German is the (compulsory) official language of instruction as defined by the 1963 language laws. The five French-speaking schools or departments in this area are exceptions to this. Teaching in the first foreign language is also in French.

In Old Belgium, the only official language of the territory is French. One exception in OB is the area around Montzen where there is some "relief" for German speakers. In OB and the Malmedy areas, French is the medium of instruction in schools. Under certain circumstances, the child's mother tongue or language of habitual use may also be the language of instruction in nursery or primary schools in the Montzen municipality (Articles 3 and 4 of the Education Act of July 30, 1963). In the Arelerland, German may be the second language in primary education. (Article 10 of the Education Act of July 30, 1963)

Public announcements, communications and forms issued by these authorities are written in German and French in NB. Only German may be used in correspondence with individuals. The same applies to documents relating to individuals. Certificates, declarations and licenses issued to individuals are drafted in German or French, according to the wishes of the party concerned. For individual services such as telephone and electricity bills, German and French are used according to choice. In NB, German generally predominates in all service centers, while it is spoken only occasionally in the service centers of OB. Road signs in NB are bilingual in the northern part of the area, with French being used voluntarily as the second language. Official signs are only in French, while road signs in the area around Eupen are bilingual. In OB official signs are only in French.

Generally, the official language of education is the same as the official language of the linguistic region. Therefore, the official school language is Dutch in the Dutch-speaking region, French in the French-speaking region, German in the German-speaking region and, depending on the choice of the head of each household, Dutch or French in the bilingual region of Brussels. Some aspects of foreign language teaching are also governed by legislation on language. For instance, in the bilingual region of Brussels, the first foreign language in French-speaking schools is Dutch, which is compulsory, and vice versa. However, in the French-speaking and Dutch-speaking regions, students are free to select their first foreign language (Dutch, German or English).

The process of learning to communicate in a modern language other than French covers at least two periods a week in the fifth and sixth years of primary education. The French Community encourages the organization of language classes at the primary education level by allocating additional teaching staff to schools that apply. This additional staff amounts to over a hundred full-time jobs. In the Walloon Region, with the exception of those municipalities that are adjacent to the linguistic borderline, the modern language can be Dutch, English or German. Under certain conditions, a school may propose a choice from those three languages. In the Brussels Region, instruction in Dutch is mandatory from the third year for French-speaking pupils. It is taught 3 hours per week in the second degree (3rd and 4th year of studies) and 5 hours per week in the third degree (5th and 6th year of studies). It may include revision exercises on other subjects in the curriculum. Dutch instruction is optional in the first degree (1st and 2nd year) at a rate of 2 hours per week and only deals with the spoken language.

Top of page

Updated (February 2001)

LIMBURGER

In the year 2000 the Party of New Limburg in the Dutch province proposed to develop a written standard for the Limburger language in order to enable schools to teach it. However, this idea was rejected by a majority of the regional Parliaments because it would be unacceptable for those who speak other 550 varieties of Limburger.

The language is spoken by an estimated 2 million people in the provinces of Limburg in the Netherlands and Limburg in Belgium. In the Netherlands, Limburger has since 1997 been recognized by the Dutch government as a regional language within the framework of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. As a consequence the regional government of Limburg in Belgium also applied for recognition in Brussels.

While more than 70% of the people speak Limburger, only 1% is able to write the language. To introduce Limburger at school would require standardized grammars, dictionaries and teaching material. Although the Limburger language is widely used in informal domains, by musicians, at home or in the pub, speaking the language in the regional parliament in Maastricht is not accepted.

In 2001 the regional government plans to establish a Council for Limburger, following the example of a similar body for Frisian in Friesland.

Top of page

Updated (November 2003)

BROADCASTING IN BELGIUM

THE FLEMISH COMMUNITY

In the Flemish community, private radio stations must broadcast in Dutch, though exceptions to this rule can be granted by the regulatory authority. The Flemish Government may impose quotas on stations to ensure a greater use of the Dutch language.

Cable operators are subject to certain obligatory provisions concerning the Dutch language but also to some provisions allowing foreign-language broadcasting. Flemish television productions and co-productions must amount to at least 50 percent of the total programming between 18:00 and 23:00 on the public broadcasting channel.

A last category of private radio is cable radio, which is transmitted via cable (Flanders has high cable penetration) to the whole of the Flemish Community.

The public service broadcaster has six radio channels: five of them are for the whole of the Flemish Community (Radio 1, Radio 2, Klara, Studio Brussel and Donna. Radio Vlaanderen Internationaal (Radio Flanders International) is the VRT world service radio.

FRENCH COMMUNITY

In the French-speaking community, radio stations of the public broadcaster are required to broadcast at least 40 percent of non-classical music in French, except for the two thematic channels, which must broadcast 15 percent of non-classical music in French (annual averages).

At least 33 percent of television broadcasting time (excluding news, advertising, sports, etc.) should be carried out by French-speaking professionals.

Private radio stations must broadcast in French, but exceptions to this rule can be approved by the regulatory authority. Thirty percent of music broadcasts should be in French, of which 15 percent should originate in the French community.

GERMAN COMMUNITY

In the German speaking community, the promotion of the German language is provided for by law.

The German community has also a public service broadcaster, the BRF (Belgische Rundfunk- und Fernsehzentrum der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft). Since it is a rather small community, the television service from the BRF is limited to a daily news program. The radio station broadcasts 24 hours a day. The Media Decree of April 26, 1999 provides for local radio broadcasting.

MINORITIES

The policy on minorities is also under the competence of the Communities. The main Decree in Flanders is the Minorities Decree (Minderhedendecreet) of July 14, 1998. The main purpose of the Flemish policy is to give to those, who settled legally in Belgium, the opportunities to be a valuable member of society. For those, whose stay is only temporary, it guarantees full respect of their basic human rights.

In the French Community, the Department for Social Action and for Immigrants (Division de l'Action Sociale et des Immigrés) supports several actions and services aimed at the social integration of foreigners (eg. literacy courses, socio-professional integration, etc.).

Special broadcasting programs for immigrant workers or for ethnic and cultural minorities have diminished in the past few years. The programs such as "Babel" and "Couleur Locale" have disappeared from the Flemish public broadcasting channels. On several occasions, the Center for Equality of Chances and the Struggle against Racism have requested a more active media policy with regard to the representation of the multicultural society.

On April 19, 2002 the Flemish Government rejected a proposal of the Flemish Minister for Welfare and Equality of Chances to start up a television channel broadcasting specifically for minorities and immigrants (especially for Turks and Moroccans). According to the Flemish Government, such a channel with the programs only for minorities would be dysfunctional for the social and cultural integration of minority groups. Some sources feared that it could lead to "apartheid television" or "ghetto broadcasting."

The Flemish Minister for the Media was asked to elaborate a plan for a better implementation of VRT's duties under Article 8 of the Flemish Broadcasting Decree and under the Executive Agreement 2002-2006 between the VRT and the Flemish Government. According to this agreement the VRT (the public broadcasting organization) must be developed as a factor for social cohesion and integration of all individuals, being attentive to the needs of minority groups. The Minister has requested the VRT to work out a plan how to fulfill more substantially this part of its mission.

Source: Minority-language Related Broadcasting and Legislation in the OSCE, Program in Comparative Media Law and Policy (PCMLP), Center for Socio-Legal Studies, Wolfson College, Oxford University & Institute for Information Law (IViR) (http://www.ivir.nl/index-english.html), Universiteit van Amsterdam (Study commissioned by the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities), April 2003, edited by T. McGonagle (IViR), B. Davis Noll & M. Price (PCMLP), http://www.ivir.nl/publications/mcgonagle/Minority-language%20broadcasting.pdf

Top of page

Updated (October 2007)

INCREASING USE OF ENGLISH

According to a study conducted by the Francophone University of Louvain–La–Neuf, it is English, not Dutch, which has become the second language of French speakers in Wallonia and Brussels.

Similarly in Flanders, English as a second language is gaining ground on French although French is still the second language. According to the study, the best French is spoken in the provinces of West Flanders and Flemish Brabant.

Source: VRT Nieuws.com, September 25, 2007 http://www2.vrtnieuws.net/cm/flandersnews.be/News/1.185713

Top of page

Updated (October 2007)

INCREASING USE OF ENGLISH

According to a study conducted by the Francophone University of Louvain–La–Neuf, it is English, not Dutch, which has become the second language of French speakers in Wallonia and Brussels.

Similarly in Flanders, English as a second language is gaining ground on French although French is still the second language. According to the study, the best French is spoken in the provinces of West Flanders and Flemish Brabant.

Source: VRT Nieuws.com, September 25, 2007 http://www2.vrtnieuws.net/cm/flandersnews.be/News/1.185713

Top of page