State languages ​​of Belgium. What language is spoken in Belgium

Belgium is a crossroads of trade routes between many European states- First of all, England, Germany and France. In addition, Belgian products are rightfully famous for their high quality. In Flanders (Northern District of Belgium), foreign trade has always occupied a priority place. That is why Belgian education provides graduates with such great opportunities.

Languages ​​of Belgium. Is there a Belgian language?

Many applicants have a question about what other languages ​​the inhabitants of Belgium use. Is it enough to study in this country to know only the Belgian language? In fact, in any educational institution in this country, education is conducted in English, French and Flemish. Educational institutions in Belgium for a long time hesitated, not knowing which standard of education to prefer.

As a result, in those districts where the French-speaking population predominates, the palm was transferred to the French system. In the same place where the Flemish language is more often used - Dutch. In fact, the local population does not use the Belgian language. Does he really exist? The answer will be negative. Here they communicate in English, German, French and Dutch. Also in use are the Walloon language and the Brussels dialect of Flemish.

What peoples live in Belgium?

For Belgium, the expression "One country - one people" cannot be fair. Here, the majority of the population is made up of groups of Walloons and Flemings. But the Belgian language is not used in this country. The Walloons communicate mainly in a dialect of French, despite the fact that the majority also speak literary French.

The Flemings use a Dutch dialect in everyday life. In fact, each Belgian village has its own dialect, so even within the same country, misunderstandings can occur between residents. Therefore, the Belgian language in Belgium is nothing more than a myth.

To receive you need to workplace in Belgium, you must be proficient in Flemish (Dutch) as well as French. You don't need to know Belgian, it doesn't exist. In fact, French-speaking Belgians have never been particularly enthusiastic about learning Flemish. The problem was aggravated by the fact that the Flemings always found it difficult to believe in this unwillingness of the Walloons to learn Dutch.

Do Flemings need Belgian?

Representatives of the Flemish part are sure that they speak native Dutch. But in reality this is far from the case. Their language is a collection of motley dialects, and they are so different from each other that a resident of West Flanders is unlikely to be able to understand a Fleming from the district of Limburg. There are no longer disputes about what the Belgian language should be.

Schoolchildren learn Dutch Dutch, which should have a universal function as a daily means of communication. Another difference between the Flemings and the real Dutch is their dislike for French. Instead of borrowed words of French origin, they try to use analogues from English or Dutch.

Walloon language

Once upon a time, the Celtic Vala tribe lived in the southern region of Belgium. Its inhabitants created their own version of the French language. This dialect was a bizarre mixture of Celtic and Latin words. Walloon is thus one of the dialects of French.

At present, pure Walloon is practically assimilated. The Walloons speak mainly French. Therefore, the question of where Belgian is spoken is not entirely correct. After all, the two ethnic groups living in Belgium, the Walloons and the Flemings, have their own dialects.

Brussels accent

In addition to Flanders and Wallonia, Belgium has a third administrative district - Brussels. Most of its inhabitants speak French. Currently, the most common is the Brussels dialect, which is spoken by the locals. It is interspersed with Spanish and French.

Usually the language is the main problem for visitors to any country, and in Belgium, the language takes on a special meaning, as it is a symbol of the self-determination of different communities. Foreigners coming to Belgium are much more likely to know French than Dutch; some of the guests traveling in Flanders suggest that by speaking French they are at least partly attuned to Belgian culture. It seems logical, but in Flanders they will most likely be asked to speak English.

Visitors to Wallonia are unlikely to encounter such a problem, although those who speak Dutch in the Walloon hinterland may stumble upon a wall of misunderstanding. In any case, only a small number of Belgians insist on the priority of their language to such an extent that it turns into impoliteness towards guests.

To an outside observer, questions of language can be quite entertaining. Very often Belgians talk to each other in some kind of neutral language, mixing French and Dutch words and adding English phrases to them.
Almost all announcements are published in two languages. Each community has its own National dishes, specialty beers and cheeses with names in French or Flemish (it is very close to Dutch). Official forms - they are filled in triplicate - must be printed in two languages. And sometimes even three, if you count German. The Eastern Cantons of Wallonia have a German-speaking community, which adds to the diversity of this mix of languages.
There is no such linguistic minority in Flanders, although part of the population of East Flanders speaks a dialect that the rest of the Flemings have difficulty understanding. In addition, most Belgians speak English. German is also widely spoken.

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Perhaps, for many tourists, one of the most important questions will be what is the official language in Belgium.

In spite of small area, in this Kingdom there are 3 official state languages. In addition, root uses a large number of other languages ​​and dialects.

. Its history is inseparable from the history of Europe as a whole. For a long time this territory was inhabited by people - carriers of various languages ​​and cultural traditions. Their descendants still live here. They are trying to preserve the ancient heritage.

Language for any nation is a means of communication and not only. It is a symbol of self-determination. There are many different communities in Belgium. Guests who come here in our time, French is most often heard on the streets. Second state language is Dutch. In addition, many here speak German and English.

For convenience, all signs, signs and guides are written in two or more languages ​​at once. So you can't get lost here. But when dealing with local population may have problems. Sometimes it is well audible that a person speaks, for example, in English, but it is difficult to make out something. The reason is in the peculiar pronunciation, which is characteristic of a particular dialect.

Commonwealth of Nations

The originality of the peoples living in this small country is expressed not only in pronunciation. Each community has its own national dishes or beers. However, most often they differ only in the name, which changes depending on which area you decide to try. a traditional dish or drink.

Brussels, the capital of the state, has its own capital district. Historically, Belgium is divided into 2 large parts: Wallonia and Flanders.

Wallonia and Flanders

Each of them is divided into provinces. It is easy to guess that both have their own language and dialects. The Walloon region is mostly French-speaking. Dutch is spoken in Flanders. But the metropolitan area often uses French and German in communication.

The situation that exists today in Belgium with the state languages ​​did not appear immediately. According to statistics, the French-speaking population is only about 40%. Most of the inhabitants are Flemings. But for a long time French was considered the state language, and all official documents, including the constitution, were also written in French. This was the reason for the antagonism within the country.

The Flemings have always used Flemish and Dutch for everyday communication. It cannot be said that everything was fine when they communicated with French-speaking compatriots. They argued in the communities a lot and often. The indigenous people of the country felt like second-class citizens.

The language of the Flemings over time, under the influence of education and other factors, became more and more like a set of different dialects. It took a lot of effort to bring it into line with literary norms Dutch language.

The Flemish Council for Culture decided that the language should be uniform, and the championship was given to the Dutch. It happened in 1973. And in 1980, it was the Dutch language that became one of the official languages ​​of Belgium.


In the eastern part of the country, the inhabitants use the German language. This is a small percentage of the population. Of course, they understand their neighbors from other provinces, but all TV shows, newspapers and radio programs are broadcast exclusively in German.

How to be a tourist

For those visiting this European country tourists disputes of philologists can be complex and uninteresting. It is important for them to see the cultural masterpieces left here by the ancient Romans and barbarians. In Belgium, as in any state of Europe, there are sights from the Middle Ages to the present day.

In order to make it convenient to navigate, the names of stops, hotels, shops and road signs are written in several languages.

If it is interesting to get to know the local population and appreciate the uniqueness of traditional culture, you need to know that in addition to European peoples, Belgian gypsies also live here. They are called Yenishi and Manushi. The first are French-speaking. Manush communication style is considered similar to the Swiss dialect of German.

In general, to visit the country it is enough to understand the language of international communication - English. Every Belgian studies it, starting from elementary school. All staff serving tourists, and just sellers in shops, also speak English. For the Kingdom of Belgium, this has long become the norm.

belgian shepherd tongues, belgian waffle tongues
Dutch, French, German

Regional

Walloon, Lorraine (Romance and Frankish), Luxembourgish, Champagne, Picard

Major immigrant languages

English, Turkish, Russian

Keyboard layout AZERTY
Provinces of Belgium

The main part of the Belgian population is made up of two ethnic groups: the Flemings (about 60% of the population) and the Walloons (about 40% of the population), who speak Dutch and French respectively. Along with them, the official language is German, used by the German-speaking community in eastern Belgium. English language, not being official, is quite widespread in Belgium. Minority languages ​​include the Yenish, Manush and Gypsy languages.

  • 1. History
  • 2 Language communities of Belgium
    • 2.1 Flemish Community
    • 2.2 French community
    • 2.3 German community
  • 3 See also
  • 4 Notes

Story

After Belgium gained independence in 1830, it was a French-oriented state, and the only official language at first was French, although the Flemings always made up the majority of the population. Even in Flanders, for a long time French remained the only medium and higher education. Dutch became the second official language of the kingdom only in 1873.

After the end of World War I, a movement for the self-determination of the Dutch-speaking population began in Belgium. There was a so-called "language struggle". It began to bear fruit in the 60s of the XX century. In 1963, a number of laws were passed regulating the use of languages ​​during official events. In 1967, an official translation of the Belgian constitution into Dutch was published for the first time. By the 1980s, both main languages ​​​​of the country were actually equal in rights. In 1993, Belgium was divided into federal regions. The only official language in the Flemish region is currently Dutch.

Despite the progress made, language problems still escalate tensions between the country's two main population groups. Thus, in 2005, the problem of dividing the bilingual electoral district of Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde almost led to the resignation of the government and a political crisis.

Language Communities of Belgium

Flemish community

Main article: Flemish Community Main article: Dutch in Belgium

The Flemings live in the five northern provinces of Belgium - Flanders (Antwerp, Limburg, East and West Flanders, Flemish Brabant), bordering the Netherlands, and speak the Dutch language and its many dialects. They make up the Flemish Community (Dutch. Vlaamse Gemeenschap) and have their own governing bodies in the field of culture and education.

french community

Main article: French Community of Belgium Main article: French in Belgium

Walloons live in the five southern provinces that make up Wallonia (Hainault, Liege, Luxembourg, Namur, Walloon Brabant), they speak French, Walloon and some other languages. They are united in the French Community (fr. Communauté française de Belgique).

Both major linguistic communities share the Brussels-Capital Region.

German community

Main article: German-speaking community of Belgium

The German-speaking community (German: Deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft Belgiens) is the smallest of the linguistic communities in Belgium. It is located in the province of Liege and borders the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg. It consists of nine municipalities, where representatives of the German-speaking minority live compactly.

see also

  • French in Flanders
  • Languages ​​of Brussels
  • Belgian language border
  • Belgian language benefits

Notes

  1. Daria Yurieva. Brussels felling cabbage. Russian newspaper(April 3, 2007). Retrieved 13 August 2010.
  2. We are definitely over 50,000. Counting the number of compatriots in Belgium
  3. Étude de législation comparée n° 145 - avril 2005 - Le stationnement des gens du voyage
  4. Officiel site van de Vlaamse overheid
  5. Federation Wallonie-Bruxelles
  6. Die Deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft

belgian shepherd languages, belgian waffle languages, belgian griffin languages, belgian beer languages

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