Belgium is becoming multilingual « Euro Weekly News

It was in 1830 that Belgium became a nation in its own right and in some ways is one of the more unusual members of the European Union with citizens being either Dutch-speaking in the northern region of Flanders or French-speaking in  Wallonia in the south.

Two main languages of Belgium until now have been Dutch and French

Brussels has until now tended to have more French speakers than Dutch even though it is effectively surrounded by Flanders and every year, Dutch speakers ran a bicycle  race known as De Gordel in order to reinforce the Dutch language although French speakers often tried to disrupt the event.

Becoming one of the main Capitals of the European Union has seen a major linguistic change in Belgium since English is becoming a third language due to the number of Europeans moving to the city.

Add to that the number of migrants from other parts of the world who often start in Brussels but then spread to other parts in order to find work and cheaper accommodation.

Multilingual and multicultural

All of this is making Belgium a much more multi-cultural state although it also has to be recognised that some groups who have been traditional Dutch or French speakers may find themselves attracted by certain right wing nationalist groups.

According to the most recent survey of languages in the Belgian capital, French is not as popular while the use of English and Dutch has actually increased meaning that thanks to white collar migration, Brussels is now among the most linguistically diverse cities in Europe.

EU and associate organisations attract foreign workers to Brussels

It is not just the EU that employs so many people but other international organisations such as think tanks, consultancies and NGOs  continue to be created encouraging workers to move to Brussels.

Another survey suggests that there are now 104 different languages being spoken in Brussels alone.