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Artiste:
Hi MaineWriter!
Yes, there was a documentary on TV here lately about the two main cultural differences in Belgium.
It is maybe separation that is wanted by each? Seems not. Some or a few cities there are for bilingual ways or the two cultures to live together. Others want their ways only. Hard to say... what will happen!
Are you in that country right now MaineWriter?
Hugs!
MaineWriter:
--- Quote from: Artiste on November 08, 2007, 05:28:39 pm ---Hi MaineWriter!
Yes, there was a documentary on TV here lately about the two main cultural differences in Belgium.
It is maybe separation that is wanted by each? Seems not. Some or a few cities there are for bilingual ways or the two cultures to live together. Others want their ways only. Hard to say... what will happen!
Are you in that country right now MaineWriter?
Hugs!
--- End quote ---
No, right now I am in the city of Chicago, as a matter of fact.
L
belbbmfan:
--- Quote from: MaineWriter on November 08, 2007, 05:20:47 pm ---They interviewed a bunch of different people. One Flemish person talked about the stronger Flemish economy...very low unemployment and generating money through high tech industries. The French part of the country has 20% unemployment he said.
Then a French person came on and said, "Well, part of the problem is that the Dutch people won't learn to speak French," and I thought, huh? I know you speak French, Fabienne, and you told me your older daughter will start learning it in school this year...a few years before they begin English lessons.
They did talk about the very distinct separation of cultures between the Flemish and French and said that there are very few things that are bilingual...no bilingual universities, for example. Although they did say that Brussels (which is in Flanders, ie, Dutch) is a bilingual city.
Correct me if I am mixing any of this up. It was early in the morning when it came on the news!
L
--- End quote ---
Huh indeed. ??? Most Flemish people speak french (although not as well as let's say, a generation ago) but we still learn it at school. French is considered our second language.
In Brussels or Wallonia (the french speaking part of Belgium) most people (and certainly the politicians!) only speak french. Some (and unfortunately this is not a small minority) feel that Dutch (the language spoken in Flanders, are you still with me? LOL) is too difficult and spoken by too few people to learn and start learning English instead. It also has something to do with the perceived 'superiority' of the french culture. A lot of Flemish people are a bit tired of this attitude...hence the growing demand for a shift of power.
Artiste:
Thanks belbbmfan!
That is quite revealing and news to me, you are saying!
Why flemish so hard to learn?
Hugs!
belbbmfan:
hey Artiste,
I don't know why people don't want to learn Dutch. For us, we always have had to learn other languages. I wouldn't be on this forum if i didn't speak any English LOL! Because our language isn't spoken by many people, we NEED to learn other languages. If we go on holiday to Spain or Italy, no one is going to understand us if we only speak Dutch. So you learn other languages, without really thinking about it.
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