BELGIUM I

Brussels is a very international city for this reason you hear several different languages every day. Not only the common ones, there are languages like Arabic, Japanese or Spanish. When I went to play football once, there were 14 of us and no one came from the same country as the others.

Three languages are spoken in Belgium. The country comprises the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north, French-speaking Wallonia in the south and a German-speaking community in the east. Brussels is right in the middle between Wallonia and Flanders for this reason the city is bilingual. The French speaking part is much bigger than the Dutch speaking part. For me, however, English is the main language of Brussels because all people from different countries can communicate in this language.

Most people who work in shops or public offices can only speak French. I had five years of French at school, and after those five years I didn't do too badly. But I have never used the language since then, and I don't really like French either. However, my basic knowledge was very helpful in certain situations, and I was able to improve my French a bit. I find it amazing that I am still a bit proficient in French even after such a long break. I can't speak much French yet but I can at least order something in a restaurant or bar. Or if I'm doing my weekly shopping and someone asks me a simple question, I can answer it.

In my circle of friends, which consists of international students, we only speak English. Sometimes, however, I enjoy speaking my mother tongue when I'm out and about with a German or Swiss. Sometimes it's funny because you're so immersed in English and even use English words while speaking German.

I am going to a Dutch University. For this reason, nearly every teacher is Dutch speaking. A lot of students are from the Netherlands or from Flanders. It is hard to make Dutch friends because they just speak Dutch with each other. The international students are in their own “bubble” in this university. All the courses that I attend are in English. At the beginning it was difficult for me to understand everything because they have a very strong Dutch accent when speaking English. But after some weeks I can understand everything and I think that I improved my English a lot. This time in Brussels has done more for my English than the 10 years I had English at school before. In my opinion, to learn a language properly, you simply must live for a while in the country where the language is spoken.

In my first week I attended a Dutch class because I really like the Dutch language and I wanted to learn it. However, when my university became stricter, I dropped the Dutch class again, as I don't get much added value from being able to speak Dutch. Only about 17 million people can speak Dutch and most of those who can speak Dutch are also good at English.

I find it amazing how few words you need to know to be able to communicate. With hands and feet, it's usually clear what's meant. For the future, I plan to learn Spanish, then I'll be able to communicate almost everywhere in the world. Some days ago I read a quote: “When you learn a language, you expand your horizons by breaking new ground.” This quote fits perfectly with my semester abroad, because my language skills have enabled me to have all these wonderful experiences.

Ramon Mattle, November 2021