Say Something About Your Country :-)!!

[skypulse]

maximrace said:

Qwark said:

Home of the European Union too, although I don't know if that is something to be very proud of these days. Your beer and waffles are great, your chocolate bloody expensive. Your languages kind a odd since half of your country doesn't speak language A (Vlaams), but everyone is expected to know French.

I think most Belgians are proud Brussels is the home of the EU. I am :P

And so am I :D .

Btw, Qwark, 'Vlaams' isn't a language, it's still Dutch. Also notable is that the level of French the Flemish youngsters know is drastically getting poorer.

(the average score in French of Flemish students in the University of Antwerp was a drastic 35,9 % in 2013).

I don't know how Wallonia fares, but I believe I've read Dutch is gaining popularity, but is still however, and very sadly, not obligatory (they can choose between learning Dutch or English, Flemish kids get to learn atleast 3 languages).

On the other hand, bilingual students are on the rise in Brussels due to the popularity of Flemish/Dutchspeaking education and bilangual education, and the level of Dutch the frenchspeaking youngsters achieve is getting better because of that.
Basically, the argument that Flemish know French better then Frenchspeaking know Dutch, is getting quite eradicated by the younger generations. 

Younger generation I say, because what I've experienced with 'older' people, is the opposite (Flemish know French better).

Myself, as a Flemish 24-year old (but living in the suburbs of Brussels), barely know Flemish young people outside the Brussels' suburbs my age who are any good in French. I actually can count them on one hand. In the suburbs of Brussels however, there's lots of frenchspeaking youth who speak Dutch perfectly(because of their Dutchspeaking schooling). And lots of Dutchspeaking who can speak French quite well. The Dutchspeaking youth here is more Belgium-minded then Flanders-minded. Atleast, all the people I know here are. But I notice the complete absence of any frenchspeaking cultural influence beyond the borders of Brussels' suburbs. Young people I know in Antwerp, Ghent, ... simply don't get to use French or hear French and thus are not even slightly interested and not capable of the simplest conversation in French.

That's quite a shame. Bilinguality is something to be proud of. Especially here, cause every youngster gets the chance to be fluent in at least three languages (and that's even excluding German). Heck, I'm jealous of the perfect bilinguality of my frenchspeaking friends.