LL-L "Language choice" 2004.09.01 (07) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 01.SEP.2004 (07) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Roger Thijs, Euro-Support, Inc. <roger.thijs at euro-support.be>
Subject: Language politics

I don't want to restart a political discussion about Brussels.
People have their opinions.
Just some observations.

I had 2 jobstudents from downtown Brussels, during the month of August, for
cleaning up a spare parts warehouse at Brussels airport.

One from North African descent, having been always in Brussels French
language schools. Nice fellow, but his knowledge of Dutch, after having it
had for so many years in school as second language, was zero.

The second was Frenchman from the dept. des Voges in France. His father
worked in Brussels for a while, but is now asigned to a job in Madagascar.
The kid speaks perfectly Dutch. His parents did not put him in the Brussels
French language school system but in the Dutch language network.
So he did several years of secondary school in Dutch. He just finished his
first year of geology at Brussels University, French section, ULB, but
didn't loose his perfect knowledge of Dutch.

About 100 years ago upperclass Brabantish people preferred French language
schools for their kids. That movement appears to be reversing. The motives
are not necessarely love for the Dutch language, but may also be escape from
a French language school system with a very strong presence of immigrants.

Regards,
Roger

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