Plan to get more people speaking Dutch in Brussels

The Flemish government has announced the launch of a "ToTaalplan" to encourage the development of Dutch-language skills in Brussels.

“People who speak other languages have too few opportunities to practise Dutch in Brussels,” Flemish minister for Brussels Cieltje Van Achter (N-VA) said. “These initiatives should remedy that.”

Van Achter also believes the government should be more assertive in safeguarding the language rights of Flemish people, ensuring they have access to bilingual services.

Some of the plan’s initiatives, such as extra language support in childcare, were already known. Others are new, such as a buddy programme run by the student service Brik, which will link French-speaking young people in their final year of secondary education with Flemish students studying in Brussels.

Also new are hospitality campaigns to make Dutch more visible, an "inspiration school" where good practices are developed to raise the level of Dutch, a framework for the use of Dutch in the playground, extra language holiday activities for pre-schoolers, an overview of where one can easily find Dutch-speaking services in Brussels and a call for new language projects to learn Dutch.

The aim is to encourage Brussels residents to learn, practise and use Dutch more frequently.

“All too often, I hear from non-Dutch speakers that they have so little opportunity to practise their Dutch in Brussels, yet we have such a strong Dutch-speaking network here – let's make full use of that network,” said Van Achter.

“Flemish people tend to switch to French or English quite quickly. But you have to be patient and give non-native speakers a chance to practise Dutch.”

Currently, organisations subsidised by Flanders are already required to contribute to the promotion of Dutch and the Flemish Community, “but this is not always closely monitored,” said Van Achter.

In new subsidy rounds, the government is therefore targeting projects that make strengthening Dutch a priority much more explicitly.

Anyone who consistently fails to offer Dutch in a visible and accessible way – for example, by communicating exclusively in another language or not providing Dutch-language reception services – will not be eligible for Flemish subsidies.

To tackle the issue of Brussels’ authorities (including hospitals and other emergency services) failing to meet a long-standing requirement for Dutch proficiency, Van Achter is conducting a consultation round with the local authorities in Brussels.

A pilot project is being launched with at least one hospital to boost the bilingualism of staff in a tangible and measurable way. If proven successful, this approach will be rolled out more widely.

Where possible, a language charter will be drawn up setting out commitments to strengthen bilingualism. Local authorities will be encouraged to provide further training for their staff through a follow-up offer, with the aim of doubling the number of authorities and staff members reached.

In order to increase bilingualism among the police and fire services, a dialogue is also being entered into with the services concerned and the competent authorities.

“I cannot impose harsh sanctions on offenders, it’s not within my powers, but I am trying to get things moving, to discuss the issue – you have to start somewhere,” said Van Achter.

“With this plan, we’re focusing on a genuine language chain. From birth to old age, people must be able to benefit from high-quality Dutch-language provision. It must become obvious that Dutch can simply be practised and used in Brussels.”