JimP

Link

And this is exactly why each of us must learn to speak other languages. It is one of the best ways to understand and accept other cultures. I myself am now decided to learn dutch if only to respond to insults like this.

__________________
If you could go ten years back in the past, what would you do differently ? Then, imagine that you are ten years in the future. What are you going to do now ?
Si vous pouviez aller dix ans en arrière, que feriez vous différemment ? Puis, imaginez que vous êtes dix ans dans l'avenir. Qu'allez vous faire maintenant ?

Nadine

I couldn't agree more !

Another political row . Belgium at its best !

Belgium wouldn't be Belgium if we hadn't so many languages on such a small territory, and if we weren't discussing all the time over the language problem....
Isn't it amusing that Belgian politicians are even capable to discuss over the language in which they are going to discuss about the language problem ?

And never mind what Leterme was thinking when he made his comment - did he mean to insult or did he want to wake up the french speaking part of Belgium to make an effort ?

A... Belgian.

__________________
In the summer I stretch out on the shore and think of you. Had I told the sea what I felt for you,
It would have left its shores, its shells, its fish, and followed me.Nizar Qabbani.
When I drown my eyes in your eyes, I glimpse the deepest dawning and see the ancient times;
I see what I do not comprehend and feel the universe flowing between your eyes and mine. Adonis.
You're beautiful, you're beautiful... But it's time to face the truth. I will never be with you. James Blunt.

JimP

Maybe his heart in the right place but his thoughts came out in an awkward fashion (either that or it was second degree humour, or the french journalist misunderstood things). Telling some people that they are too "dumb" to learn a language, when some of them have to face a lot of hassle from the local administration, is silly. It wouldn't make anyone want to learn anything. It's a bit like a teacher telling a student that he will fail no matter what he does.

In my opinion, he should critisize the Walloon ministers for wasting their time in corruption scandals (gold-plated showers and wine cellars at tax payer's expense anyone ?) and doing hardly anything to promote the learning of the second national language.

Personally, I really regret not having followed school in Brussels as I could have been trilingual right now and have a much better situation. Dutch only seemed to be seriously taught in second or third year in secondary school when I was studying less than ten years ago. Hopefully that is changing.

And, yes, I think the french speaking part of Belgium need to wake up. As a guy from the north told me, the south has this big mental problem. With therapy, and some chocolate, things might change .

__________________
If you could go ten years back in the past, what would you do differently ? Then, imagine that you are ten years in the future. What are you going to do now ?
Si vous pouviez aller dix ans en arrière, que feriez vous différemment ? Puis, imaginez que vous êtes dix ans dans l'avenir. Qu'allez vous faire maintenant ?

Nadine

Indeed, there is a problem in the education system in the french part of our country. We, in Flanders, start learning french in the 5th year of primary school, at the age of 10. It's not that high a level, but at least we got a good basis. In secondary school we continue getting french lessons. The level of that depends on which kind of education one chooses. In schools for skilled labourers e.g. level is quite (very) low.

I know of french speaking families in Brussels, who put their children in flemish schools (even in kindergarten) to learn the language. It's not that the majority of french speaking people don't want to learn the language, the fact is that they don't get the opportunity because of the education system. And, I admit, when one has a job and a family, it's not that easy to go back to (evening) school ..

And, we both (Wallons and Flemish) have some pig headed and narrow minded people amongst us who don't want to learn the other language.
Deplorable, but that's the way it is.

Nadine

__________________
In the summer I stretch out on the shore and think of you. Had I told the sea what I felt for you,
It would have left its shores, its shells, its fish, and followed me.Nizar Qabbani.
When I drown my eyes in your eyes, I glimpse the deepest dawning and see the ancient times;
I see what I do not comprehend and feel the universe flowing between your eyes and mine. Adonis.
You're beautiful, you're beautiful... But it's time to face the truth. I will never be with you. James Blunt.

Protocol Droïd

I don't agree at all, language is just a means of communication and the root of the problem is that it has been used as a political argument for centuries... You can't force anyone to speak a language if they don't want to...
As for Belgium, I'm part of both sides and I blame both sides! I speak many languages and have made my job out of them, so please... keep on arguing so that i don't get out of business...

JimP

You are probably right. But, if language is just a means of communication, what makes diplomats so special ?

P.S: To echo what you've said about your job (translator?), I've been told once or twice in the field of IT that Microsoft's failings is what keeps certain people in a job.

__________________
If you could go ten years back in the past, what would you do differently ? Then, imagine that you are ten years in the future. What are you going to do now ?
Si vous pouviez aller dix ans en arrière, que feriez vous différemment ? Puis, imaginez que vous êtes dix ans dans l'avenir. Qu'allez vous faire maintenant ?

Protocol Droïd

The only thing that makes diplomats special in my eyes is that they'll never say "you're certainly wrong"... so that people can only hear what they want to hear... What Leterme said can easily be turned around because all he is selling is a phoney ideology

The biggest failing of Microsoft is that they try to sell what no one can deliver and their biggest success is that people who have heard things once or twice in the field of IT just buy it...