studying in louven-belgium

[marino]

hi there ... i'm asking about the language i must know befor travlling to study in belgium .

[imported_mia]

well french would be a great asset!!! the university of leuven has a spilt between french and netherlands (flemish). so knowing dutch would be great too....leuven is in the walloon part of belgium.....they mostly speak french there!!

[fleming]

Speaking French in Leuven? Not a chance!

Leuven is one of the highest rated universities of Western Europe, and it is located in Flanders. So the language overthere is Dutch.
Foreign students following an exchange program have all courses in English. MBA's are also in English.

The University website:
http://www.kuleuven.ac.be/english/

The french counterpart is the University of Louvain-la-neuve, situated in Wallony.
If you go overthere, French is necessary.

But if you go to Leuven and don't have a Dutch studyprogram, you will be allright if you speak English...also for your social contacts: flemish students usually speak better English than French.

All best.

[imported_mia]

well sorry about that...i'm new here!! so i don't know the details....i just thought sonce leuven was in waloonia!! they'd speak french!! i guess the uni is mostly dutch speaking!!! no offence was taken i hope....forgive my ignorance and spreading it! anyway i think i need to get some information as well!!! if the offer most course in english it would be apt....i'm also trynig to learn netherlands!!

[fleming]

Hi Mia,

No offence taking.
A lot of foreigners mistake Leuven for Louvain-la-Neuve. Because both universities call them selves university of leuven.
There are two big differences, aside from the language: Leuven is a very beautiful city, with lots of ancient buildings and ancient history. It attracts a lot of tourists.
Secondly, Leuven is a very nice place to go out...there is the old market square with more than 30 cafés. Lot of partyplaces etc....
There are a lot of activities especially for foreign students to make them feel at ease overhere (especially lots of parties).

Louvain-la-neuve on the other hand is a piece of concrete in the middle of the forrest and fields, constructed in the 70's. Its architecture is pretty striking, although at a whole... the city is quite ugly.
The students overthere are off course very friendly, and you make friends easily overthere... French-speaking people have more of a southern mentality than the flemish.


All best

[marino]

thanks for those great information about leuven .. but i have an inquier about the accomedation in the city and the range of the rentting down there for a singel room in a shared house
thank you again

[imported_Gareth]

I can sense an underlying hostility towards Walloons and Wallonia in the replies posted by Fleming.I should suggest that he read up on the history of the University of Louvain and enquire as to why there are now two universities with similar names. I think he would find that it was as a result of Flemish intransigence in relation to their language that a French-speaking University of Louvain had to be created. As regards to Walloons having a "southern mentality", I am at a complete loss as to what this means; perhaps Fleming could elaborate?
In relation to his comment that Flemish-speakers speak English as a second language as opposed to French, playing devil's advocate may I suggest that the reason so many Flemish people speak English is that no-one else has bothered, bothers or indeed will bother to learn to speak their local dialect of Dutch.
As a native English-speaker who lives in Belgium I have found the Walloons to be just as proficient at speaking English as the Flemish are, they are just as Friendly as the Flemish and they certainly have less of a superior attitude than the Flemish do and they are quite proud to describe themselves as Belgian first and Walloon second, something that the Flemish seem incapable of doing.

[Moppersmurf]

Dutch or French, dear....although there is also a small (60.000) community of Germanspeaking people near the German border. Leuven is in the Dutchspeaking part of our country.

Peter

[Rikbe]

Originally posted by Gareth
I can sense an underlying hostility towards Walloons and Wallonia in the replies posted by Fleming.I should suggest that he read up on the history of the University of Louvain and enquire as to why there are now two universities with similar names. I think he would find that it was as a result of Flemish intransigence in relation to their language that a French-speaking University of Louvain had to be created. As regards to Walloons having a "southern mentality", I am at a complete loss as to what this means; perhaps Fleming could elaborate?

If you knew the history of Belgium so well, you would know the reason for this intransigence.
For generations Flemish people have been treated as second rank citizens by the French speaking minority. Official language was French and a Flemish could not even get a trial in his own language. Flemish were considered as peasants and their language and culture as a language and culture of peasants, w.o.w. inferior. The results was that all French institutions were banned from Flanders.
It may sound ridiculous nowadays, but the grief was very deep.

Hello Rikbe! In 1993, my nephew who lives in Brussels and a friend of his were arrested because the friend was in possession of some marihuana. They went to court, but since it was in a Flemish speaking town, they spoke only Flemish, language which my nephew did not understand. The judge and the police knew he did not speak Flemish, but they did not bother asking for an interpreter. Since my nephew did not understand a word of what they said and they let him go, he assumed everything was alright. This year, he received the visit of the police telling him they were going to take him to jail because he had not paid the 25.000 B.Frs. he owed for this problem. Do you think it is fair? Here in the USA, even though English is the only recognized official language, when someone of another tongue is arrested, they always have on hand an interpreter who speaks his/her language and English. It is mandatory, and they cannot have a trial without one, even for the attorney/client communication. Belgium is a small enough country, and I am sure most people in the court could speak French too, but they just did not want to do it. Why?

P.S.: The whole world knows about the great talents from the Flanders. All the great painters the Flanders gave are not unknown, so I don't really think the Flemish people have been considered Peasants, at least I never thought they were!

[Rikbe]

Hello Panchita, it is not often we are online at the same time.

There is narrow mindness on both sides. But could your nephew not take a translator or get the text translated by a friend or relative?
I am living in a Flemish village near to Brussels and when I was gathering the documents for my marriage. The Russian consulate did not deliver all papers, so some I got from the consulate in Brussels, in French. As the municipality did not accept them, I had to get them translated by an official translated and then they had to be legalized by a court.

[Rikbe]

Originally posted by Panchita
P.S.: The whole world knows about the great talents from the Flanders. All the great painters the Flanders gave are not unknown, so I don't really think the Flemish people have been considered Peasants, at least I never thought they were!

The first time I married, was with a girl from Brussels that only spoke French. Her parents were Flemish but they considered Flemish not good enough for their children. So they educated them in French and none ever learned Flemish.
My ex grandparents were originally from the Netherlands.

II grew up in a Flemish town in Limburg. My mother had a French education and she spoke French with her friends,.all from middle class. Till 50 years ago, French was still considered as THE only cultural language. Not only by French speaking people but also by Flemish high and middle class.
The struggle for Flemish language was also a social struggle from workers against bourgeoisie.

Hey Rikbe! I noticed we were in the chat board at the same time this afternoon, which always makes me happy, but I did not have the time to stay on for long.
You know, it is the same thing here, many Mexicans do not speak Spanish anymore when they come here, and refuse to talk this language at home, so their children lose this part of their heritage. I think it is prejudiced and narrow-minded, and people should not do that to their own children.

[imported_Gareth]

If everyone here is so proud of speaking Vlaams, how come all your posts are in English? Mine are in English, as it's my native language, what's your excuse? Mais, je parle aussi bien en Francais.