Multilingualism in Brussels: ‘I'd Rather Speak English’

• Autores: Paul O'Donnell, Annemarie Toebosch
• Localización: Journal of multilingual and multicultural development, ISSN 0143-4632, Vol. 29, Nº. 2, 2008, págs. 154-169
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Language is both a divisive and a unifying force in Brussels. Historically predominantly Dutch-speaking, surrounded by the officially Dutch-speaking federal state of Flanders, located in a majority Dutch-speaking nation-state, and with the majority of its Belgian citizens Francophone, Brussels has officially been bilingual Dutch–French since 1962. This paper reports the results of a survey undertaken to uncover the actual language usage and preferences in the Belgian capital. It shows that in a society where old divisions and sensitivities between French and Dutch speakers persist, English has emerged as the ‘neutral third party’.