Understanding foreign language education and bilingual education in Belgium: a (surreal) piece of cake

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Abstract

The aim of the present article is to provide an overview of the current state of affairs regarding foreign language education and bilingual education in the different parts of Belgium. In a brief historical contextualisation, we explain how language education in Belgium has been shaped by the country’s political and economic history, which has led to legal constraints concerning the language(s) of instruction as well as foreign language education. A paradoxical situation has now emerged: on the one hand, an apparently straightforward organisation of language education according to a ‘one community – one language’ principle; on the other hand, a complex and heterogeneous reality with respect to the organisation of the school system in general and language education in particular. We illustrate the present situation with figures from the different language communities (Dutch-, French-, and German-speaking) on (a) foreign languages learned at school in regular settings, and (b) alternatives to the regular framework that bypass the constrictive legislation, such as CLIL. The data reveal the intricate make-up of language education in Belgium, reflecting a tailor-made approach taken by each of the three official language communities.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)639-657
Number of pages19
JournalInternational Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism
Volume26
Issue number5
Early online dateJun 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

Funding

We would like to thank Elsa Albarello (Statistics Service of the Ministry of Education) and Catherine Lefevre (ETNIC, Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles) for their invaluable cooperation and willingness to share the statistical data available. We are also grateful to Wim De Grieve and Dirk Delabastita for their useful comments and suggestions.

FundersFunder number
Ministry of Education
Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles

    Keywords

    • Belgium
    • Foreign Language Education
    • Bilingual Education
    • CLIL
    • Dutch
    • English/EFL
    • German
    • foreign language education
    • bilingual education

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