Schaerbeek, one of the towns in Belgium’s Brussels/Capitol Region, has started treating English as almost an official language at its offices, hoping to serve the growing number of residents who speak neither Flemish nor French in the officially bi-lingual town.
The town is home to people of 165 different nationalities, and officials noted that a lot of time at town offices was spent on assisting people with translation. After consideration, officials picked English as a third alternative because, they say, “English is the most international language today.” Although there are fewer than 700 native English speakers in Schaerbeek, it is the most common second language.
Schaerbeek’s Councilor for Citizens, Quentin Van Den Hove told the Brussels Times that “We have been speaking English with people in the commune for a while now without there actually being a framework for it, out of necessity more than anything else. Since the beginning of this year, you can now officially speak in English at the commune of Schaerbeek.”
But, while you can now count on speaking to town officials in English and even getting married in English, the Belgian Language Law of 1966 still requires that all official documents must be in either Flemish or French. While the town has taken a practical step, it may well provoke opposition from others.
Image: Schaerbeek Town Hall
