Belgium - languages

Maybe you have talked about it but to make it clear once again: what is the status of Belgium regarding languages? Of course I know that Belgium is bilingual: they speak French and Flemish (or Flemish and French ;-). But does it mean that teaching of both languages is obligatory? How many people from French-speaking part of Belgium speak Flemish and vice versa?

Well, a little nit is that the language situation in Belgium really isn't quite that simple. While there are three main "standard languages" used in Belgium, Dutch, French, and to a lesser extent German, the actual languages used in Belgium overall are Dutch, West Flemish (which is closely related to but distinct from Dutch), French, a number of Oïl languages besides French (Walloon, Picard, Lorrain, and Champenois), German, and Luxembourgish (which is closely related to German).

Supposing I am a Belgian citizen living in Brussels. Is it possible that I may not understand my neighbour (Belgian citizen as well) because they speak but Flemish and I speak only French?

yes it's possible, it's my case, we have to speak in english to understand each other

bruxellois,
It's really interesting if it's true. My country is monolingual so I can't imagine such a situation. I think it can generate problems. Supposing you're looking for a job. You are a very good expert in what you do but it's useless if your employer doesn't speak the same language. Do such situations happen?

Why not just hand those Germans back to Germany? That would make a crazy situation a little less crazy.

The Belgium Germans are a small minority but tend to quite quiet about their views on the Vlaams/Wollen problem.

And if the Germans should go back to Germany I see no problem for the Danes in Northern Germany to go back to Danemark or other Europeans go back to their orginal country.

Give me a break!!!

Wollen should be Walloon

<<Supposing I am a Belgian citizen living in Brussels. Is it possible that I may not understand my neighbour (Belgian citizen as well) because they speak but Flemish and I speak only French? >>

This scenario is possible in many countries. With different languages involved, of course.

<<This scenario is possible in many countries. With different languages involved, of course. >>

Kazoo,
Of course you are right. For example in many African countries people speak hundreds of languages. But they have one official language and when they go to the office they can speak this language and an officer is supposed to understand them.
I wonder what happens in the countries where there are more than one official language and people are not obliged to know all of them.
For example I go the police station and a policeman does not understand me.

Eupen and Malmedy back to Germany!

Slesvig back to Denmark!

Go for it!

in Brussels, you are expected to speak both French and Dutch in order to get a nice/decent job. If you're bilingual, and they're not, you will get hired and they will not!!!

Frederik , MALMEDY ?????
What are you talking about , it's french-speaking !

Oh,sounds like a fatal error.... ;)

It sounds French to mee to, but I have always heard that Eupen and Malmedy are the two German cantons in Belgium.