I have touched on the language barrier issues that exist in Belgium; however, I would like to expand on these issues and the extent of obstacles they produces in not only Belgium but in Europe.I work for a company called EuroJobsites. It is a company with different websites posting job ads for specific industries like euroengineers, euroscientist, eurobrussels, etc. All of our job postings are in English. Naturally, this means our job postings attract an audience that speaks English but also companies that speak English It has taken me a couple weeks to process and really understand the extent of this.
First, if a company speaks a couple languages around the office, like in Belgium maybe French and English. What language do you post your job in to attract the correct audience? Is there a language that attracts a smarter or more qualified audience? Secondly, job applicants that can speak multiple languages, what language do they search for their job in? Thirdly, we run campaigns in order to attract companies to post their jobs on our websites. We research companies that fit our campaign category like aviation companies or hydroelectricity. Only the companies that have an English version of their website will show up on the Google search.
These are just three issues in one company in one industry. I have always said I want to work for an international company, but I have never taken into account the barriers that exist in these companies. I almost wonder how they function. By choosing a language for the company, they limiting their potential workforce by a huge percentage. By basing a company in a new area, they have to taken into account the languages that exist in the area.
These are broad problems that exist across the world; however, these problems amplify significantly in Belgium. There are three national languages in Belgium, French, German, and Dutch. While the majority of Brussels is French speaking, the majority of Belgium is Dutch speaking. Brussels particularly speaks almost every language. 40% of the country speaks a different language at home in languages dominantly including English, Arabic, and German.
The language barriers are also cultural barriers here in Belgium. The Flemish live in the north and are known to speak Dutch. The French live in Wallonia in the South. The residents outside of Brussels have a large support for dividing Belgium into two countries while the inhabitants of Brussels support a unified country. The Dutch had to gain their rights in the Belgian government and the constitution wasn’t officially translated into Dutch until the 1960’s. In politics today, the largest obstacle in getting a bill passed is determining whether it supports the culture and values of both the Flemish and Wallonians. Each party has a veto power; therefore making it time consuming to get anything passed in Belgium.
The language barrier also takes effect in public transportation. Depending where you are in the country and the city of Brussels, determines what language the announcements are said in and the language the signs are written in. At some metro stops, the name is read in French, some in Dutch, sometimes a combination, and other times English is even thrown in.
I have a theory that the most biggest mystery in Belgium is what language a person speaks. You never know until someone opens their mouth. I think the language gap is not just a barrier but a large contributor to the culture of Brussels. When describing Brussels, the main characteristic is diverse and appropriately where the EU and NATO are based. I think the nature of Brussels’ multi-nationality aspects makes is a more interesting city to explore.