Learning Flemish

• Hi!
  
  see my answer below the question.
  
  1. For a non-native of Belgium, what is generally/roughly the time taken to pick up the flemish language (understanding & speaking only)?
  
  - Depends on your native language and the way you learn it.
  When your native tongue is German or English (but also when you've learned both or one of these languages before) it's much easier.
  I'm German and could already understand a lot and speak a bit after one month, in which I did an intensive course (everyday 3h + homework). But also the not-German & not-English people were pretty good.
  If you go on with these courses (in Ghent, where I am, there are 5 levels for 5 month) you are pretty good after finishing. I did only less intensive courses (2 evenings) and at least understanding is easy.
  If your native tongue is English or German you should also try to enter immediately in a higher level because the first level is in fact too easy then.
  
  2. What will be the associated costs approximately for learnign flemish in belgium?
  
  - These intensive courses (all flemish universities offer it, open also for normal people) are about 150 - 300 for one month, as far as I remember.
  You can also go to the public schools for adults, it's then less intensive and not as good as university, but for free. (for Gent www.pcvo.be)
  Private schools (berlitz, eurospeak, inlingua) are more expensive but perhaps better, i don't no anything about them.
  
  I hope this helps.
  

  Anonymous 31 Aug 2006, 12:45 - Report

Learning Flemish