Can you learn Dutch and French at the same time?

Of course. You can learn multiple languages at the same time. Learning two languages that are similar can give some confusion (but also has some advantages), but that is not the case here.

Do you need to speak French to work in Brussels?

Brussels is different. I have met people speaking English and leaving in Belgium for years. It isn’t uncommon for native French speakers to communicate with native Dutch speakers in English (or vice versa). Working in Belgium without knowing French and Dutch is possible.

Can you survive in Brussels with English?

Most certainly. The majority of the population is French speaking but I’m confident that you’ ll find that most people in Brussels (from the Bakery store to your waiter at the restaurant or at the doctor’s office) have at least a working knowledge of Dutch and/or English (if not better).

Can you live in Belgium only speaking English?

Belgium has three official languages – English, Dutch, and French. English, however, is not the primary language they speak in the country. But even if it is not, a large percentage of the population speaks English. As such, you can speak the language in many situations all over Belgium.

Is it worth learning Dutch in Brussels?

The large majority of people from brussels speak french (I once had dutch neighbours but they were always speaking in french). However if you intend to work in brussels, I think it’s still worth to learn a little dutch, because depending of your work area, you will not avoid it.

Is it better to learn Dutch or English when studying abroad?

For example if you are studying at a Dutch language university (even if the courses are in English) then obviously Dutch will be more helpfull. The Dutch language community is also a bit more flexible language wise (will easier switch to English/French if necessary to communicate) since it is smaller.

Do I need to learn French to live in Brussels?

Even when you watch Belgian TV, there will be news in French and Flemish, but when you watch TV shows, there will be mostly shows in French and shows in English with Dutch subtitles. Edit: not saying that learning Flemish wouldn’t be good, but learning French will get you farther in Brussels.

Is it better to learn French or Dutch as a second language?

The actual second language of both Dutch speakers and English speakers is English. But Dutch speakers tend to be more fluent in it. So it’s more likely to find a French speaker who only speaks French than to find a Dutch speaker who only speaks Dutch. Because of that, it would make more sense to learn French.