Should I go to Belgium or France?
I'm becoming an exchange student in 2012, my junior year of high school. I really want to go to a French speaking country so I can come back fluent! By the time I go on exchange, I will have taken French for 2 years. I want to go to France, and even though I'm from a small town, there are a lot of people that want to go there. In fact, half of them do. The other half wants to go to Germany. So, unfortunately, there is a lot of competition for France, my exchange counselor even said that. (by the way, I'm going with Rotary Youth Exchange, so they rarely guarantee your first country choice). I would love to go to Belgium, even more than France, probably... The only problem though is the variety of languages (which is good in some cases). I don't know what my chances are of being placed in a French speaking part. Well, I'm going as an exchange student, but NOT to take French classes. When you go on exchange, you're usually going so you can learn the language fluently by using it in everyday conversation. If I go to France, chances are I'll most likely have to take German or English while I'm there. It doesn't matter what my grades are, since I'm an exchange student and my ability to understand will be low. My grades won't count. When I come back home, I'll have to repeat the 11th grade, no matter what, because my credits won't transfer. That's why I want to go to a FRENCH speaking country. I won't be taking French classes while I'm there.... I get 5 hours of French a week already at school, plus studying on my own.
Belgium - 7 Answers
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1 :
Go to Belgium. France is so materialistic and the people arent so nice there. Belgium is awesome!
2 :
The Flemish speaking part of the country is wealthier so you have more chance of ending up there. However, French is still taught in schools and most likely at a much higher level than you're used to.
3 :
Consider this : if you go to France or to French speaking Belgium , the French they will be teaching in first year of high school will be highly specialized subjects, literature etc. After all it is their mother language and for the basics they have had 6 years of 5 hours a week in grade school. To you it will be a bit like being taught the innards of the Shuttle engine after only being taught what is a screwdriver . From your one year stay you will certainly learn an acceptable French, which if you do not practice it you will forget , but you will have a hard time at school not only for French but for all subjects. If you decide for the scientific direction of your high school can you image being taught algebra or calculus in a language which to you sounds like something between mandarin and cantonese. I would recommend that between now and the moment of your departure and independently which country you are assigned, you take 3 to 4 hours per week French private lessons.
4 :
Brussels and the Walloon area Do speak French as you know! but not matter where you go they speak French some places in Belgium border Germany and its across the border that you could learn both?Belgium they are so help full and nice depends where you are in France? no matter which you choose you are not too far from home and it will be such a great experience enjoy and have fun!
5 :
If you go to Belgium you will inevitably have French, it's an obligatory class. (in all parts) If you go to the North of Belgium and you will have to chose a certain so called 'direction' in which a series of classes are included a common packet that is the same for everybody: e.g. French, Mathematics, German, Geography, History... and a few others plus the classes typical to the direction. In the direction Greek-Latin you will have Latin and Greek, in Human Sciences you'll get Cultural and Behavioral Sciences, the direction Economics has two subdirections: Economics Modern Languages and Economics Mathematics... In this system you can't drop any classes. There are sometimes some extra classes you can choose. The Walloon part is more liberal, but I'm no expert.
6 :
Belgium is NOT a FRENCH speaking country. It's a multilingual country and they happen to speak FRENCH on top of DUTCH and GERMAN. Oh and you might find the Flemish speak various DIALECTS that sound nothing like DUTCH. Now tell your classmates that and they will all put their name down for Belgium and you will have less competition getting to France because if you want to go to a FRENCH speaking country put your name down for France.
7 :
Belgium to live, France for visit
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