More Brussels expats learning Dutch

More than one in five new students at the Huis van het Nederlands (House of Dutch) in Brussels is an expat, according to figures from the previous school year. "Expats are increasingly aware that knowledge of the Dutch language is an added value in the job market," says director Gunther Van Neste.

In 2013, there were 3,376 expats enrolled at Brussels’ House of Dutch, out of a total of 16,660 students. In other words, one in five students learning Dutch is an expat, meaning a foreigner who is in Belgium for work purposes. "It’s a mixture of both EU citizens and other foreigners, such as New Zealanders and Australians," Van Neste told Brusselnieuws.be.

Since its opening 11 years ago, the House of Dutch has seen a steady growth in the number of expats interested in learning Dutch, from about 15% of its students five years ago, to currently around 23%.