Learning French or Dutch in Uccle

As an expat living in Uccle, you’d like to learn French or Dutch. What a great idea! Wolvendael Magazine offers some suggestions, ranging from evening classes to cultural activities, volunteering and podcasts.

Isabelle Ghislain

The tried-and-tested options

Day or evening classes. Two schools based in Uccle offer interesting programmes at different paces.

EAFC – Établissement d’Enseignement pour Adultes et de Formation Continue (95 rue Gatti de Gamond) – www.eafc-uccle.be
UECPA – Uccle Enseignement Communal pour Adultes (306 avenue Kersbeek) – uecpa.be

Online platforms. Apps and distance learning courses are ideal for busy schedules. They work best when used alongside spoken practice.

Brulingua is an initiative by Actiris (the public service responsible for employment policy in the Brussels-Capital Region). It offers free language training to all Brussels residents. 30-minute virtual classes via videoconference with a native-speaking coach, personalised support and the ‘Speaky’ network to connect with native speakers from around the world, to practise and share your interests and passions – brulingua.be
Patati platform: a wide range of activities for Brussels residents who want to learn Dutch – patati.be

Conversation groups. Getting started in a small group, in a relaxed atmosphere, is often just the push you need.

These conversation groups are held in the town’s libraries: www.bibliouccle.be
The Huis van het Nederlands association lists conversation groups throughout the Brussels-Capital Region: huisnederlandsbrussel.be

Ways we don’t always think of

Language swapping: you help someone practise your language, and they help you practise theirs. It’s free and friendly.

Volunteering: lending a hand at a local charity means having a chat every week, without it feeling like a ‘lesson’.

The Plateforme pour le Volontariat website features classified adverts seeking volunteers: levolontariat.be/annonces

Sports clubs and leisure activities: choirs, yoga, gardening, board games… you learn without even realising it.

The ‘Découvrir et sortir’ and ‘Agenda’ tabs on the commune’s website will give you plenty of ideas – www.uccle.be

The libraries: easy-to-read books, children’s picture books, and sometimes events or workshops to practise your skills. Uccle has four libraries: three French-speaking and one Dutch-speaking.

Le Phare (935 chaussée de Waterloo)
Le Centre (64 rue du Doyenné)
Le Homborch (30 avenue Homborchveld)
Bib Ukkel (27 rue De Broyer)

Closeup on businessman and woman with clipboard discussing about startup company revenues. Young male and female colleagues at office desk, reviewing and brainstorming financial strategy ideas.

Cinema, radio and podcasts: films, local programmes, TV series… to get used to the sounds and vocabulary of a language. French- and Dutch-language public television broadcasters have set up free platforms offering access to hundreds of resources, with or without subtitles.

Performances and cultural activities. Do feel free to attend the performances organised by the Centre culturel d’Uccle (CCU) and the Gemeenschapscentrum Het Huys. They also organise activities open to everyone: guided tours, dance classes, games evenings, talks, discussion groups, and more.