We've tested it - watch!Can you still speak Luxembourgish in Luxembourg City's shops?

RTL Today
Luxembourg is known to be cosmopolitan - and highly multilingual! Despite the country's small size, nationalities and languages abound. Our colleagues at 5minutes wanted to find out if it's still possible to speak Luxembourgish in the capital's stores.
Can you speak Luxembourgish in Luxembourg City's stores?
Our colleagues at 5minutes roamed around Luxembourg City to find out out more about Luxembourg's extraordinary linguistic situation.

Native Luxembourgers usually speak four languages by the time they turn 18. Most of them have no problem switching between languages in their daily lives. But not to be able to speak the national language in your own country might generate frustration.

And yet, Luxembourgish seems to be flourishing. The government has actively promoted the language since July 2018. In recenet years, increasing numbers of people have enrolled in Luxembourgish language classes at the National Institute of Languages.

Despite these efforts to promote Luxembourgish, French remains the most currently spoken language in the stores of Luxembourg City. French cross-border workers are the main workforce in commerce and hotels, restaurants, and cafes. According to a recent Statec publication, the French cross-border workers are paid less than those from Germany or Belgium.

For this reason, taking a stroll to Luxembourg City's shops usually involves speaking the language of Molière and Beaudelaire. How to Luxembourgers feel about that? And what about the French employees? Some answers in our video!

Back to Top
CIM LOGO