Why Flanders?

This page has especially been made for all foreign students who are interested in an AFS-program in Mid-West-Flanders. By proposing you some interesting links we would like to introduce you in Mid-West-Flanders:

Living in Mid-West-Flanders

Although Mid-West-Flanders is not very big, it offers a lot of variety. There are cities close-by like ‘Bruges the Beautiful’, also known as the Venice of the North; or Antwerp, the port on the banks of the river Schelde, or Gent with its lovely medieval castle and a lot of baroque guild houses, or Brussels, ‘the capital of Europe’…

It’s also possible that your hostfamily lives in a more rural area, a smaller village where everybody still knows one another and where the landscape is unspoiled. Or you can end up at the seaside: not a bad place to spend a year!

School

Education is compulsory and free of charge between the ages of 6 and 18. Secondary education (12 till 18 years) comprises general, technical, art and vocational education. You will attend the final year of secondary education; where you will go to school depends on you interests, your previous education and your hostfamily.

Food and drinks

Belgians are said to be real ‘bon vivants’; they love to eat and drink. The gastronomic delights of the Belgian kitchen enjoy international fame. Traditional Flemish dishes include among others frieten (Belgian fries), steak, mussels, paling-in-het-groen (eel in green herb-sauce), carbonades (stewed meat in a sauce prepared with brown beer), waterzooi (a kind of chicken stew). World-famous are the Belgian chocolates, said to be the best in the world, and let’s not forget the delicious waffles.

Free Times

It is not difficult to find something to do during your free time. Of course, participating in the social activities of your hostfamily is the best way to get to know them and Belgian life at heart. There are numerous youth-, sports- and hobby-clubs which you can join. A lot of Flemish youngsters go to the local youth club on Sunday : an ideal way to meet new people and enjoy yourself! There are also opportunities to go to the movies, the theatre…

Politics

Belgium is a monarchy and a parliamentary democracy. It has a very complex state-structure. Belgium is a federal state and has three governments: a federal, a Flemish and a Walloon one. The constitution ensures a division of power between the legislative, executive and judiciary institutions.

Sports

Football and cycling are the two most popular sports in Belgium, followed by tennis and athletics. Our national football team is called the ‘Red Devils’ and when they play, a lot of people follow the game on television ! During the weekend, you can see plenty of local cycling clubs on the roads of Mid-West-Flanders. Although Belgium is only a small spot on the world map, our country has several famous sportsmen in judo, motorcross, tennis, sailing.

Language

Dutch is a Germanic language, related to English and German. It’s not too difficult to learn and is spoken by more than 20 million people in both Flanders and the Netherlands. Anyway, to get to know the language, your AFS-year in Mid-West-Flanders will begin with a language camp!

What others say about Flanders

"Belgium Flanders is one of the most successful AFS organizations. This observation is based on factors such as recent growth, the high percentage of students that are sent to diversity countries, the strong volunteer network, …"
(Stu Allen, former director AFS New Zealand)

"A high degree of volunteer camaraderie, motivation and enthusiasm, … a tremendous amount of effort and dedication on the part of the volunteers …"
(Ted Owsley, AFS International)

"When I studied here some time ago, I had the best time of my life" (Bill Clinton, president of USA, visiting Brussels)

"Ik leer Nederlands …(I’m learning Dutch)…"
(Tachi Cazal, AFS International)

Noorabeelstraat 19x - 8830 Gits

Tel: 051/488-765