Teaching Chinese in Belgium: Notes from Liège

Belgium may be a small country in Western Europe, but its location at the crossroads of France, Germany, and the UK has given it the nickname “the crossroads of Western Europe.” My first “encounter” with Belgium was not through travel, but through a video game called Empire: Total War. At the time, I often led the Prussian army to occupy what is today Belgium. Little did I know that years later, Belgium would become the final stop of my journey as a Chinese language teacher abroad.

Culture and Etiquette

When invited to a Belgian home, guests are expected to arrive on time and bring a small gift—something simple under 20 euros. No matter the cost, Belgians will open the gift immediately and show warm appreciation.

During one visit, my host introduced me to Belgian classics: beer, fries, and Liège-style meatballs. After dinner, to my surprise, they served Chinese white tea (Baihao Yinzhen). On another occasion, while playing a card game together, I noticed the background music was Chinese DJ tracks. When I asked if they usually listened to Chinese songs, they smiled and admitted: “We prepared this just for you.”

This kind of thoughtful hospitality impressed me deeply. I also learned that praising someone’s culture is often more meaningful than complimenting the person directly. For example, instead of saying “French fries,” I would jokingly ask for “Belgian fries.” My Belgian colleagues always responded with smiles of approval, since Belgium and France both claim to be the birthplace of fries.

Beer is another source of national pride. Belgium produces hundreds of varieties, each with a unique flavor and history. But when raising a glass with Belgians, one must remember an important detail: always make direct eye contact, or, as the saying goes, misfortune may follow.

Language and Attitudes

Belgium has three official languages—French, Dutch, and German. While French speakers love their language, they don’t necessarily adore the French themselves. Once in class, I shared a Chinese joke: “How to become a millionaire in China? Keep betting on the national soccer team to lose.” A student quickly replied with a Belgian version: “How to become a millionaire here? Buy a Frenchman at his true worth, and sell him at the price he thinks he deserves.” The classroom burst into laughter.

Interestingly, while French is often described as “the most beautiful language in the world,” French-speaking Belgians are not easily flattered by such compliments. In reality, most Belgians must learn other languages for practical reasons. In Liège, where I taught at HEC Business School, students were encouraged to study multiple languages, much like the “foreign language + major” model at Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Yet, contrary to the stereotype of “lively Western students,” many of my Liège students were shy and reserved. If not guided carefully, the classroom could easily fall into silence. To encourage participation, I designed listening dictation exercises inspired by the Chinese app Shanbay Listening, and required students to use new vocabulary in real-life sentences. This gave them more chances for language output, not just passive learning.

Teaching the Chinese Language

One major challenge was Chinese characters. To ease their anxiety, I explained radicals as the “roots and prefixes” of Chinese, just like in Western languages. For example:

• The radical “三点水” (three water dots) appears in words like 江, 河, 湖, 海 (all related to water).
• The radical “口” (mouth) is found in words like 吃 and 喝 (both involving the mouth).

Of course, clever students quickly spotted exceptions: “What about 沙 (‘sand’), 滚 (‘roll’), or 听 (‘listen’)?” At that point, I could only smile and reply: “There are always exceptions to the rules.”

Surprisingly, pronunciation was easier for Belgian students. While learners in many countries struggle with the Chinese vowel ü, my Belgian students pronounced it almost perfectly. Later, I discovered why—French has a similar sound. This is a great example of positive language transfer.

Reflections

Just as people tend to find themselves first in a group photo, or countries often place themselves in the center of world maps, we all view the world from our own perspective. My years of teaching Chinese abroad—standing in different countries, experiencing different cultures—have taught me to see things with a calm, open perspective.

As the Doctrine of the Mean says:

“All things grow together without harming each other; all paths run parallel without conflict.”

Teaching in Belgium was not just about language and culture—it was about learning to understand the world through different lenses.