Luxembourgish is added to the timetable

The Lycée Michel Rodange has released its initial findings from a pilot project in which the Luxembourgish language is taught as a fully-fledged optional subject. Launched in September 2023, the programme enabled final-year students to sit a final exam in this subject for the first time in the country’s educational history.

The curriculum is integrated into the school system in stages. From the 11th year of schooling (Troisième), pupils may choose Luxembourgish as a fourth language, which adds one hour to their weekly timetable. In Year 12 (Deuxième), pupils are entitled to opt out of studying German or French entirely if they decide to continue with an in-depth study of the national language. By the final year, the subject becomes part of the core curriculum for most academic streams.

According to recent research, Luxembourgish is the main language of communication for 49% of the population. Lecturer Catherine Millim emphasises that, given the country’s multilingual nature, it is the national language that remains the primary tool for everyday integration. In her view, the need for proficiency in reading and writing Luxembourgish is now greater than ever.

This view is shared by the Minister for Culture, Eric Thill. In response to discussions on social media regarding the language’s allegedly waning role, the minister stated that Luxembourgish remains a central element of society, and that the number of educational courses on offer across the country has reached an all-time high.

Students in the pilot group have given the course a positive review, noting that the opportunity to study their native language at an academic level is rare. Many emphasise that a grasp of Luxembourgish grammar is a scarce skill, even among native speakers. Nevertheless, despite the success of the experiment, extra classes have not yet been introduced for other age groups due to a lack of applications — Luxembourgish has to compete in the timetable with such popular languages as Spanish, Italian and Chinese.