Language and the media in Flanders: new developments in a monolingual framework

Abstract

Though Flemish electronic media (VRT radio and television) are officially monolingual, developments do occur which counter the official policy of homogeneity. Subtitling functions on television as an instrument to integrate anything foreign or uncommon and to serve the specific needs of VRT’s core (Brabant-Antwerp) audience. In commercial messages sundry varieties of Dutch and different languages are used in order to enhance versisimilitude. A number of radio (music) programmes use foreign languages to create a particular atmosphere. Increasingly, the official Flemish electronic media are showing fundamental appropriation of a functional language variation system by language users.