Luxembourg has an unusual trilingual language situation, similar to Zurich in Switzerland. This is partly due to its geographical location, as it shares its geographical boundaries with France, Germany and bilingual Belgium.

The national language of Luxembourg is Luxembourgish (also known as Lëtzebuergesch; Luxembourgeois in French; Luxemburgisch in German; Luxemburgs in Dutch). The administrative languages are French and German. The language used in everyday oral communication is Luxembourgish, especially among Luxembourgers. Luxembourgish is recognized as a symbol of national identity by Luxembourgers. Luxembourgish's origin is derived from the German language, but there are many non-German words or phrases used. Hence, not all speakers of German fully understand Luxembourgish. Luxembourgish is taught in all State schools in Luxembourg at the lower levels of education, and it is the language taught in language schools to foreign residents and students. While Luxembourgish is used widely in oral communication, it is insufficient for use in written communication. Hence, the written communication form of Luxembourgers borrows heavily from French and German. French is considered the official written language for the authorities; many official documents (e.g. parliamentary documents and bills) are written in French. However, when it comes to dissemination of official information, the documents are printed in German, as German is believed to be more accessible to the ‘masses' in Luxembourg. Street names, menus, tickets are mostly in French, but some street and place names are also in Luxembourgish. Newspapers are printed in German, but most advertisements are in French.

For expatriates interested to understand more about Luxembourg and its languages, there is an excellent article written by Dr Gerald Newton, Director of the Center for Luxembourg Students at the University of Sheffield (UK) on the trilingual language situation in Luxembourg. The article also lists some language schools to learn Luxembourgish, as well as provides additional reading and links to online Luxembourgish dictionaries. The article is available at www.luxembourg.co.uk.

All this being said, English is widely understood in Luxembourg City, so expatriates with little competency of French, German or Luxembourgish will be able to get by. English is taught in schools, and is widely spoken and understood in the banking sector, where large groups of foreigners work in. However, many Europeans and Luxembourgers will invariably switch to their native language when conversing with one another, so if learning a bit of Luxembourgish will help you get to know your Luxembourgish neighbors and colleagues better. It is always useful to learn a new language and culture, especially if one will be staying in that particular country for some time.

For English newspapers, there is a weekly Luxembourg News. Other international newspapers, such as The Wall Street Journal, USA Today are available at newsstands in Luxembourg City. For cultural / local events, try the weekly 352 (Tel: (+352) 26 26 55 1. There is an online version as well. Netpaper is an online only newspaper with international news summaries in English. The Station Network (Tel: (+352) 621 146 169; website: www.station.lu) is a website for the online foreign community in Luxembourg. The website offers listings of local events and activities by various organizations (e.g. AMCham in Luxembourg; The British Ladies Club). There are also job listings on the Station Network.