Melena Knisely, Governance & Policy in Brussels, Summer 2026
During my time in Brussels, Belgium, I noted some differences in communication styles between Europeans and Americans. First of all, the prominent language in Brussels is French, which is not a language that I was too familiar with before traveling to Brussels. I taught myself a few conversational words and phrases before going, but upon arrival, I realized just how hard it is to immerse yourself in another language. One of my peers whom I met through this trip was kind enough to teach me how to order food, ask for directions, and ask for assistance in French. So, although it was difficult with the language barrier, I tried my best to overcome it by learning some important conversational phrases in French.
Another difference in communication styles is the fact that a lot of Belgians, and
Europeans in general, keep to themselves out in public, while Americans tend to be very open and friendly in public. There were a few instances during my time in Brussels where I smiled at strangers in the street, and I quickly learned that this is a very American quality. Mostly all of those people looked away and kept to themselves, and it made me feel a little bit uncomfortable and awkward about the fact that I smiled at them. However, when I am at home in America,
strangers usually smile back even if you do not know them very well or have never met them before. So, though this is a small cultural difference, I tried my best to overcome this by just being myself and not worrying about what strangers think of me on the street.
Finally, one last difference in communication styles that I noticed is that when I asked a question about a menu item or store item in public, I had a different reaction to feedback in Europe. Europeans are direct, and when I asked questions that have a straightforward answer, I almost felt foolish for asking the question in the first place. However, I tried my best to overcome this fear of how I was being perceived by realizing this is just how they speak; they are not being rude to me, they are just simply answering my question. This is different than in America because, tying back into the previous communicative difference, Americans are more inclined to be conversational and make you feel more comfortable in any sort of situation like this.
So, even though there were many communicative and sociocultural differences between the United States and Belgium, I am very grateful that Belgium was my host country because it was a new culture that I had never been immersed in before.
This is a photo of the city of Antwerp in Belgium
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