The dialects in Flanders are quickly losing ground while the standard language and, especially,the so-called ‘tussentaal’ are spreading rapidly. The language choices parentsmake every day, influence very strongly the future language and dialect situation in Flanders.In a study concerning the spontaneous language in four Flemish families, we haveattempted to line out the accommodation and the language attitudes of the parents and thechildren. The fathers and the mothers adapt their language and dialect use in a totally differentway according to the person they are speaking to: a younger or an older child, a boyor a girl. This remarkably differentiated attitude probably has some influence on the languageof the children. Anyhow, we can distinguish different reactions and language patternsamong the children, in the various family conversations.
