Germanic Frisian is spoken as a lesser used language in Germany and in the Netherlands . All Frisian speakers are at least bilingual and trilingualism is widespread. Quadrolingualism is also found. Although North Frisian is not an official language, it is sometimes used at local council meetings etc. All written documents are, however, in German.
Some villages have Frisian road signs and bilingual place names are now permitted.
Frisian house names are popular, especially on the islands. North Frisian is taught to over 1,000 children in nearly all schools in the language area one or two hours a week. The lessons are voluntary but are integrated into the official education programme. A school inspector is responsible for Frisian in education and a teacher helps in the production and coordination of teaching materials. The teachers usually have two annual meetings as in-service training which are organized by the local education authorities.