2023-04-17 15:55:26
If you think that life in Switzerland — given all its rules, regulations, and various administrative burdens — is already complex enough, the thought of adding more than one language into the mix may scare you even further.
You may find that learning one national language is complicated enough (unless you are a native German, French, or Italian speaker), but mastering all four seems like an impossible task.
READ ALSO: How did Switzerland become a country with four languages?
Do you speak Swiss?
If you’ve lived here for more than five minutes, you know there’s no such language.
The predominant language, spoken by 62.6 percent of the population in the central and eastern parts of Switzerland is Swiss German.
Next (nearly 23 percent) are French speakers, in the western cantons of Geneva, Vaud, Valais, Fribourg, Neuchâtel, Jura, as well as parts of Bern.
Italian speakers make up 8.2 percent of the population, predominantly in Ticino, but also in southern parts of Graubünden which lie near the Italian border.
As for Romansh, only half a percent of people in Graubünden speak this ancient language.
This map from the Federal Statistical Office shows the linguistic divisions:
So how many of the national languages must you learn in Switzerland?
Let’s immediately eliminate Romansh from the equation.
While is it, indeed, an official language, nobody will expect a foreigner (or a Swiss national, for that matter), to master it — even if you happen to live in the part of Graubünden where it is still practiced — more to preserve a cultural tradition than to actually use it in daily life.
READ ALSO: Romansh: What you should know about Switzerland’s fourth language
This is especially true as Swiss German, not Romansh, is Graubünden’s official language.
We will come back to Swiss German in a moment, but first let’s look at the French speaking regions, French-speaking Switzerland.
If you live there, you obviously must speak French, as all the public offices, businesses, as well as people in the street, will use this language.
You can live normally in this region speaking only French, though depending on your job and where you are career-wise, the lack of Swiss German could hinder your professional life (more about this below).
The same goes for Ticino: you could live there happily relying only on Italian, but if you are a young professional, or someone working in the hospitality industry, lack of Swiss German (and to certain extent, French) will limit you.
More Swiss German
A deputy from the French-speaking canton of Vaud, David Raedler, is pushing for schools in French cantons to teach Swiss German as a second language.
Right now, High German is taught in those regions (and vice-versa — students in Swiss German parts learn French, while Italian-speaking Ticino gives priority to French as the first foreign language).
A Geneva linguistics professor, Juliane Schröter, thinks Raedler’s idea is valid.
Students “learn [High] German for years at schools in French-speaking Switzerland – but when they go to Swiss German regions, they don’t understand a word there,” she said.
The same can be said of when Swiss Germans who don’t know French venture to the French-speaking Switzerlandthough the importance of French on the national scale is not the same as that of Swiss German.
The reason is not only that there are more German than French (or Italian) speakers in Switzerland, but also because Swiss German is the most widely used language in the workplace — government data shows that over 60 percent of people in Switzerland use it professionally on daily basis, versus 30 percent who use French, and 10 percent Italian.
According to Raedler, “63 percent of all business contacts in Switzerland are in Swiss-German.” Therefore, giving French-speaking students courses in the dialect would boost their chances on the Swiss job market, he said.
Knowing Swiss German is even more important for people working in banking and finances, tourism, and, of course the government, because sooner or later they would be called upon to use that language with bosses, colleagues, and clients.
Is there a reciprocity between German and French speakers?
While it is less important for Swiss Germans to speak French than vice-versa, some do.
However, as they are the national majority, there is much less professional pressure on them to speak French in the course of their jobs.
It is much less likely for a Swiss German to be called upon to speak French than vice versa.
What about Italian?
You can live in Ticino speaking only Italian, especially if you are retired or have professional dealings only with Italians.
In practice, many residents speak at least one other national language, and sometimes both. This is particularly the case of people working in the hospitality sector, as tourism from other regions of Switzerland is a backbone of the canton’s economy.
However, you will find your life in either German or French-language cantons difficult if you settle there speaking only Italian.
Swiss German vs High German
Yes, but can you live in Switzerland speaking only High German (Hochdeutsch)?
The answer is yes, especially if you settle in the Swiss German regions.
In fact, a vast number of immigrants from Germany never manage to master the Swiss German.
They will make themselves understood but, depending on the dialect spoken in their region, they may not understand the locals.
So which one should you master?
For purely professional working purposes, High German is fine, but Swiss German is better for everyday life and social interactions.
READ ALSO: Is it better to learn High German or Swiss German?
And what about English ?
Ah yes, the eternal question of whether speaking only English is enough to get along in Switzerland without learning any of the national languages
The Local has already explored this subject:
‘You’re missing out’: The verdict on getting by in Switzerland with just English
So what’s the answer?
Nearly 20 percent of people in Switzerland use English in the workplace and, in fact, many people of all linguistic regions use this language to communicate with each other.
However, if you don’t know at least the language of your region, you will likely find many hurdles in your day-to-day life.
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