U.S. English Foundation Research

SWITZERLAND

Language Research

Switzerland is a confederation, and its twenty-six cantons and half-cantons enjoy a large measure of independence. Seventeen are German-speaking; four French-speaking (Jura, Neuchâtel, Vaud and Geneva), one Italian-speaking (Ticino/Tessin) and four have more than one language (Berne, Fribourg, Valais, Graubünden). Three of these are bilingual in French and German, whilst the fourth – Graubünden – is trilingual in German, Romansh and Italian.

Since each canton has its own education legislation, the definition of the aims of education differs throughout Switzerland. In Paragraph B above some of the problems of language study in the cantons are discussed. One of the problems also appears in the acquisition of literacy in German-speaking schools. Learning to read and write is only taught in standard German. However, most teachers continue to communicate orally, and particularly when not referring to the central concerns of the lesson, in the local dialect with children in the first two grades of primary school. Two types of linguistic frame are thus created and internationalized by the children. That which is serious, central to the learning process, often tedious and difficult, and also written, is carried out in standard German. That which is peripheral to the learning process, that which creates interpersonal contact, and is oral is carried out in the dialect. Children are exposed at school to forms of standard German, which are demonstrably Swiss, particularly in terms of their pronunciation. This is a very different type of standard form than that which is projected in the media. Disinclination to use standard German orally is also strengthened by an increasing perception of that language as being non-Swiss. Even though Switzerland kept itself out of two world wars against Germany during this century, attitudes towards that country continue to be largely negative and competitive.

As far as foreign language learning is concerned, in the German speaking part of the country, French is traditionally taught as the “national language 2” (LN2). In the French-speaking part of the country the LN2 is traditionally German. In the Italian-speaking part of the country the LN2 is French on the grounds that both Italian and French are Romance languages. In the case of the canton of Ticino, however, the next language before English is German, the reason being that connections with the German-speaking part of the country are more intensive in the case of Ticino than they are, say, for Geneva. Elsewhere the teaching of LN2 is followed either by LN3 (Italian in the French- and German-speaking cantons) or the first genuine “foreign” language, English.

Although Switzerland has been a multilingual country for a long time, most of the individuals living there are not bilingual or multilingual. The term “quadrilingual” can be applied only to the country not the people: it is a social phenomenon. The Romansh community is the only truly bilingual one (in Romansh and German) and many Rhaeto-Romance people also speak or understand at least the other two languages as well. For a long time, bilingualism was viewed as a threat – first of all to the purity of the first language, and second as a step towards “Germanization”.

English has joined other languages spoken in Switzerland very self-confidently. Some cantons have already decided to introduce English in primary schools instead of French. If the French-speaking part also were to introduce English instead of German, the two could perhaps better communicate in the future in English.

The use of English will doubtless gain ground, especially in business and research. But Government language working groups insist that four languages have to co-exist with English side by side. Their functions are different and English may not become the Swiss lingua franca. Further, multilingualism is not perceived as a burden at all, but an opportunity, a stream of inspiration for personal as well as collective enrichment.

There are television programs and radio programs for each language and region.

It is estimated that around 60% of live or locally produced television programs in Switzerland are in dialect. News broadcasts, documentaries (either originally in German or dubbed into standard German), serials (often detective stories) produced for and by one of the two German national broadcasting companies, the German-speaking Swiss section of the Swiss broadcasting company and the Austrian broadcasting company, and imported (generally dubbed) films are in some variant of standard German.

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Updated (June 2005)

GOOGLE LAUNCHES A SEARCH TOOL IN ROMANSH

The world most popular web search engine "Google" recently started to offer its services also in the Swiss regional language of Romansh (Rumantsch). Users of Google.ch can now use all official languages of Switzerland - German, French, Italian and Romansh¹. The new website was initiated by Google itself because the company promotes lesser-used languages.

Members of the Romansh community welcomed this step towards safeguarding their language for future generations. Romansh schools will now be able to use Google's extensive resources in their own language.

Google chose the new official literary language, Rumantsch Grischun, which is a mixture of the four major dialects spoken across the Romansh speaking valleys in the canton of Grischun. A recent canton's decision to formally introduce one written form of Romansh simplified the matter for Google.

Source: Eurolang News, Peter Josika, Biel/Bienne, June 10, 2005, http://www.eurolang.net/

1. After choosing a language users of the same PC will be automatically redirected to their favorite language next time they open Google.

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Updated (June 2006)

FOURTH LANGUAGE STANDS UP TO BE HEARD

Romansh, the fourth national language in Switzerland, has gained greater recognition after a new radio and television broadcast center was established in Chur, the capital of Graubűnden canton¹.

The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) invested 26 million Swiss Francs in the new center, which not only houses both the radio and television units but it also provides the minority language broadcaster with its own television studios for the first time.

Radio and Television Romansh serves less than one percent of the Swiss population (about sixty thousand people) who speak the language. While it does not have its own television channel, the program is broadcast on German-language television.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Armin Walpen² pointed out that the Switzerland's public broadcaster was doing everything in its power to preserve the Romansh language. Similarly, a Romansh television official, Chasper Pult, found the new media center useful for promoting understanding for the language since Romansh is often ignored in the only Swiss canton where it is spoken.

The SBC finances the media to the tune of 22.5 million Swiss Francs annually, which is about 1.5 percent of its revenues from licensing fees. However, the federal government and Graubűnden canton contribute five million Francs a year to support the Romansh community.

Source: http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/search/detail/Fourth_language_stands_up_to_be_heard.html?siteSect=881&sid=6786106&cKey=1149682241000

1. The canton where Romansh is spoken alongside German and Italian

2. the Director-general of the SBC

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