The canton of Bern is one of a number of bilingual cantons where both German and French are spoken. However, a legal complaint made there alleging racism was rejected because it was written in French, reported 20 Minutes. The law in the canton of Bern requires legal complaints be written in the language of the […]
38% of Swiss speak more than one language at work
In many places one language is all that is required at work. In Switzerland, 37.7% of workers surveyed reported regularly using two or more languages at work, according to data published by the Federal Statistical Office on 6 September 2022. While 62.3% used only one language at work, 22.2% regularly used two and 15.5% used […]
French speaking politicians not always understood in Bern
Switzerland has four national languages but most of the population is fluent in only one of them. When politicians come together in Bern they generally speak in their home language assuming others present understand them, even if they cannot really speak the language spoken. This week, Pierre Nebel, a reporter at RTS, explored the level […]
How to learn a language as easily as a child
Brought to you by Swiss French School. Babies and toddlers have several advantages over adults when it comes to language learning. American linguist and cognitive scientist Noam Chomsky believes humans have an innate linguistic capacity that is biologically preset in the human brain. He calls this a Language Acquisition Device (LAD). We were all born with […]
English bridges Switzerland’s language-divide to a surprising extent
A recent survey by Pro Linguis demonstrates the importance of English in Switzerland. The notional line, known as the röstigraben, that marks the border between French and German speaking Swiss does not confine Switzerland’s English speakers. To test each language group’s mastery of the world’s lingua franca, they selected difficult to translate words, like the […]
Meet well-known authors at Morges Literary Festival 4-6 September, 2015
Rapidly becoming one of Europe’s most renowned French-English language book festivals, the Swiss lakeside town of Morges will host its 6th annual event, or Le Livre sur les Quais, at the end of this week featuring some 300 writers from all over the world. Held in tents along the waterfront overlooking Lake Geneva and the […]
French-speaking Swiss, Nidwalden loves you!
Voters in Nidwalden last Sunday rejected a UDC Nidwalden sponsored initiative that would have resulted in French being dropped from the canton’s primary school curriculum. 61.7% voted “No”. The parliament of Nidwalden rejected the initiative ahead of the vote on the grounds it would negatively impact national cohesion and advised voters to vote against the […]
Only the young can master a new language: myth or truth?
Popular wisdom has long held it that the younger you are the easier it is to learn a foreign language. Whether expat or immigrant, parents of small children have long noticed, often to their own chagrin, how quickly their offspring become bilingual. It’s a phenomenon the Swiss have long exploited in order to preserve the […]
Swiss don’t speak English very well according to new study
How well do the Swiss speak English? Not as well as most of their counterparts in other European countries according to a study released Wednesday by EF Education First. The 4th edition of the EF English Proficiency Index ranked the English skills of 750,000 non-native speakers around the world. Switzerland placed 18th out of 63 […]
Learn to shout louder, or learn the lingo.
There are various schools of thought on how to learn French (or indeed any other language). Assuming that you do not believe that restaurant French is enough to get by in Suisse Romande, then you may be faced with deciding whether you, your partner, or colleagues should embark on a language course. This is often […]
