Language situation in Switzerland

I just answer some of the questions I've gotten over the last couple of months. If i missed your question or you'd like me to answer one of your questions, leave it in the comments :)

HAPPY 2012! xx

Category:

Education

Tags:

• swiss german
• language
• dialects
• diglossia
• Switzerland
• cantons

[robbiedaug]

Wow! Great explanation. I've learned something here.

[Maryangel24]

@robbiedaug thank you!! glad it helped, robbie :)

[pamet]

thanks Mary! i think she's doing best to explain about swiss german but as u can see swiss german has multiple sections and wide variety so not getting exact infromation is correct thing to do. i admire u pls keep uploading vids :)

[Maryangel24]

@pamet aww, thank you very much!! such a lovely comment :) hope you have a great weekend!

[ilovcandy091]

@Maryangel24 well i was under the impression that most swiss germans would find english EXTREMELY easy to grasp because it's just a "simplified german with a very different word order." (please tell me if my impression is wrong!) i wish i could practice different lanauges daily with my friends, but as i said, even though most of my friends in the states aren't really into the "foreign languages thing", it's still not a valid excuse to start studying a new language. :)

[ilovcandy091]

@Maryangel24 well i was under the impression that most swiss germans would find english EXTREMELY easy to grasp because it's just a "simplified german with a very different word order." (please tell me if my impression is wrong!) i wish i could practice different lanauges daily with my friends, but as i said, even though most of my friends in the states aren't really into the "foreign languages thing", it's still not a valid excuse to start studying a new language. :)

[Maryangel24]

@ilovcandy091 but i don't think that any non-native speakers of french or english speak those languages. i mean, if they're not studying them.

[Maryangel24]

@ilovcandy091 hmm it really depends on one's interest in languages. most of us are completely fluent in hochdeutsch in 4th or 5th grade i reckon. so at the age of 10 or 11? but with french and english... hmm, i can't tell you as it depends on the individual's interest in languages.

actually, my friends and i speak english with each other all the time, but i guess that's because we study together and we speak and write in english all day at uni, so it's somewhat natural for us.