Boy, I am new to the site and this hit a big nerve!! I speak high German fluently after living here 10 years and studying at the Uni. I notice that whenever I join a group of other students, they immediately switch to high German and the atmosphere gets strained. I understand Swiss German but they seem uncomfortable speaking it when I am around or immediately switch if I miss even one word. That makes me so tense that of course I get confused. When I mention wanting to learn to speak it(my son speaks it and we converse in it briefly sometimes) everyone gets a look of horror on their face and comments range from--Are you crazy, to no, you don't need it, to remarking that it would sound funny, usw. I am so mad about this attitude. I am forced to listen to them switch to (often broken) English the minute they notice I speak English but am discouraged from learning their language. And they complain that people don't integrate! After struggling with friendships(that are supposedly for life compared to the "shallow" American ones(I never noticed that when I lived there)), only having a few, and always feeling like an outsider--well, I can't wait to get out of here!!! It was soo nice being in Italy for vacation and not having to hear all those irritating gutteral swiss sounds--I guess you can only like it if you speak it--and it looks like I neve will.Sorry for the explosion but I have been needing to get that off my chest for a while. whew