p.s I don't think the world is ready for a doctoral thesis on Peppa pig

Having re-read the thread, and this response from you which makes things clearer, I realise that I was actually overreacting - probably projecting too much of my own experiences into my response. So I hope that you will all accept my apology. My best wishes for your move and for the future.

Cambridge is a large city that comprises not just a University. Your interpretative techniques leave much to be desired.

But for future interpretation attempts, beware; there are more people of both the Cambridge University and city types out here than their past or current locations would reveal.

Markmadsen, the above crossed with your balanced and thoughtful response. So no longer needed .. or is it??

I want to add something I think is important when it comes to kids and languages.

As a child, I was totally fluent in German. My parents moved to Vienna for several years when I was around one. I learned German before my mother. I went to preschool in Vienna and spoke it with no issues.

We later left Vienna. By that time, my mother was fluent in German. But since nobody around me was speaking anything but English, I forgot it. And I do mean all of it. Coming to Switzerland decades later hasn't sparked any of it. My parents are still fluent, mostly because they have German-speaking friends.

Please, please, please - if you leave Switzerland and move to a country where German isn't spoken - continue to speak German with your kids. It's so valuable to speak another language (would sure come in handy for me now!) but it's a parental responsibility to maintain it after a move.

I agree, I was brought up in Denmark and when we returned to the UK I was doing O Levels and my dad insisted I did one in Danish. I was dead against it but did it anyway. Years later I try to keep up with the language and the O Level always made interviews very interesting and made me stand out (maybe not for the right reasons!).

Anyway I have a 6 month old baby girl and I am determined that any language she learns over here will stay with her as long as possible.

Also thanks OP for this useful thread!

Let's let it stand, since I have apologised and your point is made. We can compare our Cambridge experiences (university, technology, city, parenting, etc) some other time. Preferably with alcohol in reach.

Goes against the 'one language one parent', but I wholeheartedly agree. Find some way to use the language, preferable in a fun social setting (or as a 'secret language' when out and about - SG has got be great for that!). Use it or lose it!

My nephew has a German mother but a Romansh speaking father and lives in a Romansh speaking area. For the first 5 years of his life he would only speak in German- his father/grandfather/uncles etc would all speak in Romansh, he would understand perfectly but reply in German.

Since starting (Romansh) kindergarten this year he now jabbers away in Romansh as if he has been speaking it his whole life.

I am no linguist, and I don't really understand why he suddenly speaks this language after starting school, but it is clear that he understood it all along. So I agree with the others, kids soak up the language passively and will begin to speak when they are good and ready.

I have no kids of my own yet, but this is something I have thought a lot about- I am English and want my kids to speak my language, but also the Romansh language of their father (its a beautiful language and something very special to me, my OH and all his family/friends). And of course German/Swiss German to be a part of the wider Swiss society. The thought of all this makes me nervous already, so I wish you all the best on your journey!

Dear Laura,

I persoanlly think it is a good idea to introduce your daughter to another language, especially if you plan to stay in Switzerland for a long period of time. My son has to deal with 3 languages and he is 3.5 years old. I speak Russian with him, my husband communicated in German and we lived in South Africa for the last 4 years. To keep his English, we decided to send him to the bilingual daycare. it seems to work well for now, although it require immense discipline from our side not to mix the languages and stick to one language each.