I live in Switzerland around a year in German part. I learn hoch German but I find it very difficult being surrounded with swiss German.

I really find it difficult to learn one language and being completely surrounded with another langauge. All foreigners are encouraged always to learn hoch German and we are told that it is all we need and with it we will be ok, but is it so? In public transport I hear only dialekt, on the street too, when I speak to somebody I fell how it is sometimes hard for swiss to speak in German (it is not their mother tounge I understand that) but still. Its just I can help it feeling inadequate. I always have to ask personnel in shops please speak to me hoch German and one time the person in shop was like surprised little bit. Not to mention they speak dialekt regularly on tv and radio. I just feel that if you dont know dialekt you would never be part of community and I find it very hard to learn.

Maybe for people that are here only for some time is different, but looking on long term basis I find it very hard and frustrating. Sometimes I wish they introduce Swiss German as official language. I mean if they like it so much then linguist should come up with some rules and make it official and that's it.

And what I also find interesting is that swiss people are not aware at all of this dual language situation. Once I asked one of them about this and the comment was like isnt it the same in every other country, like every country has dialekts. I mean come on. Yes there are dialekts but where is dialekt spoken in national tv, or radio, or everywhere possible.

Anyone share my opinion?

I had worked for 12 years in Germany and Austria before I came here, & I thought I was competent in high German, and in my first week here I thought "My goodness, what have I done!?"

But in time, listening and watching, I have picked up the dialect and can understand some, if not most of it....

If you are in a hurry, Migros Club School run courses in Swiss dialect.

A friend of mine comes from Manchester and teaches English as a foreign language, in Munich. On holiday, he was in Newcastle England, and asked people "Where is the castle please?" nobody understood him. Finally he explained he was looking for the Newcastle. The helpful lady in the library remarked "Oh you need to ask for the Kessell" So there is an example, a native English teacher not making himself understood in England!

Swiss don't feel comfortable speaking high German because they don't like it, not because they're not fluent - after all that's our official language and our kids are forced to speak it in class

I would suggest you learn high German - it's more important to read the Newspaper and understand official documents than being able to listen to Swiss people's conversation, they'll switch to High German anyways if they're close enough to you to include you in their conversations

When I mentioned to a former (Swiss-German) girlfriend that I spoke some Swiss-German, she said "no you don't, you speak normal German with a bit of a Swiss accent and English grammar rules!"

Same thing, no?

Tom

While that's generally true, I really think it really depends on the individual. My Swiss friends and co-workers (and several other Swiss with whom I've spoken) show no discomfort at all and move easily between dialect and Schriftdeutsch. Occasionally someone will only answer me in dialect, but I can often understand them.

In some ways, it sure seems that way.

When I first got here, I intended (and was encouraged) to concentrate on German. But it's also my desire to learn dialect eventually. I already find myself occasionally speaking "normal German with a bit of a Swiss accent and English grammar rules" — and nobody's complained yet.

The problem is, there no such thing as the one and only Swiss German. It varies from village to village, not to mention the difference between Züri Dütsch and Bärn Dütsch or Basel Dütsch.