Hey all,

Before I move to Switzerland I plan to learn both German and French.

I currently have a basic grounding in French from high school, and just enrolled in a French school to further my knowledge.

Do you recommend I master French before I start German, or learn both at once? Why?

Thanks,

JMAC

I recommend you decide where exactly in Switerland you're going to move to. In the German-speaking parts, you won't have much opportunity to speak French, and vice versa. You may be wasting your time and money learning another language in advance, and you may do better to concentrate on perfecting one language.

'Course, there's always the Italian- and Romantsch-speaking areas to go for as well ...

If you are moving to the French speaking part of Switzerland, then learn French first.

If you are moving to the German speaking part of Switzerland, then learn German first.

If you are moving to Biel/ Bienne, toss a coin.

I think it's not good to have too many things to do.

Learn german or french, and watch dvd in that language etc...

Focus on one for a year at least! You might lose patience if you try to learn both and have no results in a year time.

Although I don't know maybe languages it's good to learn both in the same time as you can say: Dog= chien= schpouztz

Give it a try?

Mastering both languages is more of a personal development goal then a practical consideration, and I have a few years before I'm moving so Ill hopefully be fluent in both when I show up.

I was more seeking advice and personal experiences on weather it is easier to learn 2 languages at once or sequentially.

Thanks for the advice though, I hadn't actually considered that in truth. I will probably be in Zurich.

Giving it a try would cost me 300 bucks if I decide I cant take both courses at once and have to drop 1, not the best scenario.

I would rather do both at once, but if people say its too hard I wont.

The impression my ears have from living here in Basel is that it is useful to know some French as well as German in this particular area... I do not imagine it is quite so much the case in Zurich though.

So far as learning the two at the same time, I'm unsure because of the differences to both. I am sure it would be quite the workout for your lungs and diaphragm to master them simultaneously but I do not think one helps the other the same way as would happen if you were learning Spanish or Italian at the same time as French.

I'm not sure how helpful that is to you but there it is.

Good luck in your studies!

Funnily enough, Peg, I have the opposite impression; living as I do in Basel 5 minutes from the French border, I find it very hard to find anyone who will speak French here (until, of course, I cross said border). After initially claiming to speak only German, they all seem to prefer to speak whatever English they've gleaned in school than to "stoop" to French.

jmac -- I'm with Peg, I don't think you'll get any advantage from learning French and German simultaneously. Obviously your own aptitude will determine whether you can master both at once.

The only other thing I'd mention is that German is the dominant language here -- I can't remember exactly but I think it's the first language of about two-thirds of Swiss people.

That's kinda funny. (Sounds like something I might do with my - admittedly limited - grasp of common Mexican-American Spanish)

I know that when I go more "into" the city I get more incidences of folks speaking German and then English but when I head the opposite way I've noticed the cashiers at the Coop speaking French.

I have actually learned French and German at the same time twice...

First in the US when I studied both languages at the same time for about 4 years in school...

Didn't really have a problem with them then...although I didn't reach a level of fluency then.

And then again when I moved to Alsace (right on the border next to Basel)...where my in laws switch from French to Swiss-German and Alsatian often.

Although...technically I'm learning more Baselditch (Swiss German dialect) than German...

While I was in the US, it didn't bother me at all, because I didn't need to use it on a daily basis...

After I moved here, it bothered me because I couldn't understand anyone...and at that point...

It was a good idea that I just let go of the idea of understanding everyone and just listen and learn...as best I could.

I'm pretty sure that after a year or so I was able to communicate well enough (not perfectly mind you) to do what I needed to do...

But it took me another few years to realize how much I was able to understand and say in all 4 languages (French, German, Baselditch, and Alsatian)...

That's mainly because I was a bit overly preoccupied with what I couldn't say...to the point where I didn't notice how good I was getting at understanding and speaking all of them...

Bottom line....I think you could do it...if you want to.

And you can learn a language by listening to it on DVDs (I recommend using subtitles for your peace of mind...) and if you're up for it...getting one of your favorite books in English and then in the other language and going back and forth deciphering the different expressions...

Since you've got some time...if you do all this all along...you'll be more prepared when you get here...

There are other soft skills that anyone learning a language needs...like staying motivated...and staying determined...

There are a few articles on learning to understand spoken French here but they apply to almost any foreign language...

And you'll find different articles here on the subject of staying with long term projects...amongst other things...

Good luck with it all

Oh yeah....

I almost forgot...

If you're just starting out learning German...if your French is really rusty or if you're still working on the present and past tenses in French...try out livemocha...


http://www.livemocha.com

It's free...it's a lot like Rosetta Stone...and they have French and German...and a bunch of other languages too.

Ooooh, hey, that's a fantastic idea!

I don't see why you can't learn both at the same time.
The younger you are, the easier it is, "they" say.
At school, I learnt French, German and Latin at the same time. And here in Switzerland, I learnt High-German, Swiss German, more French and a little Italian.
The only problem is, is if you don't use it daily, you lose a lot of what you have learnt - happened to me with the French and Italian. Though my French came back while holidaying in Corsica this year.
If you have the time - go for it! Good luck!

I learnt both French and German for a few years, although I definitely focused on the latter, spending maybe 3 times as much time on it than French.

I'd say go for it, given you have a few years to play with and that you're keen. Given you have a little background in French, maybe start just with that, develop some good learning habits, try it out in real life if you can, then start German.

The languages are very different and you won't confuse them. You should find French easier though, especially to read, with your background in English.