Yes, this is what the Head of the Chamber of Commerce told my 6th Form students about 20 years ago in the UK. He told them that Germans were very happy to speak English if they needed something from you, as listed above- but would expect YOU to make the effort and speak German if you needed something from them...(be it a job, a contract, or whatever)- selling and buying games have totally different rules of engagement.

But even so- even when you are in a position of 'power' due to them needing something from you- it is still really arrogant not to make an effort yourself too.
Our eldest daughter works in a very international set up in the City and in English only- but when she does speak French to clients on a social basis- their personal attitude really changes and they are really pleased... and impressed too.

Haha yeah... it's amazing how your English starts to pick up quirks when constantly surrounded by non-native speakers too!

Has anyone else noticed that all the road signs here are written in "foreign" too?

How in the hell do people ever figure out how to get to where they want to go?

You will have the Swiss' heart if you speak just a bit of Swiss German. All my inlays are Swiss and they cannot stand speaking high German.

OP, since you list German as your native language, is it possible your colleagues think you understand what they are talking about? Maybe they misinterpret your lack of participation for lack of interest? It seems to me Swiss German speakers will just keep on going in Swiss German unless you specifically ask them to please use high German or English. It's not necessarily being snobby, it's just how they speak on an everyday basis with familiar people. Try starting a conversation in high German and see how that works.

Arrogant seems a bit too strong, but I see what you're getting at. Native English speakers are a tad spoiled in that virtually anywhere you go on the planet you'll find someone else that speaks at least a little English. Thus the motivation for English speakers to learn other languages diminishes as time goes on. This is very apparent in the U.S., where many school districts have eliminated foreign language programs as unnecessary expenses.

I think arrogance is a justified term... as native English speakers we often assume that other people should use it simply because it is one of the worlds most common languages, and the fact that people complain about others not using English says it all. I do agree with the OP that it is a little insensitive of Swiss not to include him in their conversation, but in the end it is their native language and when they are in a group consisting of otherwise all Swiss people you can hardly blame them for reverting to their native language where they can laugh and joke and express themselves freely.

And obviously they know the OP doesn't understand German.... to suggest otherwise is unnecessary fluff.

It's understandable, I guess, languages can be hard to learn. But what makes me cringe is when I see Brits (especially) and Merkins just walk up to somebody and start speaking English without even a token "sprechen Sie Englisch?" (or even "Do you speak English?" would be a some sort of acknowledgement.)

To be fair to the Swiss, they generally take it in their stride if they do understand. In their place, I'd find it arrogant and ignorant. In the face of this, I find customer service here outstanding.

The other day a guy asked my husband how old he is (66) and found it hilarious because his pronunciation (high German) sounded more like 'sex' than 'sechs' :
In future he will have to use the Swiss Geman pronunciation (more like 'zachs' ?) to avoid his blushes.

BTW Migros Schule runs Swiss German courses for those who already have a good base or speak High German (eg separate from beginners, and to cover the basic changes from HG).

I also know Germans who have lived in Switzerland for several years, fully understand dialect, and who insist upon speaking only English with any Swiss person they do not know.

What reason did you give them to make the effort?

No you're not. Talk about hubris.

That.

Trying is usually all it takes (actual success is of 2nd or 3rd priority) for people to accept the need to switch. See for instance:
OP OTOH appears to take for granted that people are able and comfortable with using english. Reaction and result are quite predictable.

I disagree and insist that Swiss claiming that they are better in English than High German are actually lying... They don't WANT to, but they CAN. I insist a lot because I spend my days with them and can assess their German. Why you chose to believe them is for you to decide,but I don't fall for it.

Me too, I 've heard many theories, all of them meaning actually that they make clear that they are not Germans, as if we didn't know.... I've been long enough here to have heard and seen it all. I don't believe their excuses, but that might be just me.

__________________
Es wird nichts ausgelassen, um mich hier herauszuekeln. Ein Lehrbuch. False accusations and attacks continue. There is no stopping righteous people when they are wrong.

Ya, it's called an idiot. A German idiot.

Proficiency and preference are not the same thing.
They may well be more proficient in high German than in English but they actually prefer to speak in English.

My Swiss spouse, born and educated in Zurich, speaks better English than High German.

Time required to speak HG = 5 minutes a week.
Time required to speak SD = 10 hours a week
Time required to speak & write English both at work and socially = rest of waking hours

Result better English (with accent) than High German (with accent)...

Nonsense, I know quite a few, in particular myself and my kids.

My wife as well. Despite being Swiss German, her almost non-existent English is MUCH better than her even less existent High German (she speaks no Swiss-German at all).

Tom

Because the OP is a troll, and the sharks have well and truly fallen for the chum.

En gueta!

Absolutely - apparently thinking it is a 100mph zone is not a good excuse.

Speaking of language misunderstandings (more or less) isn't that what I (and the person you were responding to in the post I quoted) said? "Would rather speak English than German" does not mean "speaks English better than German".

Totaly agree with you