Hello once again, everybody!!!

As you can see, despite being a new-entry, I'm already being very active on this forum...that's due to the love I feel for this country, Switzerland, which means so much to me, also due to personal experiences.

I would like to start a conversation about Swiss German. I have noticed that it is present in every level of Swiss society (of course, in German speaking cantons), I heard also in schools and universities, while surprisingly not in churches, even on TV national programmes on SF. I think such a presence of Swiss German may cause some problems to those Swiss who speak other languages and learn German in schools or universities. On the other hand, I understand that Swiss German is one dinstinctive attribute do determine a kind of Swiss identity and maybe also to differentiate Swiss and Germans.
In my country, Italy, dialects are also widely spoken, but not in schools, not on national TV channels, not in everyday life but only in families.
So what is Swiss German? Is it a dialect? Is it a language? Why not consider it a national language instead of standard German? How to help those who learn standard German in Switzerland?
Thank you for your attention...Bye

Despite the topic has been tackled several times on this forum, I would like to hear the opinion of all of you about it. Swiss German sounds so different, that it might be an official language. In Luxenbourg there is a new third official language, Luxenbourguese, which is very similar to an alemannic dialect. What do you think about it?

It would never work... they all speak different versions of Swiss German depending on what part of the country you're in. If you've ever had a text msg or an email in Swiss German then you'll know what i mean.

Keep Hoch Deutsch, at least us foreign bods will be able to understand something.

As Psyk worth, there are very good reasons why Swiss German is not an official language. With no standardised spellings or even vocabulary it would be impossible to use Sviitzerdüütsch as an administrative language.

Additionally, if the level of Hoch Deutsch knowledge declined then it would have a negative effect on the Swiss economy.

Genau

And I reckon it's why so many Swiss speak English...
Swiss-German is as much use as inner-city Scouse or Glaswegian...

Can you say :

"got any car radios ?"

in swiss-german ?

dave

Tell the entire coutry to speak the same dialect of it AND put it in a book so others can learn it.... otherwise, people would want to make their own language everyday. (de Yanks from Brooklin wanted to do de same in skoolz in de US). come on, get real! I think it is already too hard for people to learn languages, why make more? There is already a lack of communication in the world, we don't need more reasons.

Oh I like what GBN says there, next time I have a chat with a Swiss-German, I'll tell him "You really are just a more guttural version of a scouser you know..."

Exotic -- Swiss-French

Well, the first problem that you have mentioned could be solved by choosing just one type of Swiss German (maybe the one from Zurich) and impose it as a standard Swiss German. I think they have done the same with Rhaetoromanic, whose language there are different varieties spoken in the different areas, but only one used in official documents.
I completely agree with the second problem that you have pointed out.

I agree with all of the things you have written here. Yet, Swiss German, despite not being a unitary language, must be considered something more than a regional dialect. It's a "multi-regional" dialect, a "quasi-national" dialect. It is spoken on national TV programmes. Thus, it is in an ambiguous position. How can a dialect, which has different regional varieties, can be spoken in a national TV programme. Plus, it is spoken in every aspect of everyday life, and I think this is one requisite for it to be consiedered a language.

With a world that is becoming smaller and smaller (with the help of communications and the internet) we need to find more easy ways to communicate with each other. The world being smaller in this respect is so good for so many reasons, like the issues of countries being humane or not. Instead of shrinking more and more into dialects its better to find a unified tongue. For example, English. However, with there being a few countries as German as their official language, they can only strengthen the language itself and encourage others to learn it by them all keeping it the official language. Otherwise they will be forced even more so to learn English.

Choose one type of Swiss German? He he. The Zürich version? Ha he ha ha.

You have yet to experience the idiosyncrasies of the Swiss Cantons. The thing they really agree upon is that they hate Zürich

Slowly, English will continue to take over as the unofficial Swiss second language. So many times now I've seen young Swiss French and German speakers try to communicate to each other in each others language, only to say "Should we speak in English?", "Yes". Which isn't helping me progress with my high German at all

Well, once it also happened to me to talk to a fellow citizen in English. I was in Alto Adige/Suedtirol, an Italian province on the border with Austria and people there hate Italians for historical reasons and refuse to learn Italian. So the only chance I had was speaking English

You are correct about Rumantsch alessione, there was a fair bit of haggle to decide a common version as well...

My only way of communicating with Swiss-Germans who can't speak French is English. I suspect they even prefer that to talk in German and it's a neutral language, normally both interlocutors will be on equal footing. You expat chaps probably don't really realise how fraught it can be at times when dealing between Swiss French and Swiss German

This is an interesting thread. When I first moved here I was fascinated by the varying dialects scattered through the german part of CH.

Think of it this way.....

Yes, there are many different dialects of Swiss German and yes, many of them sound so different from the others...and I know that there are some dialects, especially spoken in mountain regions, that are very difficult to understand for some Swiss...but I think it is safe to assume that the majority of the Swiss can understand (more or less) the varying dialects...not completely as there are different words for things but still making it quite easy to converse with anyone no matter which area they are from.

It is just like in the UK. How many different dialects/accents are present there!? So many, and some are easier or harder to undserstand than others...much like the situation here, but at the end of the day it is English. And in Switzerland, at the end of the day it is Swiss German.

So...I do think that Swiss German is an "official" unofficial language, but High German serves as this countries source for a written and grammatical language. Because Swiss German is loosely based on German fundamentals...i think it is ok to keep things the way they are.

It is possible to have common dialect!

Was it Norway or Sweden? Can't remember which but I know one of the Scandinavian countries did it.

What you have just written is the very reason why I have started this thread. If Swiss Germans somehow "refuse" German as an official language, why not let them free to raise Swiss German to the rank of official language for the German-speaking part of Switzerland?

If you are forced to speak a specific dialect, you might as well just speak proper German.

It is Norway, where there is the contemporary presence of Bokmal and Nynorsk as official languages, but where there is a de-facto official language, Standard Østnorsk (Standard East Norwegian), spoken by the upper class in Eastern Norway, which is also taught to foreign students.
So, yes, it's possible to have a common dialect. It's just a matter of political will and a trade-off between isolationist and internationalisationist choices.

But, unfortunately, that's just what Swiss don't do!!