I'm from South Africa & been living in Switzerland for 15 months. It's amazing how many German & Swiss German words sound like the Afrikaaner language (Afrikaans comes from Dutch, German, French and a mix of African Bantu languages-I tell people here it's African Dutch). I also tried Swiss German but everyone said learn High German first-they were right. Everyone here understands High German but not everyone in Switzerland understand each other (Swiss dialect/canton to canton)??? Fact is- if it's a written language you'll have more resources to learn from.

There is the phrasebook though for Swiss German - The Idiotikon.

The Idiotikon is available online ( Dialect Speaking German Dictionary in CH )

After working at the SBB workshops in Brig (Valais) for 2 days, I told them I was beginning to understand their dialect. "What dialect?" they replied, "Because you are here, for the last 2 days we have been speaking high German!"

Lesson 1:

I've changed the title. There's too much interesting stuff in here to close it and yet the content has little to do with the original 'almost a Job Advert' .

That's not true... You should hear my German against my Schwiizertütsch

It's time for a lesson in Swinglish:

You think it makes mostly the sense when you talk to peoples with some of the words not to properly place in the sentence. Nextly, if not sure of the right words, you just making some up and addify with what you are saying then make a verb at the end of the sentence, make.

Mistakes are not allowed, because I learn good English at Gymi and our teacher was good for student exchanges, he make me learn very hard to degree study when I make a visit to Brighton, mainly. He borrow me a book, I think this was very of nice of him to make and now I understand the informations of many peoples that I in touch with am.

Simples, I think, yes?

(Use a sing-a-long style and wear an ear-to-ear wimpy grin whilst speaking)

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Some Swiss-German accents are nicer than others. Some are hard some are soft.

And some make groan men week at the knees when the girls say "Danke"

Actually I don't think that it really makes much of a difference which "dialekt" one learns. I've noticed up here that the dialect changes from valley to valley. I you can learn any dialect it can mean a substantial plus to your intergration in this nation. Trying to learn is probably more important than learning (yes they will laugh). I converse in a mix of Züri/Aargau/Bärnertütsch. Up to now I only have one friend in Prättigau that I don't understand. I work with a ungerengadiener and converse with him just find. My tip is just go for it and try to stay away from english conversationists .

Cheers Mal