English Forum Switzerland - Compulsory language test for intending immigrants is on the cards, says Blocher

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English Forum Switzerland (https://www.englishforum.ch/forum.php)

- Swiss politics/news (https://www.englishforum.ch/swiss-politics-news/)

- - Compulsory language test for intending immigrants is on the cards, says Blocher (https://www.englishforum.ch/swiss-politics-news/102050-compulsory-language-test-intending-immigrants-cards-says-blocher.html)

Faltrad

19.12.2010 17:49

Re: Compulsory language test for intending immigrants is on the cards, says Blocher

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swissmountainair (Post 1049214)

No Swiss political party can alter the fact that the world trades, negotiates and transacts in some form of English.

No immigrant, incl. most poeple in the forum, can alter the fact that the said place is Switzerland and nothing else.

I often say: There are facts in life, one just have to take as fact and don't fool around with. (Es gibt Fakten im Leben, mit denen man sich einfach abfinden muss). Better translation welcome.

Village Idiot

19.12.2010 17:53

Re: Compulsory language test for intending immigrants is on the cards, says Blocher

This shouldn't be a problem for Novartis. They'll simply annex the rest of their site to France hire everyone on the French side, paying their income taxes into the French system. They already straddle the border and have already unilaterally moved the border before, so this should be a walk in the park.

st2lemans

19.12.2010 17:55

Re: Compulsory language test for intending immigrants is on the cards, says Blocher

Quote:

Originally Posted by OSueco (Post 1049071)

How about the foreign celebrities living (or has a resident) here...like:

Or if you are rich enough you wouldn't have to learn?

Well Adjani and Dion certainly speak at least one of the Swiss languages, and I'll bet Twain does as well!

(don't know about the others)

Tom

19.12.2010 17:56

Re: Compulsory language test for intending immigrants is on the cards, says Blocher

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faltrad (Post 1049229)

Old English saying:
Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men.

st2lemans

19.12.2010 18:09

Re: Compulsory language test for intending immigrants is on the cards, says Blocher

Quote:

Originally Posted by OSueco (Post 1049061)

I guess that nobody here disagree that if you come to work and live here you should be able to communicate in german

I disagree.

Why German? :confused:

I have no need of German! :eek:

Italian and Rumantsch work fine for me! :D

OK, I do use German when I go to Italy sometimes (Alto-Adige). :p

Tom

Deep Purple

19.12.2010 18:10

Re: Compulsory language test for intending immigrants is on the cards, says Blocher

Quote:

Originally Posted by st2lemans (Post 1049235)

Well Adjani and Dion certainly speak at least one of the Swiss languages, and I'll bet Twain does as well!

(don't know about the others)

Tom

The links mention that Athina Rousse has a French father, Tina Turner has a Swiss partner and Shania Twain learned French in 2000. :D

st2lemans

19.12.2010 18:16

Re: Compulsory language test for intending immigrants is on the cards, says Blocher

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faltrad (Post 1049076)

But the high educated English speaking expat community will not learn the local language unless they like it as a hobby.

Or if their SO doesn't speak English! :D

Actually, the only language course I've taken in Switzerland was Rumantsch, but it was sort of as a hobby.

Tom

st2lemans

19.12.2010 18:19

Re: Compulsory language test for intending immigrants is on the cards, says Blocher

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deep Purple (Post 1049252)

The links mention that Athina Rousse has a French father, Tina Turner has a Swiss partner and Shania Twain learned French in 2000. :D

And not to forget, last time that CH won the Eurovision song contest was with Dion singing, so I guess she's earned it! :eek:

Tom

Faltrad

19.12.2010 18:21

Re: Compulsory language test for intending immigrants is on the cards, says Blocher

Quote:

Originally Posted by st2lemans (Post 1049257)

Or if their SO doesn't speak English! :D

Actually, the only language course I've taken in Switzerland was Rumantsch, but it was sort of as a hobby.

Tom

I'm all right to, I speak three out of four national languages. Only one of them was hobby: Rumantsch :msngrin:

JiminyNZ

19.12.2010 19:07

Re: Compulsory language test for intending immigrants is on the cards, says Blocher

Quote:

Originally Posted by biff (Post 1048849)

Personally, back in NZ, I have always had the greatest of respect for the eldery Chinese women I have come across - decades in the country, children ( and grandchildren) with tertiary education, but these wise looking elders have held on to their own language and not learnt English at all. I like the differentnesses of people and love to hear a multitude of languages around me.

When I moved to NZ, I had to demonstrate a sufficient level of English to get my student and my permanent resident permits (can't remember about the work permit).

Quote:

Originally Posted by olygirl (Post 1048942)

All children in Switzerland are required to learn English at school.

That wasn't the case in Valais last time I checked.

Ignoring Blocher's exact words, I think it's reasonable to expect people willing to reside in Switzerland for an extended length of time to learn one of the local languages.

I'm really annoyed at people who move to a country and don't make any effort to learn the local language; I call that plain laziness. And often it feels that those very same people are the most vocals about criticizing the country they have moved to.

Just my 2c.

MrVertigo

19.12.2010 19:07

Re: Compulsory language test for intending immigrants is on the cards, says Blocher

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faltrad (Post 1049266)

I'm all right to, I speak three out of four national languages. Only one of them was hobby: Rumantsch :msngrin:

you deserve a medal.

st2lemans

19.12.2010 19:14

Re: Compulsory language test for intending immigrants is on the cards, says Blocher

Ironically, I learned my German from a Sicialian by hanging around his motorcycle shop after work and helping out (and also learned the few things I didn't already know about Guzzis and Ducatis). :eek:

Should have had him teach me Italian as well, though I didn't know I'd need it at the time. :(

He's one of the few people with whom that our communication languages has migrated from French, to Swiss-German, to Italian.

Tom

19.12.2010 19:58

Re: Compulsory language test for intending immigrants is on the cards, says Blocher

Quote:

Originally Posted by st2lemans (Post 1048996)

No, they aren't.

At least not in Ticino.

Tom

Are you sure about that? 2 or 3 years there was a federal decision that the second language to be taught in all Swiss schools was to be English.

jrspet

19.12.2010 20:13

Re: Compulsory language test for intending immigrants is on the cards, says Blocher

Here is a Swissinfo article that might shed some light

POWERlifter

19.12.2010 20:17

Re: Compulsory language test for intending immigrants is on the cards, says Blocher

forget about it, thats all just cheap populism by Christoph Blocher and the SVP

A senior SVP delegate declared today that English folks would of course not need to learn Swiss languages, because they are not the intended audience.

this whole idea was just for keeping the foreigner-topic hot, it would generate huge resistance from economic syndicates - its just nonsense.

OSueco

19.12.2010 20:18

Re: Compulsory language test for intending immigrants is on the cards, says Blocher

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrVertigo (Post 1049079)

What do the foreigner statistics tell us (Aug. 2010):

1) The nationalities with highest immigration rate to switzerland are
- Kosovo, Germany, Portugal, France, Erythrea
Due to bilateral agreement with EU, CH can only target countries like Kosovo and Erythrea (asylum seekers). EU citizens do not need to worry.

2) The reasons for legal immigration to Switzerland is mainly due to work permits and family reunification (38% and 32%).

Conclusion: for the EU citizen there is nothing CH can do about it unless the target is to definitely break the bilateral agreements. The asylum seekers usually do not go to embassy before "visiting" switzerland. Therefore the proposal means blocking "family reunification" for third countries. Big question is if this will be equally applied to US, Australian, Canadian citizens as well to Kosovo/African citizens.
What about a swiss who married a thai/russian/indian partner? The partner won't be allowed to come to CH until mastering of a national language is proven. Can the swiss ask federal court to have his/her basic rights for family reunification respected?

This type of laws are already applied in Danemark and Netherlands. Dutch citizens usually go to Belgium and live there 6 months to get residence permit for their partner and then go back to NL.

SVP is just making propaganda for elections in 2011....I'm sure they are not interested in the effective implementation of such vague rules.

I know that SVP are just doing their election propaganda thingie, and now FDP will follow their path:
http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/schweiz/...story/17617409

yes, this development in Switzerland is really really worrying...good job SVP!

mgivogue

19.12.2010 20:26

Re: Compulsory language test for intending immigrants is on the cards, says Blocher

Can I sugest an addendum to the proposal???

Language test for any person moving to a new Canton or accepting a job in a different Canton than they live - regardless of Nationality...

ex. Swiss born person raised/lived all his or her life in Zurich, doesn't speak a word of French any more - must do a French language test before being allowed to move to Geneva.

:msncrazy:

MrVertigo

19.12.2010 20:47

Re: Compulsory language test for intending immigrants is on the cards, says Blocher

The SVP's view of immigration is clearly aiming at eradicating legal immigration from africa, non-EU eastern europe, balkans, asian, south-america.
After language selection, they will introduce later other criteria: not qualified enough, too tall, too small, too dark, too sick, potentially sick, crooked teeth, muslim, animist, buddhist. Only the fittest will be accepted. It will look like those captain's selecting and checking slaves before embarking them on slave ships.
The worrying thing is initiatives by SVP will receive support from population. It's about time for international organizations like UN promoting peace and tolerance to seek for another host country.....maybe somewhere in Africa.

eddiejc1

19.12.2010 20:49

Re: Compulsory language test for intending immigrants is on the cards, says Blocher

Quote:

Originally Posted by Village Idiot (Post 1049231)

Will Novartis pay LESS taxes in France than they do in Switzerland right now? Will it really be that much easier to get workers on the French side of the border than it would be on the Swiss if these rules go into effect?

native

19.12.2010 20:55

Re: Compulsory language test for intending immigrants is on the cards, says Blocher

Quote:

Originally Posted by OSueco (Post 1049343)

Maybe it's a good thing. The SVP has forced the other parties to stop ignoring the people's worries about foreigners / immigration.
Probably they'll come up with better solutions than the SVP.
«Einwanderung gezielt steuern zum Nutzen der Schweiz.» («Consciously controlling immigration for make benefit glorious nation of Switzerland»), I can get behind that.

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