@Izzy You are of course right, in principle, but I think the reality is much different. We went to see Ed Sheeran at the Letzigrund a couple of weeks back. While we were waiting for the queue to die down we had drinks and sausages at a standup bar. Approaching a half empty table I asked No Frei? And was received with a bunch of Ja’s.
They were a friendly group and they quickly determined I spoke no other German. I explained I was from Nyon, which they all knew, and asked if anyone spoke French even Es Bitzeli? Silence. Most of them spoke English and the beer had loosened their tongues so that is how we communicated. Many of them had taken French in school but none of them could or would speak it.
Now that is reality. And no doubt the same is true in Nyon.
But … But French is the official diplomatic language of the world. As far as i know all (international) passports are to have the french language version in them, along with official language of the issuing country …
French is not required on all passports worldwide, but it is one of several official languages commonly used for international identification documents due to historical and diplomatic conventions. Many countries include French, English, and Spanish in their passports to meet standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which mandates that passport information be given in at least one official ICAO language, which are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
All US passports are in English only. Swiss passports are in five languages, including English and French.
The Grison does not issue passports in any language.
FYI, in my US passport, which is 8 or 9 years old, the identity and emergency info pages are in English, French, and Spanish - i.e., the pages that an official in another country might read. But the info and warning pages are in English only.
Will be interested to see if any changes have been made when I renew next time.
As @tom8050 states, French has always been the language of diplomacy, power and noblesse (and finesse also ) , since Louis XIII (that’s the 1600’s) -and for a good reason! (and much to the detriment of German or Spanish)
I have the feeling that @Bowlie does not have to travel often to Geneva or Vaud - for business or pleasure-, where not a word of German is heard…
I stay firm on my position - it is a pity that adults (or, are they?) in the Zurich ‘regierung’ (uncapitalized ;-P) do not recognize the long term benefits of a culturally integrative primary and secondary education…
Yes, but it’s got to be more than the schools. Restaurants have to have menus in more languages, transit signs and machines need to be multilingual concert halls and similar venues need to reach out to people from other Swiss regions.
I have a feeling that Bowlie actually spends an awful lot of time in Geneva or Vaud and is therefore very well aware of their German speaking capabilities.
I think that one of the challenges for the French speakers is that, in school, they learn high German. But when they travel over the röstigrabund they are confronted with dialects. The French taught to German speakers is the French that is used in Switzerland.
I renewed mine early because I didn’t know if any State Dept peeps would be in the house if I waited. I sent the stuff to Vienna and got it back 5 weeks later. The new booklet, as you said, has “free passage” language in English, French, and Spanish. Identity is still 3 languages. Security/Info pages are all English, as expected. But the eye-opener was the visa pages (from 8 to 50 and the back cover). Each has an inspirational quotation from MLK, JFK, Lyndon, Dwight, …I guess those pages were printed a while ago…
