So is Haut Valais German easier than other German dialects in Switzerland?
I’m not sure I understand you correctly.
So first foreign language in Romande is either German or English depending the Canton?
What about in Lichtenstein, the French territories near Geneva and Basel… and Germany near Switzerland etc?
Which languages have you ever dream to learn excluding the local language where you live now?
For example I always wanted to learn Japanese and Korean but these are hard languages and ever since I moved to Europe, the priority is to learn a few European languages .
No, non, nein not even ein Bitzli. It is a distinct dialect that nobody understands. In particular non German speakers like me, but I can detect the dialect.
It’s really German pretty much everywhere, certainly in the truly French speaking cantons. Even in Geneva German comes before English contrary to what Ace said earlier.
They may not learn German in Valais where he lives but given it’s a bilingual canton that would surprise me immensely.
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Interesting. I recall the newpaper headlines and controversy at the time when Geneva changed it to do English first, but clearly your document refers to a 2012 change in policy, which appears to be national, not just cantonal, so it looks like they were persuaded to reverse that. Which I have to say I would agree with.
As for local kids here, all I can say is that they don’t speak German, but then I guess lots of people are crap at foreign languages, so it might just be that they don’t make the effort.
The thing with a bilingual canton is that everything can be done in either language, so there’s really no incentive to learn German, and as pointed out it wouldn’t be much use with the dialect they speak up the valley anyway.
In Switzerland, the debate over whether to prioritize learning a national language or English as the first foreign language has been ongoing. I aim to highlight the advantages of choosing English as the first foreign language in Canton Zurich compared to choosing German as the first foreign language in Canton Geneva.
Teaching English as the first foreign language in Central/Eastern Switzerland (e.g., Canton Zurich) offers several significant advantages. It facilitates communication among adolescents and young adults across all regions of the country and prepares the future workforce for the global job market. As the language of research and technology, English is crucial for academic success and is more accessible to children from non-Swiss backgrounds, aiding their integration.
Additionally, early English education helps level the playing field by reducing the need for private lessons and addressing the challenges boys often face in language acquisition. Moreover, prioritizing English mitigates the implicit discrimination against other national languages like Italian and Romansh, although it may also lead to the neglect of regional cultural nuances and dialects.
Despite these benefits, focusing on English might limit exposure to Switzerland’s other national languages and their cultural richness. Nevertheless, English remains an attractive option due to its practicality and widespread use in the digital world, making it easier to teach and more relevant for international communication.
Teaching German as the first foreign language in Romandy (e.g., Canton Geneva) offers several important advantages. It strengthens the national languages and culture, thereby upholding the constitutional principle of Switzerland’s quadrilingualism.
This approach also enhances cohesion between the minority French-speaking and majority German-speaking regions while fostering a deeper connection to the nation’s cultural identity. Moreover, mastering German early on provides better job prospects within Swiss-focused professions, where German is often more vital than English, particularly in a canton where the number of cross-border workers continues to rise (very few French citizens have a good command of German). As of the end of June, there were nearly 110,500 cross-border workers in the canton, representing 28% of the total number of G permits in Switzerland.
Additionally, by learning German first, students gain a strong foundation in language skills, making it easier to learn English later. This method ensures that English remains primarily a practical tool rather than overshadowing the national languages.
Ultimately, prioritizing German reinforces a sense of belonging and strengthens the Swiss identity, contributing to the nation’s cultural and linguistic diversity. However, access to Swiss-German culture would be better served by learning a Swiss-German dialect in addition to standard German.
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This reads like a 6th grade essay…do you always write with such pomposity on the most trivial subjects?
It reads like a cut and paste job to me.
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A nerve’s been hit.
aha. seriously? And English doesn’t challenge that apparently generally overchallenged brain of boys?
I’d say, this was inacceptable long before “woke” became a thing.
So AI is useful for something…
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Just imagine if someone wrote something along the lines of “…the intellectual challenges girls have mastering STEM disciplines…”
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They do.
Here’s the current status by canton, including the bilinguals’:
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And here’s the English version.
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You just had to click on the language of choice at the top to get the language you want. (German, French, Italian, Rumantsch or English).
It’s not difficult and is incredibly easy to spot, unlike some other websites where you have to really search for the different language options.
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So what you seem to be saying is that it’s important for French speakers to learn German to help them intergrate with the rest of the country, but not for German-speakers to learn French because they’re in the majority.
Have you any idea how arrogant that sounds? Why not just remove French (and Italian and Romansch, presumably) altogether to promote a “sense of belonging”.
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If I understand you it seems you are contracting yourself. So according to your opinion, neither German Switzerland nor Romande have the perfect formula? Nevertheless its interesting what you are saying given the differences in language teaching in such a tiny country.
Then let’s all speak English, problem solved. JK 
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That’s exactly what Elon Musk wants! He’s allergic to anything that brings gender equality calling it woke!