For those who are new to Switzerland, let me briefly explain the difference between Swiss German and High German. When you say you want to learn "German," your intent is somewhat ambiguous, because there are several varieties of German. In Germany and much of the German-speaking world, it would be interpreted as German as spoken in Germany. It would perhaps be better described as "High German" or as "Standard German", because even in Germany there are regional differences (dialects) in the way German is spoken.
In Switzerland, we have a different situation. Standard German is used for writing and for official purposes (legislation, newspapers, professional life, schools). Actually, it is Swiss Standard German, but it is very similar to High German.
However, what is spoken by most Swiss in everyday life (in the German-speaking cantons) is Swiss German, which is quite a different matter. A native speaker of High German, for example someone from Germany, usually has considerable difficulty understanding Swiss German at first. Swiss people living in the eastern parts of the country learn Swiss German as their mother tongue and only later in school they learn Swiss High German as a second language. Therefore, a Swiss can and usually will switch to High German to help those who do not understand Swiss German.
To make it a bit more difficult, you should know that there is not only one Swiss German. There are numerous dialects and the differences between them are obvious.
The usual advice that is often heard is to stick to High German first. And for someone who has been here for a year or two, that is good advice so you can read everything and if you speak High German, almost everyone will understand you. There are many offers to learn High German and you can use it when you travel to Germany.
But if you plan to live in Switzerland for the long term and want to feel at home here, then it will pay to learn Swiss German.
However, the supply of learning material is still rather sparse, even though new material has come on the market recently. I have therefore compiled a list of resources for learning Swiss German for you. The audios, videos, songs and apps are all in the dialect from the greater Zurich area.
Additional material can be found in a post which «Itinerant» published here on January 25.1.2008.
1 Apps
Dictionaries
«Swiss German» (Swiss-German – English and vice versa)
iTunes App Store https://apps.apple.com/app/id1037579642
Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...rn.swissgerman
«Schweizerdeutsch» (Schweizerdeutsch – Hochdeutsch und umgekehrt)
iTunes App Store https://apps.apple.com/app/id1590726206
Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...hweizerdeutsch
Number trainer
«Weli Zahl?» (Swiss German, High German, Englisch, Chinese)
iTunes App Store https://apps.apple.com/app/id1151039399
Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...chorn.welizahl
2 Movies
Platzspitzbaby (2020) Regie: Pierre Monard
A feature film about the open drug scene in Zurich in the 90s.
A DVD is available from Ex-Libris.
Nine short films on the background of the drug policy of the time.
Swiss television broadcast nine short films with background information under «myschool».
They contain various interviews with the decision-makers of the time.
https://www.srf.ch/sendungen/myschoo...-im-unterricht
Zwingli – der Reformator (2019), Regie: Maximilian Simonischek
A feature film celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in Switzerland. The film is set in Zurich.
A DVD is available from Ex-Libris.
Schällen-Ursli (2015), Regie: Xavier Koller
The latest film adaptation of the famous children's book by Selina Chönz.
The film is also very popular with adults. Spoken in Graubünden dialect. DVD available.
Click here for the trailer on youtube: https://youtu.be/hL4N0F6u7GA
Heidi (2015), Regie: Alain Gsponer
The latest film adaptation of the famous book for children by Johanna Spyri.
The film also has a lot to offer adults. DVD available.
Click here for the trailer on youtube: https://youtu.be/_0ecsWf6rX0
3 Podcasts, Radio and TV
9 Zürcher – der Züri-Podcast der NZZ (NZZ, 2019)
The NZZ has portrayed exciting personalities from nine regions of the Canton of Zurich.
https://www.nzz.ch/zuerich/9-zuerche...4?reduced=true
acht schumpfo Züri, (Dominic Oppliger, 2018)
A melancholy novella about a young Zurich man.
One of the very few books from recent times written in the Zurich dialect.
The spelling is radically phonetic, exactly as spoken.
Published in edition spoken script. Volume 26
SRF 1 has realized the novella as a radio play. The four episodes were broadcast in summer 2018.
https://www.srf.ch/kultur/literatur/...ache-schreiben
Marash Pulaj, TV presenter/rapper:
«Ich bin der Vorzeige Shqippi», 16.03.2020, 20:03 hrs.
Marash Pulaj (26) knew Kosovo only from vacations, in his circle of friends he was the only Albanian and Lucerne dialect was the language in which he spoke and thought. Until he became the presenter of the best-known TV program in Kosovo.
https://www.srf.ch/play/radio/focus/...0-eee9af7fa971
Radio SRF Virus
On Radio Virus you can always find videos about interesting young people.
In the series "gay-lesbian" the presenter Dominique Rinderknecht talks about her coming out.
https://www.srf.ch/radio-srf-virus/s...l-normal-heute
Mona mittendrin
Every month on Wednesday evening, Mona Vetsch comes to visit. She meets people on the street, top chefs, children with rare diseases or is on the Geissalp. Mona is not prepared for anything, but ready for everything and comes to the stop every now and then.
https://www.srf.ch/play/tv/sendung/m...1-42a3b07231d1
Zoo Zürich
The Zurich Zoo podcasts provide a behind-the-scenes look at a modern zoo.
https://www.zoo.ch/de/podcast-zoo-zuerich-backstage
4 Artists
Big Zis (musician, hip hop)
Big Zis, actually Franziska Schläpfer, is a hip hopper and rapper from Winterthur.
On her homepage and on youtube you can listen to various dialect songs. https://bigzis.com/
Bligg (musician, rapp)
Bligg, actually Marco Bliggensdorfer, sings and raps in the Zurich dialect every now and then.
One example is his famous song «Rosalie».
On his homepage there are some videos with dialect songs: https://bligg.ch/
A longer interview together with Marc Sway can be found on Tele Top from September 8, 2020.
https://www.toponline.ch/tele-top/se...sway-00141045/
Carmen Fenk (muscian)
Carmen Fenk was the first winner of the Swiss casting show MusicStar in 2004.
Her album "Leaves and branches" (2016) contains English and Swiss German songs.
She partly writes the lyrics and composes her songs herself.
Samples of the songs are available on her homepage: https://www.carmenfenk.ch/musik/
Dodo (musician, reggae)
Dodo was born in 1977 in Nairobi and grew up in Kenya and Switzerland.
Many of his songs are recorded in the Zurich dialect.
On his homepage you can get a first impression: https://www.dodomusic.ch
Fabienne Louves (muscian, pop music)
Fabienne Louves was the winner in the Swiss casting show MusicStar in 2007 and has made a name for herself in various musicals (see Ostside Story).
The albums of Fabienne Louves contain exclusively hits in the Lucerne dialect: https://www.fabiennelouves.ch
Hazel Brugger (comedian, television presenter, author)
Hazel Brugger is a slam poet, comedian, cabaret artist und television presenter.
She received the 2017 Salzburger Stier for cabaret and already twice the German Comedy Award.
Most of her performances are spoken in High German.
But here is an interview with Roger Schawinski in the Zurich dialect: https://youtu.be/n5pQdSHhhnQ
And here is her homepage: https://hazelbrugger.com/
Patty Basler (stage poet, comedian, author)
The Aargau stage poet, Patty Basler, was originally a teacher and then switched to art.
She received the Salzburger Stier in 2019 as an award for her plays.
On youtube you can find some videos with short excerpts from her plays.
Here you can go to her homepage: http://www.pattibasler.ch/veranstaltungen_neu/
Priya Ragu (singer)
Soul singer Priya Ragu unites cultures.
https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/musi...reint-kulturen
Silvio Kretschmer (actor)
The actor Silvio Kretschmer was born in Zurich in 1995. He speaks Zurich dialect and accent-free High German, as his parents are from Germany.
Kretschmer r became known through the series «Rehmann - S.O.S Sick of Silence». In it, he gives a voice to people who do not dare to speak in front of the microphone themselves. Silvio condenses the life stories of these people and brings them before the camera in a monologue.
https://www.srf.ch/play/radio/rehman...a-b2b28c072525
About Silvio: https://www.srf.ch/sendungen/die-sch...er-der-extreme
Simon Chen (spoken word artist, poetry slam, comedian)
On his homepage Simon Chen gives an insight into his wide range of work. Under the heading «audio samples» you can listen to some of his works. https://www.simonchen.ch/
Also on youtube you can find various videos of his programs. https://youtu.be/40WV3FqLLbE
Skor (singer)
Skor is a rapper from Zurich. Or should we rather call him a «singer»? Anyway, on his albums you can find songs of different styles always with musical quality and depth. Find here two examples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpSmHh6zIjM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf7GQyBI7Nw
Skor’s webseite is: https://www.skor.ch
Ursus und Nadeschkin (comedians)
Probably the most famous cabaret couple combines pantomime, acumen and humor.
Video example: https://youtu.be/lL9w7txRyFs
Here's to their homepage: https://www.ursusnadeschkin.ch
About their life and about their artistic collaboration: https://youtu.be/3iZG-OoEK-4
Several DVDs are available at Orell Füessli and Ex-Libris.
5 Learning material
Verena Schorn (2021), Schweizerdeutsch leicht gemacht – S Schwiizerdüütsch vo Züri.
Everything you need to know about Swiss German grammar, clearly arranged in 17 lessons.
https://tredition.de/autoren/verena-...erback-162840/
Harry Fuchs (2017), Grüezi mitenand. Level A1 . Softlanding Zug.
Harry Fuchs, (2016), A comprehensive Swiss German Grammar . Softlanding Zug.