What languages are spoken in Switzerland? State languages of the country

Switzerland is a multinational developed state, in which representatives of the most diverse nationalities live. This, as well as geographical assimilation influenced the language environment of the state. From this article you can learn about the languages spoken in Switzerland, get acquainted with the peculiarities of the country and many others. I would like to note right away that, in addition to the official languages, there are a number of dialects and dialects that a considerable part of the population owns.

German

If we talk about which language is the most popular in Switzerland, then, of course, it is German. Most of the population of this state lives in the cantons (administrative unit) in which they speak it, or rather in its Swiss dialects.

French

This language is much less common, but it is also spoken in four French-speaking cantons located in the west of the country, that is, in the Romance region. These regions include Jura, Geneva, Nevshantel and Vaud. In addition, three cantons have a bilingual population: Berne, Wallis and Friborg.

Italian language

Swiss state languages also include Italian. Even though it is very rare here, it was recognized as official. Used Italian in the canton called Ticino and some southern regions of the canton of Graubünden.

Romansh

The least of all in Switzerland is the native speakers of this language. Their number varies according to different data from 0.5 to 0.6% of the total population of the state. The Romansh is spoken exclusively in the canton of Graubünden, in which the native speakers of Italian and German also live. In total there are five subgroups of this language, of which one common language was created called Rumantsch Grischun.

State languages of Switzerland

The fact that as many as four languages are officially recognized in the country is due to several factors. First of all, this is immigration. For centuries, citizens of not only neighboring countries with a lower standard of living have sought to enter Switzerland, but also visitors from far abroad. For example, a census conducted in 2000 showed that about 1.4% of the country's population are emigrants from the territory of the former Yugoslavia.

German, French, Italian and Romansh - that's what languages they speak in Switzerland. However, according to the country's constitution, the first three of the above mentioned languages are considered national, and it is on them that state documents, legislative acts and so on are drawn up. This is due to the fact that there are too few speakers of Romansh language in Switzerland. Nevertheless, it is often used in official meetings, and it is possible to apply to the authorities.

Such rules are in force so that the minority does not feel restrained. The principle of territoriality works here, according to which, language boundaries should be observed in official institutions. The fact that the four languages are officially recognized here does not at all indicate that every resident of the country owns them.

Language proficiency

Often, people in Switzerland have their own basic, native language, to a small extent, another one of state and English. The unwillingness to learn all the official languages can simply be explained by the fact that English is much more popular around the world, and his knowledge opens up much more opportunities. This turns Switzerland from "four-language" into "two and a half lingual" country.

Spread of languages

Now you know what languages are spoken in Switzerland. It's time to learn about how the language status of each canton is determined. The authorities of each region have the right to determine independently which language will be the main language on their territory. For example, French-speaking cantons choose German for studying in schools, and vice versa. In this case, the second foreign language is Italian or English. And in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticil, for example, the study of German and French is mandatory.

State VS English

The statement of the head of the education director of one of the cantons, made in 2000, was criticized because he wanted to establish English as the first foreign language, and thus the state language would move to secondary positions in this area. The official referred to the fact that English is more common in the world, pupils in future it will come in handy more than French. Opponents of the innovation decided that such changes could lead to a deterioration in the national unity of the country.

Conclusion

In fact, it is difficult to say how many state languages in Switzerland, because there are a lot of foreigners here, the number of which in percentage terms is about 9%. This figure is constantly changing with the influx of new migrants. This makes it even more difficult to determine what languages are spoken in Switzerland.