Swiss-german dialect is latest vogue

The daily reacts to the growing popularity in the country of schwyzerdütsch (the local german dialect), a phenomenon that is the subject of a new series of studies by the Forum Helveticum, an association dedicated to promoting dialogue within the confederation. "Regarded as very fashionable, the swiss-german dialect is increasingly supplanting the language of Goethe. (...) Worrying, the Forum Helveticum warns. Especially if one considers that young people leaving school early sometimes have gaps [in their knowledge] that can be a handicap. And what can be said about the difficulties encountered by the country's linguistic minorities and foreigners when faced with swiss german? So, is dialect a prison? Perhaps. But the fact that this way of speaking is experiencing the flush of youth again can be seen as an opportunity. (...) Linguistic diversity, complicated and chaotic, comes at a cost, to be sure. But it is also the price of having true cultural richness."

» full article (external link, French)
More from the press review on the subject » Society, » Switzerland
All available articles from » Valentine Zubler

» To the complete press review of Wednesday, January 11, 2006