Quadrilingual Switzerland
In Switzerland there are four national languages:
- Swiss German
- French (in Western Switzerland)
- Italian (in the canton of Ticino)
- Rhaeto-Romanic (in the canton of Grisons)
Swiss German takes many forms, including Swiss High German and a variety of local dialects. In Lachen, for example, the locals speak the dialect "Märchlerdeutsch". When speaking with foreigners, many Swiss automatically switch to Swiss High German so that they are not at all difficult to understand.
To be able to live in Lachen and communicate with locals and guests alike, you should have a good command of German. English is also an advantage.
Would you like to listen around a little? Here you will find sound samples for all Swiss dialects.