Posted on Language Rich Blog
Following our successful first launch in Bern, Switzerland on 23 May 2012, Caroline Morrissey, Director British Council Switzerland, has written an article discussing both the launch and the Swiss language situation in general. Please read on to find out more.
Anything to do with language policy in Switzerland, a country with four
national languages, is always going to be political. So, with the
British Council being seen to take the lead, and with the UK’s
reputation in this country for not teaching and learning foreign
languages well in its schools, we had to tread carefully. At the
Language Rich launch in 2010, we spoke not one word of English but ran
the event in French and German throughout – and got some great feedback
for taking Swiss national languages seriously – as well as managing to
avoid criticism about English imperialism. For us in Switzerland, it is
important to make a clear distinction between this programme, which is
about multilingualism and the work we do in promoting English. English
is hugely important in Switzerland, but is also seen as a threat to
Swiss cohesion. Read more...