Trilingual Education in Switzerland

The Swiss Confederation is known for its historical multilingualism. The four national languages are, however, unequally distributed among its inhabitants. Individual foreign-language competence, including English, also varies strongly. The educational system reflects cantonal differences. The article distinguishes between strong, intermediate, and weak forms of trilingual education. The strong form can be found at university level, the intermediate form includes all bilingual models with a course in one additional language, and the weak form is found frequently, in particular, in secondary education. A new model of multilingualism emerges with two national languages, plus English. Research has thus far dealt mainly with the outcomes of bilingual education, but in the near future will focus more on the differences between second- and third-language learning and the outcomes of trilingual educatio

Parler des langues, du bilinguisme et de l’apprentissage des langues à la frontière linguistique : Le cas de Fribourg/Freiburg

In diesem Artikel werden sprachliche, konzeptuelle und terminologische Herausforderungen vorgestellt, welche an der Sprachgrenze zwischen Deutsch und Französisch in der Schweiz diskutiert werden. In diesem zweisprachigen Gebiet existieren neben den Standardsprachen auch Dialektvarietäten und vor allem seit den 1950er Jahren auch zahlreiche Migrationssprachen. Nach einer Übersicht über die Sprachensituation der Stadt und des Kantons Freiburg werden drei Beispiele dieser aktuellen Herausforderungen vorgestellt: 1. Der Gebrauch der Glossonyme der in Kontakt stehenden Sprachen; 2. Der Diskurs zum Status der Sprachen und der offiziellen Zweisprachigkeit der Stadt Freiburg; 3. Die Einstellungen und Begriffe zum Thema Sprachenlernen und insbesondere zum zweisprachigen Unterricht

Language policy in Switzerland

Switzerland is often referred to as a success story for handling its linguistic and cultural diversity. Traditionally four languages have been spoken in relatively homogeneous territories: German, French, Italian and Rhaeto–Romanic (Romansh). The first three have been national languages since the foundation of the Confederation in 1848; the fourth became a national language in 1938. In effect, The Law on Languages, in effect since 2010, has regulated the use and promotion of languages and enhanced the status of Romansh as one of the official languages since 2010. While Swiss language policy is determined at the federal level, it is in the actual practice a matter for cantonal implementation. Article 70 of the Swiss Federal Constitution, titled “Languages”, enshrines the principle of multilingualism. A recent project to create legislation to implement multilingualism across the cantons, however, has failed. Thus Switzerland remains de jure quadrilingual, but de facto bilingual at best, with only a handful of cantons recognizing more than one official language (Newman, 2006: 2). Cantonal borders are not based on language: the French-German language border runs across cantons during most of its course from north to south, and such is also the case for [email protected] of Bialystok, PolandAleksandrowicz, M. 2011. ’Multilingualism of Switzerland - Selected Legal Problems.’ Studies in Logic, Grammar and Rhetoric, 26 (39): 105-113.Bächtiger, A., Steiner, J. 2004. ‘Switzerland.’ in U.M. Amoretti, N.G. Bermeo (eds.) Federalism and Territorial Cleavages, 27-54. Baltimore and London: John Hopkins University Press.Barbour, S. 2010. ‘Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg: The Total Coincidence of Nations and Speech Communities?’ in S. Barbour, C. Carmichael (eds.) Language and Nationalism in Europe, 151-167. Oxford University Press.Bastardas-Boada, A. 2012. Language and Identity Policies in the “Glocal” Age. New Processes, Effects, and Principles of Organization. Barcelona.Brohy, C. 2005. ‘Trilingual Education in Switzerland.’ International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 171, 133-148. Retrieved October 25, 2015 from http://www.serwis.wsjo.pl/lektor/1783/R18%20Brohy%20Trilingual%20edu%20in%20Switzerland.pdfDurham, M. 2006. English in Switzerland: Inherent Variation in a Non-native Speech Community. Retrieved August 20, 2015 from http://www.academia.edu/234939/English_in_Switzerland_Inherent_Variation_in_a_non-native_speech_community.Federal Act of 5 October 2007 on the National Languages and Understanding between the Linguistic Communities (Languages Act) of 5.10.2007 (SR 441.1).Federal Act on the Federal Assembly (Parliament Act, ParlA). 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Retrieved August 10, 2015 from http://socialsciences.uottawa.ca/crfpp/sites/socialsciences.uottawa.ca.crfpp/files/grin.pdfGrin, F., Korth, B. 2005. ‘On the Reciprocal Influence of Language Politics and Language Education: The Case of English in Switzerland.’ Language Policy, 4(1), 67-85.Grin, F., Schwob, I. 2002. ‘Bilingual Education and Linguistic Governance: The Swiss Experience.’ Intercultural Education, 13 (4): 409-426.Hutterli, S. (ed.) 2012. Coordination of Language Teaching in Switzerland. Current Status - Developments - Future Prospects. Retrieved November 10, 2015 from http://edudoc.ch/record/106283/files/Stub34E_e.pdf.Jeffrey, B. 1982. ‘Language and Parliament: We Are not Alone.’ Canadian Parliamentary Review, Autumn, 21-23.Kużelewska, E. 2015. ‘Language Border and Linguistic Legislation in Belgium.’ Michigan State International Law Review. Forum Conveniens 3 (1): 1-12.Leemann, A. 2012. Swiss German Intonation Patterns. John Benjamins Publishing.Levitt, J. 2004. ‘Multilingualism in Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg.’ Geolinguistics, 30: 85-96.Lüdi, G., Boillat. J.-M., Bosshard, H.-U., Oertle Bürki, C. 1998. Quelles langues apprendre en Suisse pendant la scolarité obligatoire? Rapport d’un groupe d’experts mandaté par la commission formation général pour élaborer un “Concept général pour l’enseignement des langues” a la conférence suisse des directeurs cantonaux de l’instruction publique. Retrieved November 9, 2015 from http://www.le-ser.ch/system/files/documents/06_CDIP_Concept_gen_ens_langues.pdf.National Council Standing Orders (RCN), du 3.10.2003 (SR 171.13) Retrieved September 2, 2015 from https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/20030895/index.html.Newman, R. 2006. Swiss Linguistic Rights Report. Retrieved August 28, 2015 from http://www.pen-dschweiz.ch/udb/1369844944dspzkongressTLRCohrid2006.pdf.Nouvelle Histoire de la Suisse et des Suisses. Vol 2. 1986. Lausanne: Payot.Pandolfi, E.M., Christopher Guerra, S., Somenzi, B. 2013. Multilingualism in Switzerland: Receptive Skills in Italian for Promoting Comprehension Between the Language Communities. Retrieved September 5, 2015 from http:// www.cil19.org/uploads/documents/Multilingualism_in_Switzerland-receptive_skills_in_Italian_for_promoting_comprehension_between_the_language_communities.pdf.Pitsch, C. 2010. ‘The Case of Switzerland.’ in Minority Language Protection in Europe: Into a New Decade, 87-96. Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing.Rellstab, U. 2001. Transversal Study. Cultural Policy and Cultural Diversity. National Report Switzerland. Retrived September 20, 2015 from: http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/culture/Completed/Diversity/CCCULT_2001_7_EN.PDF.Richter, D. 2011. ‘The Model Character of Swiss Language Law.’ in A.L. Kjaer, S. Adamo (eds.) Linguistic Diversity and European Democracy, 189-206. Farnham, Burlington: Ashgate.Schmid, C.L. 1981. Conflict and Consensus in Switzerland. University of California Press.Schoch, B. 2000. Switzerland - A Model for Solving Nationality Conflicts?. Report No. 54, 1-64. Frankfurt: Peace Research Institute.Schwab, P. 2014. The Swiss Parliament as a Plurilingual Forum. Retrieved September 1, 2015 from http://www.parlament.ch/d/service-presse/parlamentsdienste/generalsekretaer/Documents/discours-philippe-schwab-asgp-geneve-2014-10-10-e.pdf.Steinberg, J. 1996. Why Switzerland?. Cambridge University Press.Stępkowska, A. 2013. ‘Collective Aspects of Communication: The Italian-speaking Swiss.’ Poznań Linguistic Forum, 26: 1-10.The Swiss Fedreal Supreme Court. The Third Power Within the State. Retrieved August 29, 2015 from http://www.bger.ch/bg_broschuere_a4_e.pdf.Weinreich, U. 2011. Languages in Contact. French, German and Romansh in Twentieth-century Switzerland. John Benjamins Publishing.125-14

L’enseignement plurilingue en Suisse: de la gestion de l’innovation au quotidien

Le discours institutionnel sur l’enseignement plurilingue est relativement récent en Suisse, il date des années 1980, même si des formes d’enseignement plurilingue ont été pratiquées bien avant. Aujourd’hui, il existe une grande variété de modèles, tant par rapport au début, qu’à l’intensité en L2 ou L3, qu’au statut obligatoire ou facultatif ou encore des langues cibles. Les modèles tardifs font moins l’objet de discussions et de controverses, ils sont mis en relation avec une professionnalisation qui ne touche plus à l’identité et la culture des élèves. Si l’évaluation des produits d’apprentissage, les compétences langagières et disciplinaires, est nécessaire, l’observation de la praxis plurilingue, de la construction des savoirs des élèves et du développement de l’interlangue, est primordiale. Les évaluations et les accompagnements effectués mettent en exergue l’importance d’une bonne préparation des projets plurilingues, de l’adhésion des partenaires, d’un suivi et d’une formation adéquate du corps enseignant. (DIPF/Orig.)Der institutionelle Diskurs zum mehrsprachigen Unterricht ist in der Schweiz relativ jung, er entwickelte sich während der 1980er-Jahre, auch wenn es gewisse Formen mehrsprachigen Unterrichts schon viel länger gibt. Heute existiert eine grosse Vielfalt von Modellen, in Bezug auf den Beginn des mehrsprachigen Unterrichts, den zeitlichen Aufwand in der L2 oder L3, eine obligatorische oder fakultative Teilnahme, oder die Zielsprachen. Die späten Modelle werden weniger kontrovers diskutiert und weniger häufig in Frage gestellt; sie werden eher mit Professionalisierung in Zusammenhang gebracht, welche die Kultur und Identität der Studierenden nicht mehr tangiert. Einerseits ist die Evaluation der Sprach- und Fachkompetenzen wichtig, anderseits lässt die Beobachtung der plurilingualen Praxis, des Wissenserwerbs und der Entwicklung der Interimsprache wichtige Schlüsse zu. Evaluationen und Begleitforschung haben gezeigt, dass eine gute Vorbereitung der Projekte Massnahmen zur Sicherung der Nachhaltigkeit, eine breite Akzeptanz und eine adäquate Ausbildung der Unterrichtenden unabdingbar sind. (DIPF/Orig.

Rapports entre « petites » et « grandes » langues : tensions et négociations identitaires – exemples dans divers contextes

Dans cet article nous explorons des grandes et petites langues en contact, avec leurs enjeux identitaires et linguistiques. Les exemples sont essentiellement tirés du paysage linguistique suisse, où quatre langues nationales côtoient des dialectes, des langues de la migration et l’anglais