Interference of Swiss German in Standard German of Thai Women Immigrants in German-Speaking Switzerland

Abstract

The German-speaking Switzerland is always cited as a prototypical diglossia speech community where dialects, generally termed as Swiss German, are used pararell to the standard variety. The choice of the variety used is functional and media-oriented depending on the communicative situations. Foreign immigrants in German-speaking Switzerland trying to acquire German language usually have to face double difficulties since what they learn in classes (Standard German) is not always compatible with the input they predominantly get (Swiss German), or they may have to master both varieties to be really integrated. Most of them have Swiss German interference in their Standard German repertoire.

This article aims to give an overview of the diglossia situation in the German-speaking Switzerland and also some remarkable differences between Swiss German and Standard German. Some empirical data showing the Bernese German interference in the usage of Standard German spoken by Thai women immigrants in Switzerland will also be presented and discussed.