Language Learning: Swiss French

CETRA provided clients with 248 unique language pairs in 2023. The most requested language pair was English (US) into German, while 57 language pairs were requested just once. One of the languages that was requested only once was French for Switzerland.

French is spoken by about 23 percent of the Swiss population with most living in a western section of the country known as “Suisse Romande.” It includes the four French-speaking Swiss cantons of Geneva, Jura, Neuchâtel, and Vaud, while the cantons of Bern, Fribourg, and Valais feature both French and German speakers. While the French speakers in Switzerland may have distinct vocabulary and expressions, the written and spoken French is very similar to standard French.

French was recognized as an official language of Switzerland together with German and Italian in 1848 with the foundation of the Swiss Confederation.

All of the languages spoken in Switzerland include French, German, Italian, Rhaeto-Rumantsch, and other languages spoken by foreigners living in the country.

Sources: My Switzerland and Studying in Switzerland (including image)