September 21st, 2025

Introduction for my foreign friends:

Switzerland is a confederation of 26 cantons and has four national languages: German (62%), French (23%), Italian (8%) and Romansh (0.5%). Among the most widely spoken foreign languages are English, Portuguese and Albanian.

Although nearly two thirds of the population speak German, it is most often Swiss German dialects. Each region has its own dialect, which differs considerably from standard German. A German from Germany often struggles to understand: the vocabulary, grammar and above all the pronunciation differ greatly from what is considered “proper German”.

The situation is different in French-speaking Switzerland: there are mainly some regional accents and a few typically Swiss expressions, but a French person has no real difficulty understanding Swiss French.

Switzerland is a profoundly democratic country, granting great independence to its cantons, among them in education and studies. Recently, for example, the canton of Zurich, followed by the canton of St. Gallen, decided to reduce the teaching of French in favour of English, a decision that calls national cohesion into question.

Let us return to Deniz and his first week of studies. As a reminder, he had failed the admission exam to the College of Nursing Sciences, mainly due to a lack of knowledge of medical terminology in German. To be able to pursue these studies, a C1 level in German is required. At no point was he asked to master a dialect. He therefore applied to Olten, in the canton of Solothurn, where he began his training last Monday with a general information session for all new students. This session was held in the Solothurn dialect… needless to say, he did not understand everything.

The same scenario was repeated in class: explanations about the programme, the installation of software and other practical information were all given in dialect. On Wednesday, the technical courses finally began, but to his great frustration, all the teachers also taught in dialect. Despite his requests to be taught in standard German, the lessons continued in dialect. It was a situation both frustrating and humiliating: having to ask several times, in front of the whole class, for the teachers to speak proper German. After several attempts, he gave up. Deniz was so discouraged that he seriously considered abandoning this training, which he had been looking forward to with such enthusiasm.

I then wrote to the school’s rector. She replied on Friday, assuring me that she had reminded the teachers of the obligation to use standard German. This was a great relief for Deniz. However, one teacher told him that she did not feel confident enough in proper German and would therefore continue teaching in dialect. We shall see whether or not she complies with the rector’s instructions.

A revealing issue:

From secondary school onwards, the majority of subjects are taught in Switzerland in standard German, and the same applies in vocational schools. In higher education, this should be self-evident, just as it is at university level. This situation clearly illustrates both the diversity of Switzerland and the challenges arising from cantonal independence. At a time when the number of students with a foreign background is rapidly increasing, it is surprising, to say the least, that such practices can still occur.

To illustrate this with the specific case of nursing education: Deniz’s class has 21 students, of whom 18 are of foreign origin. However, most of them completed their schooling in Switzerland. Fewer and fewer Swiss students choose this profession, even though the demand for qualified staff is constantly growing.

Let’s hope the coming week will be calmer!

Last week, I had a Peripheral Angiography MRI. On Friday, the hospital phoned me to say that I needed to return for another scan. The data collected were insufficient for the surgical team preparing my next operation. I am therefore going back on Monday afternoon for new imaging.

Tomorrow, Monday, marks the opening of EMO in Hanover, the world’s largest trade fair for machine tools. In the past, I used to personally oversee the installation of our group’s exhibition stand. This year, my colleague in charge of marketing invited me to see the new stand, which is 60% larger thanks to the integration of GF into the United Grinding Group: a space of 1,600 m², making it one of the largest at the exhibition!

My former employer, STUDER, is even chartering a plane for its clients to make a same-day return trip Zurich–Hanover, something impossible with scheduled flights. I have decided to take advantage of this on Wednesday morning, and I will return on Friday by train. I am very much looking forward to meeting up with my former colleagues as well as various partners and suppliers, especially those involved in the construction of the booth.