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17:11
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July 6, 2011
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I'm moving to Switzerland this September for school. I'll be staying there for four to five years, and I want to learn Bernese Swiss German (the particular dialect of where I'll be living) so I can fit in with my peers. I've gotten a lot of comments saying "Just learn High German, it's better for traveling/easier to learn (because there are materials)/nobody speaks Swiss German except the Swiss, etc.". Those are valid points, but don't address the reason I want to learn how to speak Swiss German. If I don't speak the local dialect, I won't fit in. It's as simple as that.
I've been having a lot of difficulty learning Swiss German because of the lack of materials and people on the internet aren't very open to helping me. I've posted in the various Swiss and German subreddits on Reddit, and even Swiss people have told me "You can't learn Swiss German, you have to be born here". Other people have told me to just wait until I move, but I wanted to start working on the language NOW so I can have a solid foundation when I get off the plane and into Switzerland and start using some of the techniques Benny talks about.
So what do I do? I have a few things, Maryangel24's YouTube videos and a Pimsleur course, but not much else. I'm also currently taking High German lessons to try to get a foundation, but from what I can see a LOT of the words in Swiss German are different so whatever vocab I learn isn't that useful (except to use as a crutch until I learn the "proper" Swiss word).
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17:42
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May 23, 2012
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With a dialect like this, you're likely going to have to wait until you get there to really learn it. Stick to the high German and you shouldn't have too much trouble picking up the local dialect. I definitely wouldn't recommend believing that you can't do it, because that's ridiculous. If they learned it, so can you.
But, if you really insist upon starting now, your best bet is to find somebody that's willing to make you tapes of how the dialect sounds and works. I know a class mate of mine who was a missionary in Africa learned the local language off a set of tapes that somebody made for him. I assume this would work in this case. The downside to having such a specific target is that it can be rather tough to find materials. But, if you really learn German, then it shouldn't take too much time to pick up a particular dialect of it.
As far as fitting in is far more about attitude and place than it is about the specific dialect you speak. Be sure not to erect any more barriers to acceptance than you need to.
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04:17
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November 27, 2011
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I think that learning Hochdeutsch (High German) will help you - with my Hochdeutsch I was able to read everything I needed in Switzerland, and also to have some conversations. But you should make sure to find conversation partners who are from Switzerland - don't waste your time on Frankfurters and Berliners, and speak only with the Swiss.
I don't have much experience with Swiss German, but with my "regular" German I managed to go around there, so I think this could work, if you are having a hard time finding sources.
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08:51
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May 30, 2013
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It's not as if Swiss German is a totally different language. It's just the SPOKEN dialect that sounds different. In schools Swiss Standard German is taught, which is basically High German with a slightly different vocabulary. Everyone who speaks Swiss German is also able (but maybe unwilling) to speak and understand High German. Everything WRITTEN is written in Swiss Standard German (newspapers, books, advertising, official publications). And Swiss Standard German is spoken during school lessons, at universities (lectures), at formal public events, at events with non-German-speaking Swiss, the national parliament, in church and it's used for loudspeaker announcements, e.g. at train stations. Swiss German is used in informal settings.
People from non-German-speaking parts of Switzerland only learn High German in school, so they don't speak the dialect either. I don't say you shouldn't learn the spoken dialect somehow, but you should definitely learn (Swiss) High German, because this is the basis. If you don't want to learn High German, maybe you can find a course that teaches Swiss Standard German. Then you wouldn't have the issue of differing vocab. You can still try to get used to the dialect when you arrive in Switzerland (you will probably find local classes). You won't be the only one. There are a lot of German students at Swiss universities who don't speak Swiss German either.
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13:33
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May 10, 2012
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Hoi JJTheJetPlane.
I agree that it is definitely worth learning as much Schwiizertüütsch as you can. You'll be able to connect much better with local people. My limited experience in Switzerland showed me that many people were not comfortable speaking high German and they really appreciated people who made the effort to speak Schwiizertüütsch.
By the way, Migros, a chain of stores, has a school (Klubschule) that offers Swiss German classes so evidently there are people in Switzerland who feel it's worth learning the dialect.
Good luck!
16:17
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November 10, 2012
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Guete Tag! I managed to find two links that seem useful:
1. http://www.englishforum.ch/language-corner/17908-resources-learning-swiss-german-all-dialects.html - a lot of resources for learning Swiss German
2. http://www.swiss-german-online.com/ - some Swiss German lessons and also offers tutoring via Skype!
Hope this helps. Good luck with your studies!
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03:28
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January 16, 2013
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It might be a good idea to get some knowledge of high German as well, since your peers will also have that knowledge. I think it would be very unusual to find a Swiss German speaker who didn't know high German. If you really want to fit in with them, don't avoid high German like the plague. 
Stephanie
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August 8, 2014
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I think you are absolutely right. I wish I could help you, but I am only getting started to collect swiss conversation recordings.
Many Swiss are ambiguous about germans, so speaking hoch deutch is a mixed convenience. Many prefer English to German.
If you join a group of Swiss chatting, understanding high german will help, but it is very different, so you need to need quite bit of learning to follow the chat.
To me living in Switzerland and learning high german before swiss german is like moving to Norway and be told to learn Danish.
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