Museum of Knowledge language learners especially those whose aim is to learn a language for business, may have to select one dominant language to learn in cases where Switzerland is a focus for their business expansion. French and German are some of the most commonly used languages for business. Language learners who need to choose between one language or another may need to consider the following key issues if travelling to Switzerland on business. First, where in Switzerland is French spoken?

French is widely spoken towards the west of Switzerland and this accounts for around 22% of the whole Swiss population. The western French speaking cities that contribute towards a total of 26 Swiss cantons include the following;

Bern, in Bern

Fribourg, in Fribourg

Lausanne, in Vaud

Sion, in Valais

Neuchâtel, in Neuchâtel

Geneva, in Geneva

Delémont, in Jura

From the list of French speaking Swiss cities and cantons the largest and most important cities within western Switzerland are Bern and Lausanne, known for its infamous research capabilities and University and Geneva.

Bern is the capital of Switzerland and so this fact alone shows how important it is to learn French if travelling to Switzerland or doing business in Switzerland. Bern old town is a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its numerous fountains around the city. Bern is the official seat of the Swiss government and Houses of Parliament (Bundeshaus) and enjoys numerous museums of interest including the Swiss Alpine Museum, the Communication Museum and the riverside Botanical Gardens.

Lausanne is situated on Lake Geneva and is the official home of the International Olympic Committee headquarters. Lausanne is also known as the smallest city in the world with a metro system. A picturesque city full of “la gloire,” Lausanne is famous for its medieval old town that houses the Lausanne Cathedral, the Olympic Museum, the Ouchy promenade, the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Lavaux vineyards, the Rolex Learning Centre, and of course Lake Geneva (le lac Léman), the largest freshwater lake in Europe. The University of Lausanne founded in 1537 sits on Lake Geneva and offers students a wide range of courses such as Theology, Geoscience and Environmental Studies, Politics, Business and Commerce.

 Geneva is surrounded by Mont Blanc and is known as the city for banking and diplomacy. Geneva is an important financial services and business destination as well as a tourist hub for adventure travellers who enjoy winter sports including skiing and snowboarding. Geneva is also known for its luxury goods products including Swiss made watches and its wonderful museums including the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, the International Museum of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, the Ethnography Museum Geneva, the Patek Philippe Museum and the Voltaire Museum.

Over 60% of the Swiss population speak German so learning German if considering doing business in Switzerland is important. Here follows the list of cantons and cities in Switzerland where German is spoken;

Zürich in Zürich

Bern in Bern

Lucerne in Luzern

Altdorf in Uri

Schwyz in Schwyz

Sarnen in Obwalden

Stans in Nidwalden

Glarus in Giarus

Zug in Zug

Fribourg in Fribourg

Solothum in Solothurn

Basel in Basel-Stadt

Liestal in Basel-Landschaft

Schaffhausen in Schaffhausen

Herisau in Appenzell Ausserrhoden

Appenzell in Appenzell

St Gallen in St Gallen

Chur in Graubünden

Aarau in Aargau

Frauenfeid in Thurgau

Note that in the following region, only Italian is predominantly spoken;

Bellinzona in Ticino

From the list of cities in German speaking Switzerland, Zürich is certainly a major city known for being both a financial, banking hub and for its infamous Lake Zürich that surrounds the city. Zürich also houses the most expensive luxurious shopping mile with department stores and luxury boutiques abound on the exclusive Bahnhofstrasse. The FIFA Word Football Museum and the Zürich Opera House are special cultural Zürich highlights. For leisure activities, Zürich is also just some 90 minutes or less away from some of the best ski resorts in Switzerland including, Flumserberg, Sattel-Hochstuckli, Amden, Stoos, atzmännig, Brunni-Alpthal, Hoch-Ybrig, Chäserrugg, Titlis and Rigi the “Queen of the mountains”.

In conclusion as both French and German are widely spoken throughout Switzerland students or business professionals who speak any one of these languages will be at an advantage. Bear in mind however that the capital city of Switzerland is French speaking Bern.