Do Germans from southern Germany consider Austria and Switzerland to be an extension of Germany, like many Americans consider Canada (nearly indistinguishable accent and culture)? Does the accent change abruptly at the border or does it sound much the same on both sides? I know that that the spelling is a little different in Switzerland.
German in 3 countries
<<Do Germans from southern Germany consider Austria and Switzerland to be an extension of Germany>>
- No they don´t! Look up some history stuff about Germany!!
<<Does the accent change abruptly at the border>>
- Based on German, the languages and accents are very close to another. Around the border areas you will also hear people speak all of these (german/austrian/swiss) languages and accents, and so there cannot be an abrupt audible difference. Still, some accents and especially Switzerduetsch differs quite obviously from High German in sound and also in many expressions.
- No they don´t! Look up some history stuff about Germany!!
<<Does the accent change abruptly at the border>>
- Based on German, the languages and accents are very close to another. Around the border areas you will also hear people speak all of these (german/austrian/swiss) languages and accents, and so there cannot be an abrupt audible difference. Still, some accents and especially Switzerduetsch differs quite obviously from High German in sound and also in many expressions.
East Frisian dialect of Low German is spoken in rural areas of East Frisia(Germany). It is more similar to Dutch,than to Standard German:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utgx1e2RpIM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdtIZnNxy-s&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utgx1e2RpIM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdtIZnNxy-s&feature=related
As a non-European I do see Austria and Germany and Switzerland as the pretty much extensions of one another. Well, you can hardly blame me, I'm sure you think Uruguay and Argentina are pretty similar, or New Zealand and Australia, or Namibia and South Africa.
<<Do Germans from southern Germany consider Austria and Switzerland to be an extension of Germany>>
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euh, yes but you forget that in Switzerland there are too French and Itlalian speaker, so please, no.
<<like many Americans consider Canada (nearly indistinguishable accent and culture)?>>
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you forget that in Canada ther is a province called Quebec where people speak french or "québécois".
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euh, yes but you forget that in Switzerland there are too French and Itlalian speaker, so please, no.
<<like many Americans consider Canada (nearly indistinguishable accent and culture)?>>
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you forget that in Canada ther is a province called Quebec where people speak french or "québécois".
Yes, but Germans would never consider France as an extension of Germany.
People speak German or Elsasserdietsch in Alsace region of France.
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yes but there are generally old and not so many, contrary to french who is an official Language in Canada and italian and french are official too in Switzerland. And there are numerous unlike Alsacian speaker.
7 744 530 french canadians or québécois.
In Switzerland:
63,7% German speaker
20,4% French speaker
6,5% Italian speaker
0,5% Romansh speaker
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Sprachen_CH_2000_EN.svg
A 1999 INSEE survey counted 548,000 adult speakers of Alsatian in France, making it the second most-spoken regional language in the country (after Occitan). Like all regional languages in France, however, the transmission of Alsatian is on the decline. While 29% of the adult population of Alsace speaks Alsatian, only one in four children speak it, and only one in ten children use it regularly.
And many secondary school in Alsace stop to teach Alsatian, Alsatian is on decline since 1970, people prefer to speak french and with immigration from Africa and many french from others regions going to live in Alsace, I think alsatian language will disapear unfortunaly.
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yes but there are generally old and not so many, contrary to french who is an official Language in Canada and italian and french are official too in Switzerland. And there are numerous unlike Alsacian speaker.
7 744 530 french canadians or québécois.
In Switzerland:
63,7% German speaker
20,4% French speaker
6,5% Italian speaker
0,5% Romansh speaker
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Sprachen_CH_2000_EN.svg
A 1999 INSEE survey counted 548,000 adult speakers of Alsatian in France, making it the second most-spoken regional language in the country (after Occitan). Like all regional languages in France, however, the transmission of Alsatian is on the decline. While 29% of the adult population of Alsace speaks Alsatian, only one in four children speak it, and only one in ten children use it regularly.
And many secondary school in Alsace stop to teach Alsatian, Alsatian is on decline since 1970, people prefer to speak french and with immigration from Africa and many french from others regions going to live in Alsace, I think alsatian language will disapear unfortunaly.
<<And many secondary school in Alsace stop to teach Alsatian, Alsatian is on decline since 1970, people prefer to speak french>>
Assimilation or frenchification is language policy in France.
There are some German speakers in Lorraine (Lothringen)yet.
Assimilation or frenchification is language policy in France.
There are some German speakers in Lorraine (Lothringen)yet.
About German in France:
http://www.uoc.es/euromosaic/web/document/alemany/an/i3/i3.html
http://www.uoc.es/euromosaic/web/document/alemany/an/i3/i3.html
yes, but many young french people are not interested anymore to learn "patois" alsatian. Generally for example french teenager study english and german in this area. Only old people and some french really invest in the tradition learn and speak alsatian, it's really sad I think because France lost her richness. The same happen with the occitan and the breton languages.
But they are not the only "regionales languages" in France, there are many .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_France
just read this.
But they are not the only "regionales languages" in France, there are many .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_France
just read this.
When I was in Alsace (not that long ago), middle-aged people (some) also spoke some Alsacian. I would say they were in their forties. I got the impression that kids just spoke French, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of them passively understood Alsacian.
It would be weird to have ones parents speak an unintelligible, secret language. I don't think I would like it very much.
In the city where I live there are many first generation Americans whose parents are German. Many of them don't speak German at all or poorly - in fact, only the homes where there was a real effort made to retain German had kids who spoke it. However, all of the kids understand it. The usual dialog in those homes would be for the parents to speak in German and the kids to reply in English...
I think similar situation is in Alsace.Everybody understand German,but only someone speaks it.