Why are there 4 languages in Switzerland?

The Germanic Alemanni conquered northern Switzerland and brought their language — a forerunner of today’s Swiss German dialects — with them. These different territorial dominions are the reason that four national languages are spoken in this relatively small country: German, French, Italian, and Romansh.

Do people speak English in Switzerland?

English is the most common non-national language and is regularly spoken by 45% of the population in Switzerland. English is more widespread in the German-speaking part of the country than in Italian- and French-speaking regions (46% vs 37% and 43% respectively).

Which is the official fifth language of Switzerland?

About 63 percent of the Swiss population speak the Swiss German dialect, less than 1 percent speak Romansh. (The unofficial fifth language of Switzerland is English .) However, only just a few Swiss speak all four languages.

Which is the official language of Graubunden Switzerland?

In the cantons of Bern, Fribourg and Valais, French is co-official; in the trilingual canton of Graubünden, more than half of the population speaks German, while the rest speak Romansh or Italian. In each case, all languages are official languages of the respective canton.

Are there any other languages spoken in Switzerland?

Other languages. Besides the national languages and the many varieties of Swiss German, several regional Romance languages are spoken natively in Switzerland: Franco-Provençal and Lombard. About 20,000 Romani speak Sinte, an Indic language. Five sign languages are used: Swiss-German, French, Italian, Austrian, and German.

Where is the Romansh language spoken in Switzerland?

This population accounts for 0.60% total population. However, the Romansh language is officially spoken only in the trilingual Graubünden. The majority of speakers live in Surselva, the lower Engadin, Val Müstair, and Surses/Oberhalbstein valley.