Prejudices in Swiss German Accents

ABSTRACT

Current literature focuses on Swiss German phonetics as well as its commonalities with German. I wished to discover if there are any prejudices or preconceived notions among native speakers of Swiss German concerning the accents associated with different dialects of Swiss German. I used a survey that asked native speakers to rate some of the different accents and discuss the reasoning behind the score they assigned. This was a mixed methods study that included both numerical ranking and open-ended questions so that the participants could elaborate on their responses. Other sources concurred that the dialects are different in terms of pronunciation, and because of this, there would be some sort of judgments on the part of the listener, even if it is unconsciously made. These prejudices are similar to those about American dialects, where a speaker with a southern accent may be perceived by listeners as not being well educated. Of course, these prejudices are not true, yet they are widely believed among citizens. This study demonstrates that Swiss German speakers have similar prejudices against certain accents.

INTRODUCTION

I was raised in a bilingual household with English and Swiss German, and I go back to visit my family in Switzerland once a year. Through my visits to Switzerland, as well as the interaction with my mother’s Swiss friends, I have noticed variations in their Swiss German accents. Through my research, I wish to discover whether there are any existing prejudices among speakers of Swiss German, and if so, I would like to identify them and discover the reasons behind them.

I conducted a survey with native Swiss German speakers. In the survey, I asked the participants to label seven accents in terms of the most phonetically pleasing to the least phonetically pleasing. I then asked them to explain their choices, as well as describe a personal experience in which either they themselves were judged by their accent or witnessed someone else being judged based on their accent.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE 

Background Information

Switzerland varies demographically and geographically; there are 23 Cantons, or states, the capital of which is Bern. There are four national languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansch (Moehle-Vieregge, 1999 p.166). However, it is the German language which tends to be most prominently used in Switzerland. According to Watts, “The German-speaking Swiss are in control of the industrial and financial centers of the country and are in the majority with regard to political representation” (Watts, 1988 p. 326). The University of Basel recorded and collected many different dialects around Switzerland and compiled them all on one website, complete with an interactive map to show which dialects are located in each region of the country (Deutsches Seminar, 2012). This list of dialects was used to compile this survey.

Dialects

Curzan and Adams (2012) define dialect as “a variety of a language spoken by a group of people that is systematically different from other varieties of the language in terms of structural or lexical features” (p. 347). They then go on to say that geographic boundaries factor into the development of dialects and different varieties of language (p. 351). American Tongues specifies that there is no English dialect that is better than another, “but there is a type of English favored by actors and radio and TV announcers. It may lack something in personality, but everyone can understand it” (Alvarez & Kolker, 1987, n.p.). Dialects, whether American English or Swiss German, are all linguistically equal, but phonetically and culturally, one might be seen as more fitting than others. This study focuses on the phonological, the accent differences perceived by speakers.

Dialect Prejudice

There is already evidence that certain prejudices exist among Swiss German speakers. According to Curzan and Adams (2012), speakers strive to speak a certain way when they want to sound professional or wish to increase their social status. They said, “Language varieties with overt prestige are those that speakers use or aim for in order to gain status in the ‘wider community’” (p. 351). Curzan and Adams also note, “Further up the socioeconomic ladder, all speakers tend to show a higher percentage of standard forms” (p. 361). Any speakers whose accents vary significantly from this “standard form” will be judged, even if the listener is unaware of doing so. “As soon as someone begins speaking, we make judgments about the person’s origins, education, sexual orientation, and social affiliations – not to mention his or her personality” (Curzan and Adams, 2012, p. 368). According to Keech, “There is a ‘tendency in most human societies for people to prefer their own kind and to stereotype ethnic out-groups, especially lower status ones, in a negative fashion’” (Keech, 1972, p. 390). These types of judgments are often based on how a speaker pronounces words or letters (Curzan and Adams, 2012, p. 368). In any language, there are certain accents which are considered more prestigious than others; there are also accents which are considered less desirable and have negative connotations attached to them. The field of “variationist sociolinguistics . . . take into account a speaker’s age, gender, class, race, ethnicity, geographic location, and other factors such as group identities, usually we can explain why some speakers speak differently from others” (Curzan and Adams, 2012, p. 355) For this reason, scientists look at a participant’s demographics when conducting experiments. Participants’ age, gender, and geographic location can all affect how they speak and what they believe about other speakers.

Although the documentary, American Tongues deals with dialect prejudice in English, its findings can be applied to Swiss German, as well. In the documentary, the producers asked people which group of American English speakers had the worst accent. Every accent they thought was bad was given this rating because it was not easily understood (Alvarez & Kolker, 1987). The documentary goes on to say that “we size each other up” through our dialects. “There are many words and expressions used in one place that might as well be Greek to people from somewhere else” (Alvarez & Kolker, 1987). For example, the documentary explainsthat Rhode Islanders say cabinet when referring to a milkshake. Although this documentary deals with the English language, these prejudices can be applied to Swiss German, as well. For example, a speaker from Basel would say Gückli for “little bag”while a speaker from Bern would say sd’Taschli. The speaker from Bern would not be used to the word from Basel. Another prejudice speaker’s face is that listeners associate personality and values with the sound of a speaker’s voice and how they talk. In the documentary, one person interviewed claimed, “There are certain consequences for not speaking a standard accent. For example, people may make fun of you, or you may have certain limitations in terms of the job market” (Alvarez & Kolker, 1987). Another form of prejudice, which may be unintentional by the listener, is that the listener focuses more on the way a speaker speaks rather than on what they are saying. “Social and racial attitudes are mixed in with how we feel about peoples’ accents” (Alvarez & Kolker, 1987).

Code Switching

There are two forms of Swiss German, what Charles A. Ferguson “called the superposed variety the ‘High’ variety and the regional accents the ‘Low’ varieties” (Keller, 1982, p. 71). “‘High’: Sie konnten jenes Hӓuschen dort drüben nicht kaufen. Es war ihnen zu teuer.‚Low‘: Si hӓnd sӓb Hüüsli deet ӓne nid chöne chauffe. S isch ene z tüür gsy“(Keller, 1982, p. 79). The “High” Swiss German is much closer to standard German and is used in the following circumstances: “Sermons, personal letters, speech in Parliament, political speech, University lecture, News Broadcast, Newspaper editorial news story, caption on a picture, and poetry” (Keller, 1982, p. 87). The “Low” Swiss German is used more so in everyday life, such as in “Instruction to servants, waiters, workmen, clerks; Conversation with family, friends, and colleagues; Radio ‘soap opera’; Caption on a political cartoon; and folk literature” (Keller, 1982, p. 87).

Search Terms: Swiss OR Switzerland, Accent*, Code switching, Regional Accent*, Attitudes, Switzerland, Regional Accents, Language Diversity, Swiss language prejudices

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

My main goal was to answer whether there are prejudices among speakers of Swiss German based on their different accents, and if so, I wished to identify and explain them. The research method utilized in this study was quantitative and qualitative; data was obtained through a survey consisting of ranking, open ended questions, and demographics. I made two copies of my survey, one in German and one in English. A hard-copy survey was also the most efficient way to gather data with the chosen participants.

Participants

All of the participants are native Swiss German speakers, a convenience sampling of acquaintances of my mother and family. The participants consisted of various ages, as well as both genders. They are good representatives because they all have various Swiss German accents. The participants were selected based on their ability to speak Swiss German and recognize the various accents.

Instruments

My research consisted of a paper survey that could be emailed to selected participants, as well as handed to them in hard-copy. The survey consists of demographic questions and a chart in which participants numbered what they felt was the most pleasing accent and the least pleasing accent on a seven point scale and four open-ended questions which allowed them to elaborate on their ranking. There is also a question asking whether the participant has ever personally experienced or witnessed someone being judged because of their accent. One problem that I encountered dealt with clarity in the survey’s directions. I intended for each participant to use each number oncewhen rating the accents, but the participants ended up using the numbers more than once. The results are still useable, but had I been clearer, it would have allowed me to determine which accent was the absolute least desirable.

Procedures 

Data collection.I sent out the survey to my mother’s friends as well as my relatives in Switzerland, whopassed it on to a few of their friends. Participants printed out the survey and sent it back to me through the mail.

Data analysis. In order to analyze the results, I went through each survey and viewed any number higher than four on the accent hierarchy question as less desirable and any number lower than four as more desirable. The other questions were free response, so I categorized the answers in terms of whether the participants experienced prejudice, the reasons why they preferred certain accents to others, and the reasons they disliked certain accents.

Limitations. My findings limit what can be applied to other speakers in that it focuses only on Swiss German. However, the ideas of what prejudice stems from could be helpful in identifying prejudice in other groups. The fact that my survey was not as clear as it should have been harms the reliability of my study. When I asked participants to label seven accents with numbers one through seven (one being the most phonetically pleasing, seven being the least phonetically pleasing), some participants used numbers more than once. Therefore, some participants had multiple number ones and no number sevens. Also, had I asked participants to elaborate and explain their experiences with prejudices, I may have gotten more than a simple “yes” answer. Some participants were not familiar with the two different Basel accents, which was a problem that could have been fixed by not including it in the survey. Had I been clearer in what I was asking, I may have gotten differentand more detailed results. The validity of my study could have been improved by asking more specific questions and including questions about word use and pronunciation.

RESEARCH FINDINGS 

Overview

There were 25 participants who took part in this study: 48% (12 out of 25) disliked the Zürich accent; 28% (7 out of 25) disliked the St. Gallen accent; 8% (2 out of 25) disliked the accents Appezeller, Graubünden, Basel, and Valais. Thirteen out of 25 (52%) of participants liked the Bernese accent the best; 28% (7 out of 25) liked the Valais accent, while 16% (4 out of 25) liked the Basel and Graubünden accents, and only 4% (1 out of 25) liked the St. Gallen accent.

 Least liked accent in Swiss German

According to my findings, 48% of participants found the Zürich accent from the Canton Zürich, or in English Zurich, to be the least pleasing accent. This accent is spoken in the Mid-northeastern part of Switzerland. The reasons given for the dislike of this accent were that speakers speak too fast, it is very harsh sounding, it sounds rough, it sounds arrogant, and that its speakers are unsympathetic. One participant said it sounds like a squeaky mouse, while another claimed it sounds like a sick person talking. One participant, a 49-year-old female, labeled it as, “Hard on the ears, piercing sharp words. Not soft and full of melody.”

St. Gallen is the second least liked accent of Swiss German (28%). This accent can be found in the far northeastern part of Switzerland. The reasons given for the dislike of this accent were that ithas “squeaky sounding people,” the accent hurts the speaker’s ears, it is shrill sounding, and it is too flashy. One participant, a 42-year-old male, described it as having a “nasally tone, and lightly aggressive sounding.” One participant said he never felt comfortable living there.

Most liked accent in Swiss German

The most liked accent (52%) in Swiss German was the Bernese accent. The Bernese accent can be found in the canton of Bern, which is located in the mid-western region of Switzerland. Participants describedthe Bernese accent as nice sounding, soft tones, sounds loving, feels like home, slow, comfortable, quiet, peaceful, sympathetic, local, cheerful, nice, exciting to listen to, harmonious sounding, melodious, and real sounding. One participant, a 24-year-old female, also mentioned that “many Swiss musicians sing in this accent.”

The second most liked Swiss German accent (28%) was the Valais accent. This accent can be found in the mid-southwestern region of Switzerland. Participants made these comments about this accent: many friends are from this Canton, like the Canton, rare, original, rustic, exotic sounding, sympathetic people, nice sounding, similar words to other accents, interesting words, and a nice spoken melody. A 32-year-old male describes it as a “traditional accent; a lot of expressions are hard to understand, but it has a certain charm to it.”

Baselland or Basel-Stadt

I omitted these results because 28% (7 out of 25) of participants were not familiar with the difference between the two accents.

Prejudice

Upon asking the participants if they had ever experienced or witnessed a form of prejudice, I received some interesting insight. A 51-year-old female who grew up with a mixed accent of Bernese and St. Gallen was “laughed at in Flawil (St. Gallen) for the Bernese in her accent.” Another participant observed a cultural prejudice: “People from Zürich are usually judged by their accent. They speak very fast with harsh sounding words.” One 46-year-old male from Muotathal in Canton Schwyz said he is viewed as backwards andfrom the country for his accent. He also commented that the Zurich accent is viewed as arrogant while the accent from St. Gallen is viewed as lightly aggressive and snippy. A 52-year-old male from Lucerne is sometimes viewed as “snooty” or better than everyone else; he also mentioned that people with pronounced or audible accents are more likely to be judged. One 42-year-old participant claimed, “People with an audible Zurich accent are often rejected.” People who have an eastern Swiss accent are judged as well as people with a mixed Swiss accent. Some participants said they had experienced prejudice or witnessed prejudice but did not elaborate on their answers. A 14-year-old female said that she gets teased for her St. Gallen accent. A 48-year-old female participant from Solothurn said that “people in Basel reacted negatively to my ‘land’ accent.”

DISCUSSION

The Cantons of Baselland and Basel-Stadt were once one Canton, but they split in the past due to a disagreement over taxes. Baselland is more of a country, suburban area while Basel-Stadt is comprised of more of a city atmosphere. The Basel-Stadt accent is viewed as more formal while the Baselland accent is viewed as more laid back. The Canton of Zürich is widely disliked for its desire to strip Bern of the title of the capital of Switzerland; this could be a reason for why this accent is so disliked: the demand is seen as an arrogant request and is then connected with the people and the Canton. One reason that the Bernese accent is so popular among Swiss German speakers could be because Bern is the capital of Switzerland. Many participants claimed that it sounds like home and that many musicians and actors use the Bernese accent, so it may be seen as the overt or covert prestige accent. Both the Bernese and the Valais accents are characteristic of the mid-west of Switzerland with Valais just being a little south of Bern. The Zurich and St. Gallen accents are both found in the northeastern part of Switzerland. It seems clear that, although the participants spoke a range of accents from all over the Swiss German speaking part of Switzerland, there appears to be a general consensus that northeastern and eastern accents are less desirable than other accents, while Western accents are more desirable.

Every language deals with language and accent prejudice. The best way of handling it is to try to not judge a person by the accent and really listen to what they have to say rather than how they are saying it. If speakers could get past or accept these differences in pronunciation and expression, then dialect prejudices might not be so wide-spread. The Swiss German speakers interviewed in this study are just a small sample, and this study would provide much more helpful insight on a larger scale. It would be interesting to conduct a study about accent and language prejudices among all Swiss speakers, including Swiss German, Swiss-French, Swiss-Italian, and Swiss-Romansch.

REFERENCES

 Adams, M. & Curzan, A. (2012). Language variation. In Adams & Curzan, How English Works (pp. 346 – 375). Boston: Pearson.

Alvarez, L. & Kolker, A. (Producers) (1987): American tongues. New York, NY: Center for New American Media. Video retrieved from http://www.metacafe.com/watch/8711115/american_tongues/

Deutsches Seminar, Universitӓt Basel. (2013) Website zu den Deutschschweizer Dialekten. Retrieved from: http://www.dialekt.ch/liste.htm

Keech, W. R. (1972). Linguistic diversity and political conflict: Some observations based on four Swiss Cantons. Comparative Politics, 4(3), 387-404. Retrieved from:http://www.jstor.org/stable/421559 

Keller, R. E. (1982).  Diglossia in German-speaking Switzerland. In W. Haas (Eds.), Standard languages: Spoken and written (70-93). Manchester: Manchester University Press. Retrieved from: http://books.google.com/books?id=sza8AAAAIAAJ&lpg=PA70&ots=Hl7uwusywn&dq=Concerning%20the%20Notion%20of%20%22Umgangssprache%22%20in%20Swiss%20German&lr&pg=PA70#v=onepage&q&f=false

Moehle-Vieregge, L. (1999). Grüezi miteinand’! A focus on Swiss German culture and language online. Unterrichtspraxis/Teaching German, 32(2), 166-173. doi: 10.2307/3531757

Watts, R. J. (1988). Language, accent and national identity in Switzerland. Multilingua: Journal of Cross-Cultural and Interlanguage Communication, 7(3), 313-334. doi:10.1515/mult.1988.7.3.313

APPENDICES

Appendix A: English Survey

Which accent of Swiss German do you speak? _________________________

1. Have you ever personally felt judged because of your accent or have you ever witnessed someone being judged because of their accent in Switzerland?

Please order the Swiss German accents below in order from most pleasing phonetically (to the ear) to least pleasing.

Please indicate which Basel accent you prefer out of the two:     Baselland ___ Baselstadt ___

2. Please explain why you prefer the Basel accent you chose.

3. For the accent you found to be least pleasing, can you explain why you picked it and why you find it unpleasant.

4. For the accent you found to be most pleasing, can you explain why you picked it and why you find it pleasant.

Appendix B: German Version of the Survey

Welches Dialekt von Schweizer Deutsch benutzen Sie? ________________________________

1. Haben Sie jemals Personlich gefüllt als ob jemand Ihnen wegen Ihren Akzent beurteilt? Oder haben Sie jemals gesehen oder gehört wie jemand für seinen Akzent beurteilt worden ist?

Bitte ordnen Sie die Schweizer Deutschen Dialekten in die Reihenfolgen die Sie von Phonetischen Schönsten finden zu dennen die Sie am Phonetischen Schlechsten finden.

Bitte Identifizieren Sie welches Dialekt Ihnen besser gefӓllt: Baselland ____ Baselstadt ____

2.  Bitte erklaren Sie wieso Sie dieser Basler Dialekt gewӓhlt haben.

3.  Für der Dialekt dem Sie am schlechtesten fand bitte erklaren Sie warum Sie es schlecht finden.

4. Für der Dialekt dem Sie am schönsten fand bitte erklaren Sie warum Sie es schön finden.