Guest Lectures

The CSLS lecture series in the spring semester of 2026 is an educational project organised by colleagues at the University of Bern. It focuses on various research approaches to the study of languages of origin in multilingual Switzerland. It examines how these languages are acquired, passed on or revived within families and communities.

The course combines theoretical foundations with empirical case studies on migration and multilingualism and is structured as follows:

The first three introductory lectures deal with basic definitions, research traditions and theoretical frameworks. In the subsequent sessions, different languages of origin – in addition to Italian, French and German, also non-national languages such as Spanish, Tibetan, Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian and English – are examined from various (socio-)linguistic perspectives.

Date & Place

When: 12 March 2026, 14:15-16:00

Where: F022, Unitobler

This guest lecture is part of the CSLS lecture series "Heritage Languages".

Abstract

According to the latest figures from the Federal Statistical Office, around 1% of the Swiss population aged 15 and over (approx. 60,000 to 70,000 people) regularly use Romansh (Audergon, 2025). It may come as a surprise that, depending on the estimate, more than half of the speakers do not live in the ‘traditional’ language area, but in the so-called Romansh diaspora. This means that they live in German- or Italian-speaking parts of Graubünden, or even abroad or in other cantons of Switzerland, with German-speaking cities being particularly popular places of residence. Outside the traditional area, Romansh is basically a language of origin for children of parents who have migrated from a Romansh-speaking area to a different-language area within Switzerland, although this is hardly ever referred to as such in public discourse.

In the first part of the lecture, the domestic migration of the parent generation will be described in more detail after a brief introduction to Romansh and its sociolinguistic situation. The focus will be on the sociological question of which population groups are particularly mobile and why. In addition, migration will be described not as an abrupt process, but as a gradual one with different stages related to ideological-identity and network-related factors (Büchler, in prep.).

Based on these considerations, the second part examines the transmission of Romansh as a heritage language in German-speaking Switzerland. The starting point here is a qualitative study by the Institute for Cultural Research in Graubünden on the linguistic situation of Romansh-speaking families outside the language area (Cathomas et al., 2024). The results show that the transmission of Romansh is particularly fragile under these conditions, as German dominates most areas of society and there are few opportunities to use Romansh outside the family. At the same time, language practice within the family is of central importance, in particular the quantity of Romansh input and the role of parents who do not speak Romansh as their first language. Building on this, the lecture will discuss current research from an ongoing project on family language policy in Romansh-speaking families in German-speaking Switzerland. The focus will be on how Romansh-speaking families negotiate language transmission in everyday life and what role family language dynamics play in this.

Date & Place

When: 19 March 2026, 14:15-16:00

Where: F022, Unitobler

This guest lecture is part of the CSLS lecture series "Heritage Languages".

Abstract

The lecture takes as its starting point a fundamental paradox in the current debate on education policy: while certain education policy actors and experts identify ‘foreign language skills’ as a key factor in the lack of educational success among children and young people with a migrant background, other experts – particularly those from the fields of applied linguistics and multilingualism research – emphasise the potential of individual multilingualism.

Based on research findings from Switzerland and neighbouring countries, the lecture examines the relationship between individual language repertoires and competence acquisition and educational trajectories, and what causal statements about the effects of native language repertoires are permissible at all. The dominant theoretical approaches in the field – from interdependence theory to other theories of the advantages of bilingualism and multilingualism to postmodern translanguaging concepts – are critically examined both from a theoretical perspective and against the background of empirical evidence.

A particular focus is placed on the role of languages of origin in the acquisition of other languages, especially the language of schooling and foreign languages taught at school.

Date & Place

When: 26 March 2026, 14:15-16:00

Where: F022, Unitobler

This lecture is part of the CSLS lecture series "Heritage Languages".

Abstract

In this lecture, we will examine Italian as a heritage language in German-speaking Switzerland. After a brief overview of the various migration movements from Italy to German-speaking Switzerland, we will look at the language transmission practices and language usage of the second and third generations. The focus will be on phenomena such as code-switching and other forms of language contact. We will analyse these using the grammatical characteristics of texts written by native speakers (e.g. the use of the progressive aspect or the use of zero subjects). Finally, we will take a look at the new Italian migration and initial observations on the development of linguistic practices among the ‘new’ second generation. The lecture will be held in Italian, but the slides are also available in German on request.

Date & Place

When: 2 April 2026, 14:15-16:00

Where: F022, Unitobler

This guest lecture is part of the CSLS lecture series "Heritage Languages".

Date & Place

When: 16 April 2026, 14:15-16:00

Where: F022, Unitobler

This guest lecture is part of the CSLS lecture series "Heritage Languages".

Abstract

Migration and mobility shape everyday communication in Switzerland. For German immigrants, this often creates tension between expectation and experience: many expect few language barriers, as German is one of Switzerland's national languages. In everyday life, however, it becomes apparent that Swiss High German differs from German High German and that Swiss German dialects play a central role, especially in spoken and informal situations. In addition, Germans experience their German varieties as socially marked.

The lecture takes this constellation as its starting point and focuses on German High German in German-speaking Switzerland, discussing its status as a language of origin. The focus is on the language attitudes of German immigrants with regard to their everyday communication: What expectations do they anticipate in interactions with Swiss people? What linguistic ideological values do they attribute to Swiss and standard German as well as Swiss German dialects? And what linguistic practices do they use to position themselves socially in everyday life and to establish situated identities between social inclusion and exclusion?

The empirical basis for this study is a quantitative online survey with a total of 491 participants and 20 qualitative interviews, which were collected and evaluated as part of a language attitude study by Selma Vonlathen, Adrian Leemann and Florian Busch. The presentation highlights how German immigrants perceive and interpret linguistic differences, how this is reflected in their assessments of varieties, and how they negotiate belonging, distance and normality through linguistic action in the context of Swiss German multilingualism.

Date & Place

When: 23 April 2026, 14:15-16:00

Where: F022, Unitobler

This guest lecture is part of the CSLS guest lecture series "Heritage Languages".

Abstract

Processes of resignification and agency of Spanish as a heritage language in German-speaking Switzerland. A study through linguistic portraits. 

This class presents the results of a collaborative study conducted by Livio Bonaduce and Yvette Bürki on Spanish as a heritage language among young people of Latin American origin in Switzerland. Using a qualitative approach based on linguistic portraits, the linguistic, emotional and identity experiences of 22 participants are analysed. The results show constants related to intergenerational transmission and youth agency in the resignification and reactivation of Spanish. It also examines the role of English as a language of youth socialisation and global prestige, and its impact on the reconfiguration of linguistic hierarchies without displacing the symbolic value of Spanish.

Date & Place

When: 30 April 2026, 14:15-16:00

Where: F022, Unitobler

This guest lecture is part of the CSLS lecture series "Heritage Languages".

Abstract

French is the second most spoken language in Switzerland, and it is an official language of the country. It is therefore not the most obvious candidate to investigate as a heritage language in Switzerland. Yet the situation exists and is even quite common in the canton of Bern, where French-speaking families from the Romandie or abroad are always more numerous to move to German-speaking parts of the canton. As an example, the German-speaking town of Gampelen in the Seeland region now has 47% of French speakers, and the city of Biel has now almost reached an equal number of German and French speakers. One of the goals of families who move to German towns is often to give their children the opportunity to become bilinguals. For this reason, they choose to put their children in German-speaking schools and French becomes a heritage language spoken only at home. In this presentation, I will report on the linguistic practices, motivations and attitudes of French-speaking families living in the canton of Bern by analysing the results of semi-structured interviews that were conducted in the summer of 2025 with 50 French-speaking residents of the canton.

Date & Place

When: 7 May 2026, 14:15-16:00

Where: F022, Unitobler

This guest lecture is part of the CSLS lecture series "Heritage Languages".

Date & Place

When: 21 May 2026, 14:15-16:00

Where: F022, Unitobler

This guest lecture is part of the CSLS lecture series "Heritage Languages".

Abstract

According to current estimates, around 7,500–8,000 people of Tibetan origin live in Switzerland today, making this community one of the largest Tibetan diaspora groups in Europe. Many Tibetans living in Switzerland attach great importance to preserving their culture and languages in exile. However, Tibetan is not a homogeneous language, but rather a language family with numerous varieties, some of which are not mutually intelligible, which poses particular challenges for language preservation.

After an introduction to the Tibetan language group and key facts and figures about the Tibetan diaspora in Switzerland, the concept of the language of origin is addressed. Two portraits illustrate how Tibetan as a language of origin is negotiated in different biographical, generational and migration-related contexts.

The first portrait is of Tibi, who was adopted by a Zurich family over 60 years ago at the age of seven and has lived in Switzerland ever since. He speaks Zurich German, completed his education here, started a family and raised children, while always remaining connected to his Tibetan roots. The second portrait introduces the M. family, who have only been living in Switzerland for a few years. Sunita and her husband Kalsang are keen to integrate into Swiss society while also teaching their three (pre-)school-aged daughters the language and culture of their homeland.

Publishing with Language Policy in Africa (LPIA) goes beyond simply making papers available. It also means engaging in conversation about these papers with the public. Our webinar series gives the authors of the journal an opportunity to present their work to an international audience of peers and colleagues interested in language issues at both academic and sociocultural levels. These webinars foster new synergies, inspire future project ideas, and encourage networking.

The next webinar with Elvis ResCue, David Dankwa-Apawu and Yvonne Agbetsamedo will take place on the 6th of February 2026 at 4:00 pm CEST.

The session will be moderated by Djouroukoro Diallo of the University of Bern.

Webinar Programme:

1. October 3^rd, 2025 – Caroline Story
2. November 7^th, 2025 – Menzi Thango
3. January 9^th, 2026 – Yassine Boussagui, Yamina El Kirat El Allame
4. February 6^th, 2026 – Elvis ResCue, David Dankwa-Apawu, Yvonne Agbetsoamedo
5. March 6^th, 2026 – Kenneth Oboriah
6. April 10^th, 2026 – Sali Mufwene