How do you deal with bilingualism?

In our series «We ask ourselves ...», we ask each other questions from the big family universe. Author Claudia Landolt's question is answered by deputy editor-in-chief Evelin Hartmann.

«Dear Evelin, you and your husband both speak High German. How do you do that with your two girls? Do they speak High German or Swiss German?»

Claudia Landolt, lead author

Dear Claudia, you ask how we do it with bilingualism. Well, in a nutshell: My husband and I speak High German and our children speak Swiss German. The older one is now like a true Lozärner.

So far - so normal. After all, our children were born here. What surprised us is the fact that they don't even switch to their mother tongue within their own four walls. And not even with their grandparents, who understand zero Swiss German. This sometimes leads to amusing situations:
«a-neh!"
A Sunday afternoon in Munich, my husband and I are out and about, our daughter is sitting in her highchair and is supposed to eat.
"Hans, what does the child want?»
«a-neh!»
«What?»
«a-neh!»
"Come on, let's push her to the table first, then we'll see. "*

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We know that there are children who grow up bilingual and speak both their mother tongue and the national language perfectly, depending on who they are speaking to. Ours don't do that (yet).
My husband came to Lucerne 11 years ago, I came 7 years ago, so we could have attended dialect courses or just talked away. But us, dialect? Speak so fluently that it doesn't hurt anyone's ears? Not a chance. So we didn't even try.
Then our first daughter was born - and started nursery at eight months. Several days a week, just in time to be surrounded by Swiss nursery teachers, children and their parents during the crucial months and years of language development. Our daughter's first word? «Abekeit» (after «Mama», of course.)

Evelin Hartmann with her two daughters

Germany, that's grandma and grandpa, aunt, uncle, their cousins - Switzerland, that's us.
What's it like when your daughters speak a different language to you? It's great - after all, they are at home here. They have to go to nursery, kindergarten, the playground and soon to school (almost) every day. They have to make friends, share secrets, argue and make up again. This is best done in the language of others.
And yet the mother or father hopes that all this is stored somewhere in the children's heads, every word, every sentence, all the songs that have been sung and are just waiting to be spoken in perfect High German one day.
Admittedly, their Swiss German isn't perfect either. The little one in particular (almost 3 years old) speaks quite a bit of gibberish. And her parents are increasingly doing the same. «Throw the paper in the bin, not in the parlour.» Parenthood has changed.
There is a children's book on our living room shelf whose story is told in three languages: High German, English and Lozäärnerisch. And yes, sometimes I'm brave - and I don't think I'm that bad. An assessment with which I am pretty much alone. «Mum, stop talking normally!». My husband: «Do you speak Finnish?»
It'll probably stay that way with our bilingualism.
The entry of our first-born into kindergarten could have made a difference. After all, the work assignments there are formulated in written German. Since then, our daughter has been speaking more High German - but not like us, but like her friends who are learning a new language.
Humans are social beings and have an innate need to adapt to their environment.

* Bingo! By «a-neh!» our little one meant exactly that, of course: «up to the table!»

The next question goes to Patrik Luther, Deputy Publishing Director:

Dear Patrik, your girls are 5 years apart. How do you manage this in your free time? Do you find a programme together that is fun for both of you?

The answer has been published:

What's it like when the children have a big age difference? The answer from Patrik Luther.

Previously published in the section "We ask ourselves":

Chefredaktor Nik Niethammer antwortet auf die Frage: Lieber Nik, glauben deine Kinder eigentlich noch an Samichlaus und Christkind?
Redaktorin Florina Schwander antwortet auf die Frage: Liebe Florina, bekommen deine Zwillinge die gleichen Geschenke zu Weihnachten?

Autorin Claudia Landolt antwortet auf die Frage: Wie lebt es sich als Frau mit fünf Männern plus Hund?