New figures from the University of Basel have revealed that one in five toddlers living in German-speaking Switzerland speaks very little to no German at all. Experts have warned that young children who aren’t learning German risk falling behind both socially and in school.
According to the data, given exclusively to SRF, 55 percent of children in German-speaking Switzerland speak one or more non-Swiss languages at home. In addition, one in five toddlers surveyed either spoke very little German or no German at all.
Using Thurgau as a test case, the study found that a quarter of toddlers tested have poor German skills for their age. Interestingly, many Swiss children are also performing poorly: in Bischofszell, for example, 47 percent of toddlers with poor German skills were Swiss citizens.
Not having a grasp of the German language can have major consequences for young children. If they grow up in one of the 354 towns and cities in Switzerland that conduct language tests on toddlers, if they fail the test, they are encouraged to attend a daycare centre or playgroup for two mornings a week to help build their language skills, alongside attending kindergarten. In some cantons like Thurgau, attendance at these sessions is mandatory.
"When children first come into contact with German in kindergarten, they lag behind other children. Catching up will be difficult," Marina Jambreus, University of Basel expert and co-developer of the language tests, told SRF. "Children who can express their emotions through language are also able to regulate them well. Children who can't, on the other hand, experience frustration or stress, which can also lead to social withdrawal."
Speaking to the broadcaster, playgroup leader Cornelia Bosshart noted that poor language skills can have a long-term effect on children. "If you can't communicate verbally, you have to hit or shout to get attention. I think that has a huge impact – even later on, on their entire school education," she explained.
Beat Brüllmann, from the Office of Primary Schools in Canton Thurgau, backed the daycare projects, explaining that before the scheme, “teachers repeatedly approached us and said it was extremely difficult in the first few weeks of kindergarten when the children didn't understand anything." The canton had originally planned to force parents to foot the costs of the programme, estimated to be 2 million francs a year in Thurgau alone, but this was deemed illegal by the Federal Supreme Court.
However, Brüllmann was alarmed at the fact that so many Swiss children were failing at German. "This surprised us, too. We explain this by the fact that many marriages are concluded with a foreign-language partner," he argued, theorising that, due to the high cost of childcare, many of these Swiss kids are cared for by naturalised grandparents, who may not be as adept in German as their parents.