I remember seeing quite a lot people in the Swiss expat bubble saying things like, “I’m in Switzerland to work, not to learn any of its languages.” If you counter-argued that argument here on reddit people became mad and downvoted the hell out of you. Well, now some of those same people are complaining that they can’t find a job after being laid off because the new employer expects them to speak the local language. I’m sorry, but I can’t help finding that a little funny. Obviously, nobody is forcing you to learn German, French or Italian when you move to Switzerland. But if you voluntarily move to another country and plan to live and work there long-term, is it really that unreasonable to expect you to make an effort to learn the local language? Nobody is saying you need to be fluent or have a C2 certificate on day one. But completely refusing to learn the language because “I’m here to work and not to learn (integrate)” while expecting employers to accommodate you indefinitely seems pretty short-sighted. And it’s not exactly a new development that Swiss employers often want people who can communicate with colleagues, customers and authorities in the local language. - They just had no other choice during the last 5-10 years. What I find especially funny is the irony of it all: “I’m not here to integrate, I’m just here to work” apparently works great as long as the job market is happy to accommodate you. Once employers start being picky again and want local language skills, suddenly Switzerland is unfair, racist and whatnot. Guys, if you choose to move to another country and make it your home, learning the local language seems like a pretty basic part of integrating into the place you chose to live. Of course I feel sorry for anyone who has lost their job, especially those who are genuinely making an effort to integrate into Swiss society. For the others, though, I’ll admit it: I feel a little bit of satisfaction watching some of them discover that “I’m here to work, not to learn the language” probably wasn’t the smartest long-term strategy. submitted by /u/Electrical_Region741
Originally posted by u/Electrical_Region741 on r/Switzerland