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Universal Language
English, so the common knowledge went during my growing up in Switzerland, is the universal language. Despite this 1960's educational insight, English didn’t become the mandatory foreign language taught until the new millennium.
My first language was Swiss German. Swiss German dialects were mostly oral communication, seldom written. Therefore, in grade one, we learned to speak and write the proper German -- High German. In grade six, I started studying French.
Since neither German, nor French were going to help me in Vancouver, I signed up for a two-week crash-course in London, England, before immigrating. After my arrival in British Columbia, though, I quickly realized, my time and money had been wasted. There are drastic variations to this universal language.
In Vancouver, you don’t ask a "Bobby" for directions. A waiter will raise his eyebrows at you when inquiring to where the "loo" is....
Published in: The Canadian Immigrant
