In trilingual Switzerland, what is the most common language of choice for communication between people from?

Question

different regions, provided all parties are fluent in each other's language? is one language considered to be more culturally dominant? (I mean by preference, I already know two thirds of Swiss people are native german speakers)

Are the Swiss French as stereotypically stubborn as the belgian french are? and will they refuse to speak anything but french? (I've heard in Belgium, if a Flemmish couple orders dinner at a resteraunt and the waiter is French, the couple will order in Dutch and the waiter will speak only french.)

Answer 1

The thing is, only the Swiss-Germans are fluent in Swiss-German; people in the French and Italian parts, if they do speak German, speak standard German. (Although a lot of the Italian speakers do also speak Swiss-German natively.) So standard German can actually be a compromise language, although in my experience, the average German speaker is more willing to speak other languages than is the average French speaker. And the average Italian speaker is more flexible than either one. So here you go:

Swiss-German and Swiss-French: will speak French.
Swiss-Italian and Swiss-French: will speak French, or maybe each speak their own language.
Swiss-German and Swiss-Italian: German will speak Italian and Italian will speak German.

But often instead people will speak English--not though, in the situation you described in which everyone is fluent in both.

Not all Swiss-French will refuse to speak anything but French. My father-in-law spoke English to me once. My grandmother-in-law is also quite happy to speak Jurassien. Yeah, that's about it, I believe...
I don't think anyone whose first language is French is really convinced that there are any other languages worth speaking. (OK my husband yes)

Answer 2

Common Language In Switzerland

Answer 3

Turtle is a $up3r L33t H@x0r HAHAHAHHAHHA I agree with you whole heartedly, I'd be willing to say that at least half if not 2/3rds of the problem are the words and interpretation of the words being used. I think many groups form their own kind of subculture, where they use words and phrases in a particular way. Not to deliberately confuse anyone, NO, just that over time, like minds think and talk alike. So after a while, Creationists have their own sorta lingo, when talking about Creationism, and so do Evolutionists. I see this MOST often between Catholics and non-Catholics. The Catholic church, after 2,000 years of articulate its points, has settled into a certain rhetoric or style of speaking. Many non-catholics have lost touch with this and so they misunderstand what is meant. Since I am Catholic and my wife is Baptist... I see this ALL the time. The older I get... the more I realize that Language is NOT precise... it is very imprecise. I am constantly amazed by how much my wife and I miscommunicate over the simplest of things, and we both are speaking modern US English. hehhehehehhehehehe SO YEAH, if 2 people, born and raised in the same culture, who speak the same language and have been married for 12 years STILL misunderstand the words being used by the other person.. YOU BET YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR it can happen between believers and non-beleivers. - I guarantee it! ::EDIT::: OldernWiser who posted before me actually made my point beautifully.. she has misunderstood the central tenants of "believers" by putting them all in the same boat. She takes 2,000 years of teaching, thousands of theologians, thousands of books on the topic and boiled it down to in what her opinion is "my way or the highway" "burn in hell" message. No doubt she believes this because of the WORDS the other believers have said to her. -- which kinda proves the point.

Answer 4

Nothing to add anymore. Goddess of Grammar did a great job. Her description more or less reflects reality.