Recently, a Zurich daily newspaper, Tages-Anzeiger, ran an editorial complaining about many of the canton’s international residents who “don’t speak German even after years [of living] in Switzerland – and then complain about how unfriendly the country is”.

The newspaper notes that “it is irritating when you are spoken to in English” all the time, especially, when responses in English are also expected.

“Why do many of them not even try to speak a few words in the local language when they move to another country? Anyone who is still unwilling to speak a word in the national language after several years should not be surprised to be treated like a foreigner”, Tages-Anzeiger added.

It is true that many foreigners find it difficult to make friends with the Swiss — not just in Zurich or the Swiss-German part, but elsewhere in the country as well.

READ MORE: ‘Suspicious of the unknown’: Is it difficult to make friends in Switzerland?

In a 2018 poll by the The Local, readers overwhelmingly agreed that making friends is hard for internationals in Switzerland, attributing this to the locals’ “closed-mindedness” when it comes to expanding their social circles. 

But could the inability and / or unwillingness to speak the local language be a factor — as the Tages-Anzeiger suggests — in the lack of openness toward foreigners?

On Monday, The Local again asked its readers on Facebook to share their experiences regarding language and integration.

One respondent pointed out that English is actually well accepted in Switzerland and many people see it as an opportunity to practice their language skills. 

MJ MJ wrote “The younger generation loves English and practicing it. They saw it as an opportunity to practice their language skills.”

One person added that while they know German, “everyone automatically speaks to me in English”. 

‘It’s a lonely country to live in’: What you think about life in Switzerland

Whether that helps with integration is however another question. 

Australian Mel Mallam, who lives in Zurich, told The Local that in many cases even learning German wasn’t sufficient – with the best integrated foreigners “those who had properly learned Swiss German”.

Those who spoke high German would often receive replies in English, Mallam said.  

Jarrod Cooke, an Australian who lives on Lake Zurich, said learning Swiss German was “no question for him” and added that he had no problems integrating into Swiss society.

Laurent Biehly wrote on Facebook that people who use dialect as an excuse shouldn’t be surprised if they have trouble integrating. 

“I learned Züridutch and have no issue understanding other dialekts (sic) or being understood. The excuse of (it) being a dialect is not an excuse. And at the end of the day that is what my fellow Swiss speak, it is their way of communicating.”

The experience seems similar in French-speaking Switzerland, where one reader who wished to remain nameless told The Local that people would switch to English immediately upon hearing his accent. 

“The moment I say one sentence, they respond in English. They think they are doing me a great favour”.

So is it possible to make Swiss friends if you don’t speak the local language?

Basically, it depends – although almost all of our respondents agreed that a little effort goes a long way. 

It seems that the young generation is more open-minded in this regard than their older counterparts.

“When we first came here, my son, who was 19 at the time, had no problem making friends though he only spoke English then”, Lisa, an American, told The Local. 

But her more conservative contemporaries were less accepting.

“An acquaintance told me that knowledge of German is necessary not only to communicate with other people, but most of all to be able to understand ‘Swiss ways and values’, and it’s a sign of respect toward the locals”.

“I think the problems arise when foreigners expect us to adopt to them and speak their language rather than the other way around. To me, it smacks of arrogance, and I would not be friends with a person like that”, Yolande, a Swiss, told The Local. 

As for Lisa, when she mastered German well enough to communicate in it, she did make some friends.

“Although I still make mistakes, they told me they appreciate the effort — even though I never learned any local dialects and only speak high German”, she said.

Philip, a Swiss who has many international friends, told The Local that English speakers seemed to be particularly unique when it came to integration. 

“The unwillingness to learn a local language seems to be particularly prevalent among English speakers. I’ve never seen a Swede or a Greek expecting people in Switzerland to speak their language”.

READ MORE: French-speaking Switzerland: Seven life hacks that will make you feel like a local