When Zurich Replies in English

You walk into a restaurant and say “Grüezi, ich habe eine
Reservation,” and the waiter replies in English. Sound familiar?
I know how frustrating this is! In this episode, I break down why
locals switch languages on you (hint: it’s not your German) and
share the easy phrases and strategies you can use to resume
conversation in German.





Key takeaways:


Shift Your Mindset: When people switch to
English, it is not a reflection of your language skills. It is
usually driven by habit. It's not because your German grammar
isn't good enough.





Take Charge: The average person you meet isn't a
language teacher and doesn't know you want to practice. To get
the progress you want, you have to gently guide the conversation.





Be Persistent: A simple, smiling “Ich lerne
Deutsch, können wir bitte Hochdeutsch sprechen?” is often all it
takes to break this English default.


Phrases to try:


Ich lerne Deutsch, können wir bitte Hochdeutsch sprechen? (I am
learning German, can we please speak High German?)





Können wir bitte Hochdeutsch sprechen, sodass wir uns gut
verstehen? (Can we please speak High German so that we understand
each other well?)





Ready to try these out?


I've included all of today's examples, plus many more, in my
ProDeutsch Everyday Guide here.





Key moments:


00:00 The ultimate Zurich frustration: Why do
they reply in English?


01:10 The danger of the "it's my fault" mindset
in learning German


01:40 Three real reasons locals switch to
English


02:50 Why real-life transactions are your best
opportunity to practice


03:40 My go-to phrase to politely switch back to
Hochdeutsch


04:30 How to handle the Swiss German
(Schwiizerdütsch) vs. High German


05:15 Shifting from "I can't do this" to “I
can”


Work with me


Learn more about my tailored language coaching for busy
professionals at sandra-wood.com


Share your story


Did this episode give you a boost? I'd love to hear about it.
Share your story by leaving a review wherever you listen to this
podcast or by contacting me at sandra-wood.com


Credits


Produced and hosted by Sandra Wood


Podcast artwork by Beryl Kwok


Post-production by Communicating for Impact





Danke fürs Zuhören und bis bald. Ciao!