The domains of English and German

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The domains of the two languages can be described roughly. English dominates in the international companies, in the professional services that work for them, in the international schools, in the crypto industry and in parts of the hospitality sector. German and Swiss German dominate in the cantonal and municipal administration, in the courts, in the public schools, in local politics, in local businesses and associations, and in the churches. The two domains overlap in the banks, the law firms and the fiduciary companies, which serve both local and international clients, and in the shops and restaurants, which serve both residents and expatriates.

The boundary between the domains is not fixed. The cantonal administration has begun to offer information in English, particularly for companies and new residents. Local businesses use English in their marketing to reach international customers. Public schools teach English from primary school as the first or second foreign language.¹ In the other direction, many international companies offer German courses to their employees, and some expect managers who stay for several years to learn the local language. The domains are moving towards each other, with English gaining ground in the public sphere and German gaining some ground in the international sphere.

Notes

Canton of Zug, Direktion für Bildung und Kultur, Amt für gemeindliche Schulen, consultation report "Stundentafeln des Kantons Zug zum Lehrplan 21" (consultation 20 September to 12 December 2016, for the school year 2019/20), on lvz.ch: English from the third class of primary school, French from the fifth class. The report is the consultation draft. ↩

For general information only. This article does not constitute legal or tax advice, does not replace advice on an individual case and creates no lawyer-client relationship. It reflects the legal position as of September 2025.

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Dr Alexander Ressos, TEP

Rechtsanwalt/Attorney-at-Law

I am a Swiss attorney-at-law and also admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and in England & Wales, with almost 25 years of experience.

Together with my multilingual team, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Ukrainian and French native speakers, I advise companies and their owners from around the world on the full range of banking, corporate, commercial and tax law matters in Switzerland, including international tax planning, fiduciary services, and legal family office services including immigration & relocation or real estate investments. My practice has a particular focus on clients from growth and frontier markets in Greater China, Central Asia and the Caucasus, the rest of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, and I equally advise clients from Europe and North America. Through an affiliated Swiss trust company, we also take care of the incorporation and ongoing administration of their companies and other structures, including accounting, tax returns and corporate secretarial services, and I serve as a professional director where required. With the support of a network of first-class cooperation partners, I also implement solutions worldwide.

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The domains of English and German

Notes

Setting up or expanding in Switzerland?