Switzerland has many languages and is rightly proud of this diversity. But could having different languages make it hard for everyone to feel included? Are some language differences treated unfairly? How do people in Switzerland manage these differences in their daily lives? In this FOKUS event, we explore the ways that language can act as both a resource and an obstacle in Swiss society. Through a series of interactive activities and short presentations, we discuss the kinds of linguistic obstacles that people face and consider the different strategies they adopt to overcome them.
Our goal is to enable a dialogue about the role that language can play in making Switzerland a more inclusive society. The event also features a conversation on these topics between Nayansaku Mufwankolo, Lecturer in Cultural Studies and Critical Theory and Head of Inclusion at the Haute école d’art et de design de Genève, and Erez Levon, Professor of Sociolinguistics at the University of Bern.  

The event is organized in collaboration with the Center for the Study of Language and Society (CSLS) at the University of Bern. An interdisciplinary center dedicated to research and advocacy on the intersection between language and society, the CSLS seeks to foster studies of the relationship between language and different forms of social inequality. 

The event will be held in English and is free of charge.
A reservation is mandatory. We recommend visiting the exhibition before the event. With registration for the event the museum entrance is free of charge.