One of the interesting things about Switzerland is that depending on your proximity to neighboring France, Italy, or Germany, the primary language spoken is French, Italian, or German. I am not aware of many other countries the size of Switzerland in which there is such a distinct variation in languages as you travel relatively short distances around the country. (To put the size of Switzerland in context, at just 16,000 square miles, it is less than 1/5th the size of my home state of Minnesota. If Switzerland was a U.S. state, it would rank 42nd in land area behind West Virginia and ahead of Maryland.)

We live in Geneva, which is in the western “Suisse Romande” region where French is the primary spoken language. Continue reading →