The use of the Albanian language in Switzerland should not be seen only as an aspect of linguistic diversity, but as an important commitment to protect and promote the cultural heritage of Albanians in this country.

According to a new study by the Federal Statistics Office, it is said that for the first time in more than ten years, more people in Switzerland speak Albanian than Portuguese.

Through a writing. Sevdail Tahiri, director of the platform albinfo.ch, has explicitly said that over 292,700 people in the resident (permanent) population have Albanian as their first language. In terms of percentage, Albanian and Portuguese are almost the same: both languages ​​are spoken by 3.4 percent of the population.

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At a time when the learning of Albanian is developing as a process with many problems in Switzerland, while the number of Albanian students is constantly decreasing, the result of a new study by the Federal Statistics Agency is encouraging, which has shown that for the first time in more than ten years, more people in Switzerland speak Albanian than Portuguese.

There are explicitly over 292,700 people in the resident (permanent) population who have Albanian as their first language. In terms of percentage, Albanian and Portuguese are almost the same: both languages ​​are spoken by 3.4 percent of the population.

The results of this study are also encouraging for the supplementary learning of Albanian. As is known, the bearers of this lesson have addressed the blame for the obvious weaknesses more to the parents who are not sending their children to learn Albanian and to the institutions of the countries of origin, which have not done enough to put the Albanian school on the institutional track in the diaspora.

In any case, this statistical fact will change the approach of the locals, and maybe the cases when children are forbidden to speak Albanian with their friends in classrooms, corridors and playgrounds, forcing them to communicate only in German, will not be repeated.

The purpose of this ban, according to the reasoning of those who made it, was that by speaking only German, "as many children as possible have the best possible chances at school and later on the labor market", but experts say the opposite .

"If you don't speak Albanian in Switzerland, it's a problem", it is said half-jokingly, even many institutions proclaim that they offer information to their clients in the Albanian language as well.

This trend was seen two years ago by the largest Swiss newspaper 20min. which had launched the news platform that can be read online also in Albanian.

In this context, the use of the Albanian language in Switzerland should not be seen only as an aspect of linguistic diversity, but as an important commitment to protect and promote the cultural heritage of Albanians in this country.

Switzerland is a country of linguistic diversity and many cultures. In this multicultural environment, every language and culture deserves to be respected and promoted equally. Meanwhile, the Albanian language, as part of this rich cultural mosaic, needs special support and encouragement to develop and spread, perhaps even in institutional settings.

In Switzerland, the Albanian community is one of the most important and oldest communities. Despite the fact that Albanians are well integrated into Swiss society, it should be noted that preserving their mother tongue is essential to preserve their cultural identity and ensure their heritage for future generations.

Encouraging the use of the Albanian language in Switzerland should be a joint commitment of the Swiss government, educational institutions and the Albanian community. The creation and promotion of Albanian language programs in Swiss schools, as well as the provision of opportunities to be involved in cultural and educational activities in the Albanian language, are essential steps in this direction.

Also, the Albanian media in Switzerland play an important role in promoting the use of the Albanian language. This mission has been fulfilled for more than a decade by the media platform albinfo.ch. Despite all the challenges as foreign media, we have continued to provide accurate and fast information in the Albanian language, to raise awareness of the importance of preserving the Albanian language.

This issue of our magazine also focuses on encouraging the use of the Albanian language in Switzerland, which is an essential step towards protecting the cultural identity of the Albanian community. By investing in this direction, Switzerland, as well as those who teach the language, will not only strengthen cultural diversity, but will also contribute to the preservation of the precious cultural heritage of the Albanians in the country.