Learning Swiss-German

I began learning Swiss-German (particularly the dialect spoken in the canton of Bern, which includes the Emmental). While it is fairly easy to find YouTube videos for beginning Swiss-German, I have found that most of them teach the dialect of Zurich. It is more difficult to find materials to learn the dialect of Bern.

Online Dictionaries

• Schweizerisches Idiotikon (German start page)
  Introduction to the Schweizerisches Idiotikon (English site):
  "The Schweizerisches Idiotikon documents the Alemannic vernacular in Switzerland from the 13th through to the 21st century. Sixteen volumes published so far with more than 135,000 entries amount to the most comprehensive historical dictionary of a German language region."
• Wörterbuch Berndeutsch-Deutsch
• Wörterbuch Berndeutsch / Wörter Bärndütsch
  "Wörterbüchli" with links to other aspects of the Bernese dialect
  • E chle bärndütschi Grammatik (Berndeutsche Kleingrammatik)
  • Kleine Orthographie
  • Bärner Volkslieder, Gedicht u Sprüch
  • No meh Bärner Volkslieder

Online Phonetics

• Schwyzerdütsch (Zürich): The UCLA Phonetics Lab Archive (from 5. June, 1979)

Print References

Dictionary

• Greyerz, Otto von; Bietenhard, Ruth. Berndeutsches Wörterbuch für die heutige Mundart zwischen Burgdorf, Lyss und Thun. Cosmos-Verlag. 10. Auflage 2017.
  ISBN-10: 3305002557 / ISBN-13: 978-3305002559. 430 pages

Grammar

• Marti, Werner. Berndeutsch-Grammatik für die heutige Mundart zwischen Thun und Jura. Bern: Francke, 1985. ISBN-10: 3772015875 / ISBN-13: 9783-772015878. 280 pages.

Course

• Pinheiro-Weber, Ursula. Bärndütsch (Neuauflage): Ein Lehr- und Lernbuch Taschenbuch. hep Verlag. 5. Edition. 9. April 2021. ISBN-10: 3035519331 / ISBN-13: 978-3035519334. 180 pages. Info: https://www.hep-verlag.ch/baernduetsch
  • Audio downloads: https://www.hep-verlag.ch/baernduetsch-audio
• Same book as above written for speakers of English:
  https://www.hep-verlag.ch/baernduetsch-for-you
• Same author, exercise book: Bärndütsch Übungsbuch
  https://www.hep-verlag.ch/baernduetsch-uebungsbuch
  • Same link: Additional materials, audio downloads, answer keys.
    

Jeremias Gotthelf

• Bee Juker, Wörterbuch zu den Werken von Jeremias Gotthelf: Zur 18-bändigen Volksausgabe. Eugen-Rentsch-Verlag, 1972. ISBN 10: 3724904312 / ISBN 13: 978-3724904311. 120 pages.

YouTube Videos

• Search "berndeutsch" for a wide range of videos
• A technical and very helpful explanation of how Swiss German differs from Standard German: Youtube link
• Lots of examples for those who also know German. Especially helpful is the explanation of the "vocalized l-t" beginning at time stamp 1:07. YouTube link
• For audio only listening exercise (no visuals or texts), there is a series:
  "Bärndütsch, Berndeutsch, Schweizerdeutsch, Bern" but I can't find more than a few:
  • 5. Was isch fuer Zyt
  • 3. Idr Beitz
  • 11. Mir boue Luftschlösser
• Star Wars Trailer uf Bärndütsch (!)
• 2 beginning lessons by Eljada Lena using flash cards:
  • Lesson 1 (in English)
  • Lesson 1 (in German)
  • Lesson 2 (in English)
  • Lesson 2 (in German)
• There is a series: Berndeutsch für Dummies mit Moser & Schelker, but they speak much to fast for beginners, especially for those who do not already know German.
  • Example: Zeitangaben
• Music in Berndeutsch:
  • Tanze im Räge (TRAUFFERMUSIC)
  • Du drückisch dä Chnopf (TRAUFFERMUSIC)
  • Brienzersee (TRAUFFERMUSIC)
  • Härzschärbe (TRAUFFERMUSIC)
  • Schärischnitt (TRAUFFERMUSIC)
  • Letschte Atemzug (TRAUFFERMUSIC)
  • TRAUFFERMUSIC YouTube Channel