Vivre Babel au quotidien (Living Babel Every Day).

A discussion of multilingualism in Switzerland begins with a description of the country's linguistic characteristics. Historical Swiss policy recognizing four official languages, one of which (Romansch) is spoken by very few people, is compared with the current situation in which internal and external migration and multilingualism are common. The minimal role of the schools in helping manage this situation is criticized, but increased efforts to improve education's role are noted, particularly in the areas of bilingual education and language immersion. Three educational models are described briefly. The first allows students to repeat their last year of compulsory schooling in another area of the country. The second model focuses on maintenance of Romansch. The third is two-way bilingual education. Based on current conditions and predicted trends, some possible directions for Switzerland are explored. (MSE)