Two thirds of young people in Switzerland (WBF, 2017) and half in the Principality of Liechtenstein (LFL, 2021) choose a vocational programme rather than academic-focussed education. These cohorts are often rather multilingual, in our study 71% of surveyed apprentices (n=674) reported that they can speak three or more languages. However, the role of language diversity, language use and language socialisation more widely in vocational programmes seems severely under-researched (Coray & Duchêne 2017). Guided by language socialisation (Meier, 2018) and social cohesion frameworks (Meier & Smala, 2022), we developed the following questions: What languages do apprentices bring to their VET? How do they develop and use their languages? What role do languages play in their linguistic socialisation in different professions? We explored these questions with technical and trade-focussed apprentices, such as masons, electricians, mechanics and hairdressers. VET programmes in Switzerland and Liechtenstein are of the dual-track variety. In our case, the apprentices all attended a vocational college in eastern Switzerland right on the border to Liechtenstein. Their workplace training thus took place at a host company in either Switzerland or Liechtenstein, where German dialects are the predominant mode of communication. In Spring 2022, we collected 674 survey responses and conducted 11 interviews with apprentices in nine professions. In Autumn 2022, we then invited academics, employers, teachers and policy makers to respond to our first findings via a survey (n=90). Consequently, we analysed and interpreted these findings together. Findings related to apprentices (Meier & Styger, 2022) show that the participants in our study have 42+ nationalities, and they can use 56 languages and varieties at different levels of proficiency, thus constituting a very international and multilingual group that brings much linguistic capital to their work and learning. The learner findings further suggest that a majority of apprentices are interested in learning an additional language in the future, but that language learning opportunities at present (at college, at work and privately) are distributed rather unevenly. Similarly, apprentices in some professions are likely to be exposed to more than one language at work, where many mediate and translate between languages, thus smoothing communication in work teams and with customers. Alternatively, in other professions exposure to several languages is less likely, as German, or dialect, is often deemed predominant in their work. In this talk, we will unpack and discuss these results, taking into account stakeholder views, and draw conclusions for practice, policy and research.

Corary, R. & Duchêne (2017). Mehrsprachigkeit und Arbeitswelt: Literaturübersicht. Wissenschaftliches Kompetenzzentrums für Mehrsprachigkeit. Universität Fribourg. LFL (2021) Satistikportal. Bildungsverläufe. Landesverwaltung Fürstentum Liechtenstein. https://www.statistikportal.li/de/themen/bildung/bil-dungsverlaeufe Meier, G. (2018). Multilingual socialisation in education: Introducing the M-SOC approach. Language Education and Multilingualism: the Langscape Journal, 1, 103-125 Meier, G. & Smala, S. (2022). Languages and Social Cohesion: A Transdisciplinary Literature Review. Routledge. Advances in Sociology. Meier, G. & Styger, E. (2022). Zwischenbericht zum Projekt Mehrsprachigkeit in der gewerblich-industriellen Berufsbildung: Erste Analysen und Erkenntnisse zur Perspektive der Lernenden aus der Schweiz und dem Fürstentum Liechtenstein. https://sites.exeter.ac.uk/m-voc/reports-and-surveys/ WBF (2017). Förderung des Fremdsprachenerwerbs in der beruflichen Grundbildung. Eidgenössisches Departement für Wirtschaft, Bildung und Forschung WBF. www.sbfi.admin.ch/sbfi/de/home/dienstleis-tungen/publikationen/publikationsdatenbank/fremdsprachen.html