87

This article will discuss the way that the French-German linguistic border in Switzerland is put to use by the guided bilingual tours offered by the tourist industry. Analysis will focus on the process of this “exploitation” of the specific local linguistic situation by examining the rationale behind these tours, the way in which their linguistic aspect is organized, and finally the way that linguistic interaction is catered for. This analysis will identify the tensions between the various understandings of language and bilingualism that are involved in this process of commodification. These tensions can be related to their particular socio-economic context, but more broadly to the appropriation of language and of linguistic diversity in contemporary economic conditions.