Learn French in Switzerland – Courses and Schools in Switzerland

Switzerland is a natural theme park displaying three of Europe's most distinct cultures. To the northeast is the beer-drinking, sausage-eating German-speaking Switzerland which is hard to tell from neighboring Swabia ( Germany ); to the south-west the wine drinking and shopping French spills effortlessly into Switzerland; in the south-east the sun warms cappuccino-sippers loitering in Italian-style plazas; and in the center you can find classic Swiss flugelhorns and mountain landscapes. Binding it all together is a distinct Swiss mentality.

Switzerland can be a glorious whirlwind trip whether you've packed your hiking boots, snowboard, or just a good book and a pair of sunglasses. A country that looks on a map like it could comfortably fit into a National Park, Switzerland packs into it a continents worth of natural wonders and a culture and history rich enough to provide five museums for every rainy day of the year.

Switzerland - History

The Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291 as a defensive alliance among three cantons. In succeeding years, other localities joined the original three. The Swiss Confederation secured its independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499. Switzerland's sovereignty and neutrality have long been honored by the major European powers, and the country was not involved in either of the two World Wars. The political and economic integration of Europe over the past half century, as well as Switzerland's role in many UN and international organizations, has strengthened Switzerland's ties with its neighbors. However, the country did not officially become a UN member until 2002. Switzerland remains active in many UN and international organizations, but retains a strong commitment to neutrality.

Learn French in Switzerland - Geography

It is often said that Switzerland is situated in the heart of Europe. Geographically speaking, that's not exactly true. However, the main route linking northern and southern Europe does run through the Alps.

Switzerland borders Austria and the Principality of Liechtenstein in the east, Italy in the south, Switzerland in the west and Germany in the north. This means that three important European cultures meet in Switzerland - that of the French -speaking region, the German and the Italian.

Switzerland's land area is 41,285 square kilometres (15,940 square miles). The productive area - that is, the area without the lakes, rivers, unproductive vegetation and no vegetation at all - covers 30,753 square km (11,870 square miles)

The Jura, the Plateau and the Alps form the three main geographic regions of the country.

7.4 million people- just over one thousandth (0.1 per cent) of the global population - live in Switzerland.

Switzerland's population density is very high with 234 people per square km (606 per square mile) of the productive area in 2000. In the agglomerations, which cover about 20% of the total surface area, the density is 590 per square km (1528 per square mile).

French Courses in Switzerland - Economy

Switzerland is a peaceful, prosperous, and stable modern market economy with low unemployment, a highly skilled labor force, and a per capita GDP larger than that of the big Western European economies. The Swiss in recent years have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with the EU's to enhance their international competitiveness. Switzerland remains a safe haven for investors, because it has maintained a degree of bank secrecy and has kept up the franc's long-term external value. Reflecting the anemic economic conditions of Europe, GDP growth dropped in 2001 to about 0.8%, to 0.2% in 2002, and to -0.3% in 2003, with a small rise to 1.8% in 2004-05. Even so, unemployment has remained at less than half the EU average.

Switzerland - Food

In Switzerland, breakfast typically includes bread, butter or margarine, marmalade or honey, maybe some cheese or cereals, plus milk, cold or hot chocolate, tea or coffee.

Lunch may be as simple as a sandwich or Bircher muesli or it could be a complete meal.
Then, depending on what people had for lunch, dinner can be a full main course or just some bread, cheese, or maybe some dried meat or any other light meal.

Drinks range from plain water, to different types of soft drinks, to a great variety of beers and wines. Hot drinks include many different flavors of tea and coffee.

French Schools in Switzerland - Climate

From a climate point of view, Switzerland is located in a transition zone. In the west, there is a strong influence of the Atlantic Ocean. On the eastern side, there is an almost continental climate, with lower temperatures and less precipitation. On the other hand, the Alps - which run from east to west - act as a climatic divide. South of the Alps, it is closer to a Mediterranean climate, with significantly higher temperatures but also a lot of precipitation.

Spring is wet and cool, April is well known for fast and often changing weather conditions. Summer is warmer and drier with maximum temperature up to 35°C (95°F). The temperature depends primarily on the elevation; the zero line (0°C or 32°F) may rise as high as 4000 meters above sea level (13125 feet). Fall (autumn) is usually dry, but cool. The temperature drops considerably in September or October, with the zero line around 2000 meter above sea level (6560 feet). Winter is generally cold and dry. The temperature may drop below 0°C throughout Switzerland, especially at night.

Swiss Interesting Facts

• There are 4 official languages in Switzerland : Swiss German (64%, many dialects), French (20.4%), Italian (6.5%), and Romansh (< 1%).
• A survey taken in 2006 found that Zürich and Geneva had, in that order, the first and second highest quality of living in the world.
• Switzerland boasts the second highest life expectancy in Europe (after Sweden ).
• The Swiss have a long tradition of watch making, and are the uncontested leader in luxury watches, with brands like Audemars Piguet, Baume et Mercier, Breitling, Chopard, Franck Muller, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Longines, Patek Philippe, Piaget, Rado, Rolex, TAG Heuer, Tissot, Vacheron Constantin.
• Political and military neutrality have been strong traditions in Switzerland for many years. However, the country opted to join the United Nations in 2002 and the Schengen Agreement in 2005.
• Switzerland is the first and only country to implement people's rights system of government also known as direct democracy, which involves the constitutional initiative (public petitions) and the referendum.

Learn French in Switzerland - Advice

At our French schools and courses in Switzerland our advice can really be summed up with one simple word - practice! What kind of study materials you use is not quite as important as how or how often you use them. Your hard work and determination will be one of the biggest factors in successful language learning.

The French school and course you choose in Switzerland is going to be the core of your French study, so make sure you choose a French language course that gives you structured lessons and lots of opportunity to practice your new language skills. Our French courses at our French schools in Switzerland, will give you the perfect opportunity to study, learn, and practice French in a supportive, well planned and friendly environments.

You must work at your new French language skills every day. Ideally, you should study French an extra hour or more every day. If you can get at least an extra half-hour of study time, that's pretty good too. Try to at least get a little review and study, learn and practice French every single day.

If you attend one of our French courses in Switzerland and you learn French everyday, you will have a good basic knowledge of the French language in a reasonable amount of time. Your knowledge and ability will increase and improve depending upon what other tools you use and what kind of experiences you have using the French language.

Grammar book. A good old-fashioned grammar book may be boring but they are a great way to really get to grips with the details of the language.

Phrase Book

These are extremely helpful books that you can carry with you. They can be useful for practicing pronunciation, or for quickly finding a lot of more commonly used phrases, words and idioms. Phrase books are always a nice supplement to learn French and they are convenient and cheap.

Dictionary. Absolutely necessary in the long run. You must have a dictionary if you wish to expand your vocabulary, and you will need one in order to take full advantage of many of the French language learning tips set out here. Make sure you get one that translates both ways e.g. Spanish to French AND French to Spanish. It is also helpful to find a dictionary that contains idioms – the phrases particular to the language which you are studying – as well as phrases that are commonly used in the French language, but may be difficult to translate.

Flashcards

A simple French language learning tip, but a very effective way to review, refresh your memory and expand your vocabulary. There are pre-made flashcards that can be purchased, or for extra help, you can create your own. Keep them with you at all times, in your pocket or in your car, and look at them for a quick review or language lesson at every opportunity. They are very convenient.

Talk to yourself

It may be obvious, but the best way to learn French in Switzerland is to speak French in Switzerland ! This convenient method can be use at all times, as you can even talk to yourself. Even if you are in public and don't feel comfortable talking to yourself out loud, you can make it your habit to practice French by thinking French. Throughout the day, think of the French words for everything you pass – objects in your house, things you pass when you are traveling, things you use at work or school, etc. Learn basic French phrases like – ‘it is cold today' or ‘it is sunny today' and use whichever is appropriate when you first look out the window. By putting this tip into use on a regular basis, the vocabulary and phrases will become more routine and automatic.

Practice with friends

Taking it even further than talking to yourself, you can practice with your friends. Even if they don't speak French, talk to the people you know by using your new language. Warn them in advance that you are practicing your new knowledge and they'll know what's coming. Even a simple 'good morning' or'see you later' in French will make those phrases more natural to you. Your friends may even begin to learn a few words and join in the fun too!

Listen to music

Listen to French music. You'll hear the French language used in a real context and this will help you pick out the rhythm and pronunciation even better. This method will also give you a further understanding of, and appreciation for, the culture and customs of the people. Music in French might be easier to find than others, but Amazon or eBay and many other global websites will enable you to find music in French and many different languages.