For over a decade the popular guidebook, Know-it-all passport®, has had a welcome home within the international and local residents of Geneva, Vaud, and neighboring France, and has grown to an astounding 750+ pages for its 8th edition, released August 2012.
The editor behind this series of guidebooks, Lisa Cirieco-Ohlman, had been thinking about publishing other books under the same brand for some time but was waiting for just the right opportunity. This came about in 2011 when Denise Nickerson approached Lisa suggesting a separate book as a guide to schools, exclusively those that present courses in the English language. Both Lisa and Denise have given talks to curious parents in the area and the recurring question and answer sessions often turned to schooling. They both felt this was the right time and place to create Education Guide Switzerland.
Sign up now to receive 10% discount on their first CELTA course running in July
A new training center for language teachers has recently opened in Lausanne, offering Cambridge-accredited CELTA courses for those wishing to gain an internationally recognised initial teaching qualification in English Language Teaching (TESOL). The center will be based at the well-established SL&C language learning center in Lausanne – one of four centers in Switzerland operated by this innovative Swiss language school.
To kick off the first of its new courses, which will run in July, the center is extending its recently expired early bird discount to all knowitall.ch clients who sign up for the course before the end of June. Just mention this article, and the date it was published on our site, to receive your discount.
As a basic requirement for those embarking on a career in English Language Teaching, the CELTA course is a practical, classroom-based course giving a good foundation in basic teaching techniques – classroom management, lesson planning, error correction, language analysis and use of resources. Input sessions, which are led by the course tutors, focus on teaching methodology and language awareness. This input is put to practical use in the preparation of lesson plans and teaching practice.
The International Cottage, based in Vevey, has just announced plans to expand its primary school with the creation of a new Middle and High School in 2014.
This new expansion, made possible by the procurement of new premises, also in Vevey, will enable the school to take on a further 150 students.
The curriculum at the new school will be in English, with students preparing for IB examinations at the age of 18. To prepare for this transition, the International Cottage will offer a full English curriculum from September 2013, with all classes scheduled to receive 4 hours of tuition in French. To help develop children’s French language skills further, all extra-curricular activities will also be given in French.
Conveniently located between Montreux and Geneva, the Chantemerle International School in Blonay has just opened a new bilingual programme for children aged between 4 and 6 years. Under the new programme, English-speaking children or children with international backgrounds are now able to follow the British National Curriculum, with French as a primary foreign language.
The new classes are open to day pupils from Monday to Friday, 09h00 to 15h00, but for parents who require flexible schedules, Chantemerle proposes a Breakfast Club (including a healthy breakfast served from 07h15) and an Afterschool Club (up to 17h30) at no extra charge.
While English language and literacy, maths and other primary subjects are taught by an experienced British primary school teacher, pupils in this programme can now also benefit from Chantemerle's strong French tradition. Children enrolled on the programme are introduced to the French language through secondary activities such as arts & crafts, games, songs and theatre given by a native French primary school teacher. Sports and outdoor activities are also given in the French language.
In response to the growing demand for school places at the foundation level, St. George’s School near Montreux has announced it will be opening a supplementary class for children in the 3 to 4 year age range in September 2012.
St. George’s School is an International school for boys and girls aged 3-18 with a boarding section. Situated between Vevey and Montreux, the current student body of 480 pupils represents 53 different nationalities – although the primary language of instruction is English. Read our article on knowitall.ch last year for more information.
Committed to the development of “Progressive Bilingualism” in all school sections, St. George’s has recently appointed a new francophone teacher, who will ensure continuous development in French language skills for all young children. A parallel program in French, including play, interactive activities and structured lessons, has also been implemented at the school.
