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Given the large international population of Geneva, Vaud and neighboring France, it’s hardly surprising that language schools are so popular over here.
With many local companies recruiting from overseas, there is a huge demand for new employees and their families to learn French when they arrive. What is more, many international organizations also use English as the main language at work, so there is a significant need for employees of all nationalities to learn to speak English more fluently.
But as many of you know, when you arrive in a new region from abroad, or start a new job, there is very little time to think about studying again, especially when It comes to learning something like a new language, which can be very intensive in the first few months.
Recognizing this problem amongst its customers, one Geneva-based language school, Active Languages, has taken steps to develop a new series of online language courses that will match the learning needs of all language students – both local and worldwide. Know-it-all passport® spoke to the two owners and Directors of the company, Brian Johnston and Jarina Hasi, to find out more.
A new foundation stone has been laid, marking the beginning of a major new phase in the development of the Geneva-based bilingual international school, Institut International de Lancy (IIL).
On the 18th March last month, more than 1500 students, parents, teachers and administrative staff attended a special ceremony at the school in the presence of Mr Foerster, the Directory General, and Mr Pellé, member of the IIL’s Association board. Mr Lorenzini, counsellor of the Ville de Lancy also gave a speech in which he remarked that IIL was the oldest school in Lancy…but still very much “alive”!
The event started with an impressive array of 93 flags carried by students from their respective countries, who marched proudly through the grounds in a colourful and touching parade. Everyone at the ceremony witnessed the grand unveiling of an engraved silver box, which will serve as a Time Capsule to be inlaid in one of the main walls of the new building. Those who were unable to attend the ceremony can still view the proceedings on https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B-lZZ5BThVNzUUZ2cFVnb2o4Qm8&usp=sharing.
Image from Vimeo © California Film Institute
Juan-Felipe Pardo, an educational facilitator and audio-visual technician at GEMS World Academy Switzerland, has produced the main theme music for one of the foreign films nominated at this year's Oscars ceremony.
Called ‘Embrace of the Serpent’, the film was directed by Ciro Guerra and received a nomination in the Foreign Language category. Last year, the film also received the Art Cinema Award at the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs in Cannes. Click here to watch the video clip for the main theme music by Juan-Felipe Pardo
Set in the heart of the jungle, the film tells the story of a shaman who meets an American ethno-botanist in search of a mysterious sacred plant. Born in Columbia, Juan-Felipe is passionate about the Amazon forest, indigenous medicinal plants and traditional healing songs, making him the ideal candidate to share his music for this film.
“This is a real honour for me. I am proud that Ciro Guerra asked me to use my music for his film. The Amazon means a lot to me and to compose music using traditional elements of my country is a real inspiration,” declared Juan-Felipe Pardo. “To tell a story and transmit a message in music or film you need to hear and see with your heart, feel with your guts and then just do it.”
Geneva English School welcomes Year 7 pupils from September 2016 and opens new secondary campus from September 2017.
A new British international secondary school is set to open its doors to English-speaking expatriate and local students in Geneva. Building on the success of the highly popular Geneva English School for primary and early years children aged 3 to 11, the new secondary school will welcome Year 7 pupils at its existing campus in Genthod from September 2016, and will open a new secondary campus in the neighboring vicinity from September 2017.
Established in 1961, Geneva English School (GES) has a small school ethos, with a reputation for a strong community spirit and high academic standards. Even with the recent opening of a new nursery section and the creation of parallel classes in most year groups, the school has succeeded in keeping student numbers below 300. With the addition of the new campus, the school plans to restrict numbers to about 500 students in total.
Mark Williams, Chairman of the GES Board of Governors, told knowitall.ch, “By limiting the student population to around 500, we are confident that both the personal and academic and needs of every individual child can be met. Our research tells us that there is a market for expatriate and local families wanting their children to move into a secondary school that has the same atmosphere as the current GES, with the same approach to driving up excellent academic standards and providing all-round experience, which is stimulating and appealing to young people as they grow up through their teenage years. Our new secondary school will provide an alternative choice amidst the many expansive international schools within the region, some of which have student populations in excess of 1,500,”
Lake Léman International School (LLIS) has just announced that the future development of the school is now assured through the support of MHM Swiss Educational Services SA, a new Swiss company, headed by the well-respected Hamamy family. Owners of ten schools in Egypt, the Hamamy family is proud to make this new connection with LLIS, which will provide a platform in Switzerland for further expansion.
Executive Director, Marianne Salem, told knowitall.ch, "The ethos of LLIS will remain unchanged whilst the Hamamy family assures the school's growth for many years to come. We will also continue to develop and enhance our programme as much as ever, with the latest addition being weekly Music and Drama lessons led by a specialist teacher."
