Learning German for International School Students
Some academic programs in Switzerland are taught in English, but others, particularly Bachelor's programs, require that international students provide evidence of a certain level of proficiency in the German language. To ensure that they meet this requirement, many students enroll in private German lessons for international students in Switzerland.
In addition to meeting entrance requirements, personalized German classes for teens in Switzerland and establishing daily German learning habits can help any student learn the German they need to comfortably live in a German-speaking area of Switzerland. Communicating in the local language is essential to making friends, managing daily life, and possibly finding a job after graduation.
The Language Proficiency Rating System
Organizations in Switzerland rely on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) system to evaluate German proficiency levels of international students. CEFR is a well-established benchmark of language learning, teaching, testing, certifications, and professional evaluations worldwide.
The standard assesses an individual's listening and reading comprehension, spoken and written skills, ability to engage in conversation, and how well they translate, interpret, and bridge communication gaps in the target language.
The test taker receives a rating from A1 to C2:
| CEFR Level | Skill Description |
|---|---|
| A1 or A2 | Beginner levels: able to understand basic, familiar, and everyday expressions |
| B1 or B2 | Independent levels: can manage most daily situations and understand more complex content |
| C1 or C2 | Proficient: fluent and able to speak spontaneously and clearly on complicated topics in near-native language |
International Students Need to Learn the Right German
In German-speaking areas of Switzerland, standard German is used in writing and in many German-speaking institutions of higher learning, while Swiss German is used in daily conversation and in local school instruction. To get a student visa, a student needs an official letter of acceptance from their school, and the student must meet the school's specific language requirements.
Therefore, it's essential that international students develop language skills in standard German and/or Swiss German as dictated by the school. While both forms of German share common roots, there are key differences in terminology and word choice, pronunciation, spelling, and grammar. To further complicate matters, there are different dialects used across Switzerland.
Ways International Students Can Accelerate Their Understanding of German
The best way for an international student to fast-track their understanding of the German language is to combine formal instruction with digital tools and immersion in Swiss German life.
Here are a few ideas for learning German more effectively:
- Live with native German-speaking students or a German-speaking family.
- Enroll in a course that offers one-on-one instruction.
- Join a local group engaged in an activity you enjoy, a photography class, hiking group, or soccer for example, to practice speaking in a relaxed and informal setting.
- Actively practice the language every day by engaging with locals when food shopping, doing laundry, going to the gym, or taking public transportation.
- Find a native speaker who wants to be a Sprachtandem: someone who wants to partner with you to learn each other's language.
- Listen to German podcasts, radio, YouTube, music, television shows, and conversations around you. Even if you don't understand everything, you'll start to pick up enough to understand the gist of the conversation and expand your vocabulary.
- Have fun by enjoying the process of learning a new language and culture.
Many language professionals recommend that international students learn standard German first because it's used in universities and is understood everywhere in Switzerland. They generally recommend learning Swiss German after achieving a firm foundation in standard German.
Enroll in German Academy Zurich for the Best Results
German Academy Zurich is a digital-first German language school that combines private instruction with an AI-powered platform to prepare international students for life and studies in Switzerland.
Our program is far more effective than group classes and costs a fraction of the price of traditional private tutors. We're so confident in the quality of our platform that we're the only language school in Switzerland offering a money-back guarantee if a student doesn't achieve a passing score on their official exam after completing the German Academy program.
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