Interview: learning German in order to find a job in Switzerland

• How did you become a German teacher?

I am originally from Poland. I grew up speaking my mother tongue and learned German at school. After my Abitur (A levels-UK, high school diploma-US) I left Poland and moved to Germany, where I eventually did a Bachelor in German and Russian. One important point in my migration story is that I only spoke basic German when I arrived in Germany, basically, I had a B1 level. Because of the experiences I made during this time, I can easily relate to foreigners and understand their struggles in learning the language.

I started working as a German teacher in Switzerland right after my bachelor. I worked in Alpha Sprachwelt Zurich for five years and then in Haus der Sprachen (HDS) St Gallen and Romanshorn for the last three years.

• What is your experience teaching German to foreigners looking for employment in Switzerland?

I have been working exclusively with people looking for employment in Switzerland for the last two and a half years. HDS offers courses for people signed-up with the regional employment office (RAV), which are targeted to unemployed foreigners. These courses are intensive (from 8h to 14h, Monday to Friday) and last nine weeks. Each day is structured to include time for German lessons and time to work on job applications. My job is to support students in both aspects, the learning of the language and the preparation of their application documents (including CV and cover letter).

• Is there any financial support for the students following these job seeker courses?

Yes, the courses are fully paid by the RAV, however, the job seeker/student needs to be registered with the RAV and his/her corresponding advisor needs to authorize the registration to the course. At the end of the nine weeks, the teacher (me) sends a report to the corresponding RAV advisor describing the performance of the student, and the latter then decides whether or not to register the employment seeker/student in another course. The RAV pays a maximum of 3 courses.

• What is the profile of the students in the job seeker courses?

Well, they are all unemployed and looking for a job in Switzerland. In terms of nationality, they come from various countries, particularly from Italy, Portugal, Macedonia and Albania. The age is also very diverse, from 23 years upwards. The type of education background and the jobs targeted are less diverse. The majority of the people in these courses do not have a university degree and they tend to work in the areas of gastronomy, construction work, manufacturing work, etc. This is in contrast to the students I taught at Alpha Sprachwelt, who were mostly people with at least one university degree looking for higher paid jobs (or who were already in a high paid job).

• What are the main obstacles faced by your students and what are their main goals?

All the students I teach face some sort of situation where they are blocked because they lack the required German language skills. The situation is often related to employment, but also to the integration into the local community and the country.

The main goal of most students is to be able to communicate in the day-to-day: understand the physician during a medical visit, communicate with the kids’ teacher, talk to the neighbours, etc. The people in the job seeker’s courses have the added disadvantage of not counting with an education recognized in Switzerland. Unfortunately, the situation becomes a vicious circle because in order to get a Swiss education, one needs to do (at least) a Swiss apprenticeship, and in order to do a Swiss apprenticeship one needs to have at least a B2 level German.

• What type of courses have you taught, and which one is more effective?

As a German teacher, I have experience teaching all levels (from A0 to C2) and formats (private classes, classes for small and big groups, classes for companies, etc). I personally do not think that courses of 1-3h per week are very useful. The best way to learn German is to do intensive courses (at least 15h a week) AND to speak German outside the classroom whenever possible. One should try to do as much as possible a “complete immersion”. I know it is hard to find the time to do this, but it is very effective, and, in most cases, it is a worthy investment. Nowadays, it is also possible to do intensive courses online, although I recommend not to join classes with groups of more than 5-6 people.

• How long does it take to reach a basic conversational level? how long does it take to reach a fluent level?

That is hard to generalize. I would say that with intensive courses it takes nine months to reach a basic conversational level (b1) and around two years to read a fluent level (C1). Of course, one needs to make a pause at some point. It is usually recommended to take one month off after nine months.

• Which level is usually required for employment in Switzerland?

A B2 level is required for most jobs and also for doing a Swiss apprenticeship

• Overall, how important is to learn German in Switzerland?

For the people living in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, it is very important. It is a critical tool to integrate into the community and to find a job.

• Is German enough? what about Swiss German?

Well, that is a little bit the issue here (in Switzerland), people in the street do not really speak German, but Swiss German. Luckily, all that we foreigners need to do is understand it, Swiss people do not expect us to speak Swiss German ourselves. Learning Swiss German is, however, a way to show respect for the local culture.

• And what about French and Italian?

If you live in the French or Italian speaking part of Switzerland, I do not see the reason why you need to speak German. I would expect people there to require foreigners to learn French and Italian, respectively.

• Coming back to you for the last question. What motivates you to do the job you do?

“Meine Arbeit macht mir Spaß“ (my job gives me pleasure). I feel happy to see how people improve; how they eventually reach their goals, find a job, make friends. In the job seeker courses that I have been doing for the last two and a half years, in particular, I feel I can help people construct their life here in Switzerland. It is a very rewarding job.

You can find more information about the importance of understanding and speaking the local language during the job search in Chapter 8 of my book, Making Sense Of My Unemployment