Switzerland - Vincent
Switzerland
has always been known to be a haven of peace and neutrality.
The
population of Switzerland is approximately 7.000.000 inhabitants with the
capital being Bern. Bern is the German word for "bear". There is a
bear pit not far from the heart of the city where you can see real bears and
even feed the rascals - they seem to have taken a liking to it.
This
is a small country with small cities but a very lively rural population. Most
of the bigger towns and cities are easily accessible because of the proximity
of the small villages, the world renowned train system and the world's most
dense motorway (highway) system.
Zurich is the biggest
city in Switzerland and is the most expensive city in the world just after
Tokyo. Geneva, the city of Calvin's Protestant Reformation, is home to many
NGO's (Non Government Organizations) such as the United Nations of which
Switzerland has become the latest member http://www.ngo.org/
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The
strength of Switzerland is the security, peace and discretion that can be found
there. Vestiges of the past are the Vatican's Swiss guard, a neutral
international policy - strong currency and an army which requires every able
man to be armed, AT HOME!
It
is a wealthy country and salaries are relatively high. There are many foreign
investors as Switzerland is a tax haven. The prestige of the secret Swiss bank
account has driven many honest AND dishonest people to store their money there.
At present, however, there is a considerable amount of pressure on Swiss banks
on the part of the European Community to do away with the whole notion of
secret bank accounts.
However,
there are also negative aspects : recent scandals concerning frozen Jewish bank
accounts after WWII, and more recently a scandal uncovering Swiss financing of
the South African Apartheid regime has put a damper on what has often been
considered as an innocent and pristine nation. On a more personal level,
foreigners find it difficult to integrate into this society which tends to be
quite affluent and self-sufficient.
Stereotypes abound when one thinks of
Switzerland: the Alps, fondue, (Toblerone) chocolate, cheese, yodelers, alp
horns, Heidi, cow bells, etc. These are all anchored in Swiss culture but this
country has produced and still produces many quality products and innovative
ideas in the fields of architecture (Le Corbusier), food and beverage (Nestlé),
watches (Swatch, etc.), pharmaceuticals (Novartis and Roche), to mention but a
few of the most popular successes.
The education system in Switzerland is
excellent. Class sizes tend to be smaller than in other countries and seeing
that village life is still a priority, it is not uncommon to find a school in a
small village of under 500 inhabitants. In the inner cities and even in smaller
towns, violence is becoming a significant issue.
Much pedagogical research has come out of
Switzerland thanks to people like Pestalozzi, Piaget, etc.
It is difficult for foreign teachers to find
employment in Switzerland because of:
·
immigration
restrictions, which are loosening up for Europeans
·
protectionism
·
the difficulties
foreigners have in obtaining equivalencies for foreign diplomas/certificates.
Whereas public school teachers have
comfortable salaries, most private school teachers have relatively low salaries
and are often obliged to teach in several different schools in order to make
ends meet. Usually this means a 30 hour working week.
The Cambridge examinations are quite popular
among Adult students. Many take up English in order to obtain some type of
certification. The diplomas that one obtains are very useful on CV's.
Many foreigners come to study at top-notch
International schools where English has a prominent place. You can consult some
of the best at this site: http://www.global-education.ch/
In general, the Swiss have a knack for
languages given that they have 4 official languages, Swiss German, French,
Italian and Romansch and a very popular international working knowledge of
English. This makes for excellent international communicators and very eager
students of English.
One of my favourite experiences was a
one-on-one assignment to a young adolescent. He was the son of a foreign
ambassador's bodyguard. I was supposed to teach him very basic English but when
I first met him, it dawned upon me that he only spoke a North-African dialect
of Arabic. Although being competent in several languages, I have no
communicative knowledge of Arabic. That was a fun experience and one in which I
was able to use innovative ideas to enhance the lessons.
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