International Language SchoolBern, Switzerland

Location: International Language School is found in Bern, the capital city of Switzerland. Students can take a leisurely stroll across the Kirchenfeldbrücke bridge and find themselves in the inner circle of the city in under 10 minutes.

Local attractions: The centre of the city has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site as it has hardly been altered since its original construction and here one can experience its wide walkways, its beautiful fountain and the great cathedral of Bern. Visitors can also visit the Zytglogge, the city’s clock tower, and the Einsteinhaus, where the theoretical physicist Albert Einstein lived with displays of his writings and pictures.

Getting around: There is a tram system running through the city and the tram stop Helvetiaplatz is just 2 minutes from International Language School, which is a well connected station with three lines available for students to navigate the wonders of the city. Around the school building itself there is plenty to see including The Bern History Museum / Einstein Museum, the Contemporary Art Museum and the Alpine Museum of Switzerland. The neighbourhood is abundant with restaurants, bars and shops and the school is on the main street making it easy to find all the essentials that you may need for your stay in the city.

Course structure: Switzerland is a multilingual country and this is reflected in the classes available at International Language School. The school offers an Intensive language course for 10 lessons per week which is available in German, French and English. This is a group course with a maximum of 6 students per class for good student teacher ratios and effective group activities. An Intensive course of 20 lessons per week in German allows students to learn the language at a faster pace with a combination of grammar and vocabulary exercises intertwined with practical group work to teach students how to insert the language into everyday life and keep the learning interesting. There is also a private lesson package of 10 lessons per week for those wanting to structure their class around their timetable and focus on their own personal development.

Social calendar: International Language School understands that to learn a language it is important to experience the culture and they offer students daily afternoon and evening excursions to Zurich, Luzern, Geneva, Interlaken, Basel and trips into the surrounding mountains. Whilst there are various city trips to visit the local museums and attractions, the school also puts on sporting activities, games evenings, a group dinner and bowling to embellish the different interests that students may have.

School facilities: The school building has a communal lounge and computer room for those wanting to remain in the building after class to study the language in their own time in a learning environment.