Language teaching assistance in Switzerland

Teach your native language at a school in Switzerland for one school year. While working as a paid language assistant you will gain experience as a teacher, discover Swiss culture, and improve your language skills. 

Next steps

Submit application

Apply to the responsible partner organisation in your country of origin:

If none exists, you can submit your application directly to us. 

Register and follow the next steps. 

To the online platform of the Language Assistant Programme

Submit application

Apply to the responsible partner organisation in your country of origin:

If none exists, you can submit your application directly to us. 

Register and follow the next steps. 

To the online platform of the Language Assistant Programme

Overview

For whom

  • For students and graduates of a university abroad
  • Persons with EU/EFTA/UK/US citizenship and Swiss nationals living abroad

Duration

  • 10-12 months

Where

  • In Switzerland, German or French language region

What we fund

  • Placement at a host school

What to do

  • Participants submit an application to the partner organisation in their country of origin
  • Individual applications to Movetia are possible if no partner organisation is available

Deadlines

  • Application deadline 30.1.-31.3.2025 (depending on language of instruction and mother tongue)
  • Start of employment: Start of school year (August) or 1st September

Next steps

Submit application

Apply to the responsible partner organisation in your country of origin:

If none exists, you can submit your application directly to us. 

Register and follow the next steps. 

To the online platform of the Language Assistant Programme

In detail

Get to know the Swiss school system and culture during your stay. As a language assistant you will gain work experience in the teaching profession over the course of a school year. You will support pupils at baccalaureate upper secondary schools, upper secondary schools, and vocational baccalaureate schools in speaking your native language, which can be English, French, German, Italian, or Spanish. Alongside your teaching assignment you will have enough time to improve your own foreign language skills and discover the wide range of sporting and cultural activities and nature with new friends.

Ideal for first teaching experience 

You will work in close collaboration with teachers at your host school. Your teaching focus will be on oral language teaching. Your aim is to help pupils overcome their linguistic inhibitions, to make language learning fun for them and to provide insights into the culture of your country of origin. You also support the teachers in preparing and teaching their language lessons.

During your assistantship you can apply your newly acquired specialist knowledge in a novel educational system. This experience will benefit your future professional career. At the same time Swiss schools will benefit from your perspective and your input during the lessons. 

The job placement is free of charge. You can apply for two Swiss language regions. If possible your regional preferences will be taken into account.

  • German language region: lessons in English, French, Spanish, or Italian;
  • French language region: lessons in English, German, Spanish, or Italian.

Suitable for inquisitive students from many degree programmes

The position as a language assistant is suitable for you if your degree programme is related to languages or prepares you for the teaching profession. This includes subjects such as languages, literature or language as a foreign language, pedagogical studies or teacher training. You can find a detailed list under "Requirements".

Working at Swiss host schools

Your stay in Switzerland will last between 10 and 12 months. The workload is 12 hours per week (16 lessons of 45 minutes each). You will teach at a Swiss host school at upper secondary level (baccalaureate upper secondary schools, upper secondary schools, vocational baccalaureate schools), i.e. the pupils are between 15 and 20 years old. Occasionally, a language assistant works at 2-3 schools in the same region.

Most of the host schools are public schools. They have an excellent reputation, both in Switzerland and abroad. 

We match applicants with a suitable host school. You can indicate your preference for a specific region in your application, but flexibility is required. 

The Swiss education system briefly explained

Attractive employment conditions

In Switzerland you will receive a monthly salary of at least 3’200 CHF pre-tax (guideline value). The exact salary, your rights and obligations as well as other employment conditions are set out in a contract with your host school. Depending on your experience and degree, your salary may also be higher than the guideline value. 

You will pay for your own accommodation, meals, insurance, and travel costs. You will live in Switzerland during your employment as an assistant, preferably in a location close to the school. The minimum wage is sufficient to cover the living costs of a single person in Switzerland. 

Reliable partner organisation

With us you have a reliable organisation by your side during your assistantship in Switzerland. You will also have a contact person at your host school. In order to make sure that you get off to a good start in your position as language teaching assistant in Switzerland, we will instruct you on issues of life and work routines in Switzerland at a one-day seminar in Bern before you start teaching. 

Field report

Students are more motivated thanks to language assistant

The opportunity to work as a language assistant in Switzerland is exactly what she wanted, says the young Swiss-Canadian Leslie Schmid. Pupils and teachers at the high school in Zug appreciate the diversity in the classroom.

Read more

Requirements

  • Your native language is English, German, French, Italian, or Spanish.
  • You have grown up abroad and have EU/EFTA or UK citizenship. US citizens can take part via the Fulbright programme. Swiss citizens who live abroad in countries in which one of the languages mentioned is an official national language can also take part.
  • You are 21 - 30 years old, 35 years old at the most in the case of second degree students/graduates.
  • You have studied for at least 4 semesters at a university, university of applied sciences or university of teacher education or you have obtained a degree in a subject related to the teaching profession, e.g. German, English, French, Italian, or Spanish language and literature; German (DaF), English (EFL), French (FLE), Italian or Spanish as a foreign language; other fields of study, e.g. history, political science or communication, preferably with German, English, French, Italian or Spanish language or literature as a minor subject.
  • For everyday communication, depending on the Swiss language region, foreign language skills at level A2 (French) or B1 (German) are also required. At some schools, a good level of English (from level B2) is sufficient.
  • You have a good educational background and are able to express yourself clearly.
  • Basic knowledge of pedagogy and some experience of working with young people (half classes, groups or individuals) would be an advantage.

Funding amounts

  • The host school or the canton pays the language assistant a minimum salary of 3’200 CHF (pre-tax) per month (2’600 CHF after tax). 
  • Language assistants do not receive any direct funding from us, but the host schools can apply for financial support from us.

Procedure

For participants from Belgium, Germany, France, Great Britain, Austria, Spain, and the USA

Register for the Language Assistant Programme with the relevant partner organisation in your country of origin. Pay particular attention to the registration deadline. 

For participants from other countries and for Swiss abroad

You can apply directly to us. To do this, register once in our online tool and follow the next steps. 

  1. 1

    Prepare application

    Check whether you fulfil all the requirements for a successful application.

  2. 2

    Submit application

    You can submit your application to us online. Please note the following deadlines:

    French/German/English: 28th February 2025
    Italian: 31th January 2025
    Spanish: check the information on the website of the partner organization
    Swiss abroad: 31 March 2025 or by agreement 

    Please note:

    • Begin with the application as early as possible in order to familiarise with the details. You can save it temporarily and continue later. 
    • Once you have all the documents at your disposal it takes about 20 minutes to complete the application.
    • Make sure you can be contacted by phone and e-mail during the application process. We will keep you informed about the current status of your application and the next steps on a regular basis. 
  3. 3

    Decision and placement at host school

    • Once you have submitted your application, we will check your documents. If you have applied via a partner organisation, they will check your application first and then send it to Switzerland.
    • We will let you know within 2 weeks of the application deadline whether your application meets the requirements. 
    • If possible, we will send your documents to a suitable school with a vacancy.
    • The placement process usually takes place between March and May.
    • The school will contact you directly and invite you to a (virtual) interview. Jointly you will negotiate the terms of employment and sign a contract. 
  4. 4

    Prepare assistantship

    • As soon as the conditions of your employment have been settled, you can prepare your stay in Switzerland. You can find more information in the current country information sheet

    Practical tips for Switzerland 2024/25 (PDF, 201 KB)

    • When looking for accommodation, make sure your place of residence is located in Switzerland and close to your host school. Thus you will experience complete immersion and benefit more fully from your stay. Living in a neighbouring country is only permitted in exceptional cases and in consultation with the host school.
  5. 5

    Experience assistantship

    • To help you get off to a good start in Switzerland, we organise a one-day seminar for all newly placed language assistants in Bern at the start of the summer. The aim is to help you settle in in Switzerland effortlessly and to ensure that your stay as a language assistant is a positive experience all round. 
    • You will receive your first salary in Switzerland towards the end of the first month.
  6. 6

    Fill in feedback

    • At the end of your assistantship we will ask you to take part in an online survey. By taking part in this survey help to maintain the quality of the assistantship programme.
  7. 7

    Spread the word

    • Your experience is valuable for other applicants. Therefore, we ask you to talk to others in your social circle and professional network about your experience. Ask the host school to provide you with a platform in order to introduce yourself. Make sure you mention Movetia. We provide a logo and text modules.
    • Contact us to help you spread the word: We will be happy to publish your contribution on our website and in our social networks. 

    Spread the word

Q & A

The minimum wage we recommend is generally sufficient to cover the cost of living of a single person in Switzerland. We recommend that you draw up a budget and compare prices. You can find the relevant information in our country information [PDF] about Switzerland. Former language assistants and your host school can also provide you with tips.

The most important points to consider:

  • Look for the cheapest possible accommodation, for example a room in a shared flat
  • Compare the prices of health insurers for compulsory health insurance, for example on comparis.ch
  • Have enough money in reserve for the first month before you receive your first salary.

Most jobs are available in the Canton of Zurich. Not all cantons offer language assistant positions. Therefore, you should be willing to accept a placement in any region of Switzerland. Switzerland is a small country, and public transport is well established even in peripheral regions. You will have plenty of time at the weekends to maintain contacts with relatives/friends in Switzerland.

We highly recommend that you live in Switzerland, close to your host school. Thus you will experience complete immersion and benefit more fully from your stay.

A residence in a nearby country does not meet the objectives of the programme and is only permitted in exceptional cases and in consultation with the host school. 

The placement process usually takes place between March and April, in exceptional cases in May. You will be informed by e-mail as soon as we forward your application to a school. The school decides whether or not you get the job.

Further information

  • Swiss abroad make ideal bridge-builder

    Language assistants work at Swiss schools and teach their native language. They chose to jump in head-first, to live and work in Switzerland – a dream destination for many.

    Learn more

Contact

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