Before the big move to Switzerland, I started German lessons in Summit, NJ at the Berlitz school. My lessons were one-on-one (with an Austrian born native speaker, Inge) since there isn't much demand for German in NJ. It was definitely beneficial to have a base of knowledge before coming here, but I was nowhere close to where I want to be. The fall travel schedule didn't allow me to register for any classes that met for a month at a time. I tried two private teachers as a means to keep from sliding backward before January arrived with time for an intense program. I'll leave out the gory details - let's just say neither was a good experience. Do you think I was looking for the Inge of Zurich and she doesn't exist?
I got a very favorable recommendation for a particular language school from a recent transplant from Canada. I heard her speak when we went to the turnip festival and I was impressed. She started 4 or 5 months ago at the same level as I started in January. I don't intend to take as many months of uninterrupted intensive (daily) classes so I won't progress at her pace. I began my classes the first Monday in January. The classes are every day from 8:30 - noon. Unfortunately, the public transportation schedule isn't kind to me. I have to leave the house at 7:00 to get the bus to the Horgen train station, to get the train to Zurich, to get a tram to my class. I usually arrive by 8:10. I once arrived before the teacher and our classroom was locked! The buses from our area run only every 30 minutes. If I take the next bus, I'd be about 10 minutes late every day. The Swiss are very punctual so that would never do. Sigh. It has been quite the adjustment for me to get up at 6:00 and be out the door in one hour. No hanging around in a bathrobe anymore! On the way home, I have to wait about 20 minutes at the Zurich main station before my train to Horgen arrives. I have found some stores to wander around to keep warm during the wait.
I have two teachers. Nora teaches Monday-Wednesday and Claudia teaches Thursday and Friday. It took a while before we had a set number of students. The first week or so there was a different group every day with people entering for the first time or people leaving. We have 8 students, 5 women and 3 men. I am by far the oldest and could be the parent to the youngest two. The other students come from Thailand, Spain, India, Brazil, Turkey, England and Portugal. Most have some knowledge of English except for Suzan (from Turkey). It is actually a good thing that she does not speak any English. It forces us to try to speak German during our break time or risk being incredibly rude. It's hard, but a good exercise.
I was really nervous the first day, but after a very short time I was finished with that. Nora put us all at ease quickly. We all like Nora better than Claudia, but both are good teachers. I like being in a class because we can role play and converse with each other. No student is in the hot seat the whole time. We've actually had a lot of fun and I consider my classmates friends even though they're young.
Our curriculum is called "Deutsch in der Schweiz." While learning vocabulary and grammar, we also learn about the Swiss culture. (For the Swiss, seeing a chimney-sweep is considered lucky.) From the other students, I've learned bits of their culture. For instance, the Thai New Year is not in January or February like Chinese New Year. I don't remember exactly when Punyanush told me it is, but I do remember she told me they celebrate by throwing water on each other! I guess it's not so bad because it's always hot there. At midnight at the beginning of a new year, Spaniards eat 12 grapes at once!
Sadly only 4 of my classmates registered for the next month of classes. I understand their predicament. I am lucky that Zurich Insurance Company provides a budget for language lessons. Because this school is much more reasonably priced than some, my budget will last a good while longer. Tom doesn't need the lessons so I have a big budget to work with. My classmates have to pay the $800 monthly fee themselves. That's a lot of money if your employer is Burger King or you are unemployed.
Starting next week, I will have to go to a different location for my classes. I already checked and the commute will still have to start at 7:00. The four of us who are continuing are being combined with another class where six people are enrolled. We will have different teachers as well. I'm glad that some of us will move on together at least. Unfortunately, the one person in the class who is annoying is also continuing.
