Going local: to English-language parents with children in the early years of the Swiss school system, the key concern is usually if and how well their children are learning the local language--be it French, German or Italian.
But the real effort--warn experienced English-language parents of children who have already grown up in the Swiss system--will actually be maintaining a good level of English.
With its multinational companies and international aid organisations, Switzerland isn't new to either the expatriate employee, nor, in particular, the Anglo-Saxon expat. However, in the past 20 years something has changed as more and more English speakers have decided to put down roots.
Today, around Switzerland's larger cities, it is not rare for young English-speaking parents to come across families in a similar expat situation.
But in contrast to some years ago, when it was more likely that young families would have been here on a short-term expat contract, more and more families are now moving to Switzerland with indefinite contracts.
One of the classic perks of an expat contract is the payment of fees at private English-speaking international schools. But these days, more and more expat families, whose parents arrive often not speaking the local language, are opting to send their children through the local school system--whether simply for financial reasons or because they want their children to fully integrate if long-term plans are to stay in Switzerland.
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In an effort to provide an unbiased and straight from the horse's mouth--feel for what this choice really means emotionally, linguistically and culturally, Swiss News spoke to a handful of families who have already seen their children grow up outside their own country.
Balancing languages
Janice Leyel moved to Zurich 40 years ago from the UK and, except for a two-year stint in Austria, has not moved since. Her two sons, born in the late '60s, spent all but two years in the Swiss state school system.
"It was when we were living in Austria and felt so homesick for Switzerland, not the UK, that we decided to move back to Switzerland," Janice told Swiss News.
Janice's husband returned to Switzerland with a local contract and they have yet to look back, even though she feels that, despite being part of the local environment, "it will take generations to really become Swiss".
Andrew Leyel, Janice's older son, is an architect. He qualified in Switzerland at the ETH after finishing Gymnasium the slightly more academic secondary school stream in the German-speaking part of Switzerland that leads to university. However, English always remained the language that was spoken at home.
"My spoken...
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