Language training and the schools

Read the PDF edition (2 pages)

Language training is a matter of importance for the financial centre. Geneva’s state schools teach French, German from primary level and English, in accordance with the curricula of French-speaking Switzerland, while the international schools, which are numerous in the canton, teach in English or bilingually. The University of Geneva has a faculty of translation and interpreting of international renown, the heir to the school founded in 1941.¹

The financial institutions, which benefit from this system that trains multilingual staff, contribute to it through in-house training and support for programmes. A command of German remains the weak point of many Genevans, despite its compulsory teaching, which limits access to the federal institutions and to Zurich. The command of French among the foreign staff of English-speaking institutions is another issue, on which their integration into the city depends.

The cantonal authorities, attached to French, have an interest in cooperating with the institutions, which are oriented towards English, so as to maintain a linguistic balance that preserves the identity of the city and the attractiveness of the financial centre. This balance is one of the elements of the quality of life that the financial centre puts forward to attract talent.

Notes

University of Geneva, Faculté de traduction et d’interprétation, presentation page (unige.ch): founded in 1941 as the École d’interprètes de Genève, became the École de traduction et d’interprétation in 1972 and a faculty in 2011; more than 600 students, seven languages taught (German, English, Arabic, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian), more than one hundred teaching and research staff, 70 partner universities in more than 20 countries. ↩

For general information only. This article does not constitute legal or tax advice, does not replace advice on an individual case and creates no lawyer-client relationship. It reflects the legal position as of September 2025.

English

Contact

Dr Alexander Ressos, TEP

Rechtsanwalt/Attorney-at-Law

I am a Swiss attorney-at-law and also admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and in England & Wales, with almost 25 years of experience.

Together with my multilingual team, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Ukrainian and French native speakers, I advise companies and their owners from around the world on the full range of banking, corporate, commercial and tax law matters in Switzerland, including international tax planning, fiduciary services, and legal family office services including immigration & relocation or real estate investments. My practice has a particular focus on clients from growth and frontier markets in Greater China, Central Asia and the Caucasus, the rest of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, and I equally advise clients from Europe and North America. Through an affiliated Swiss trust company, we also take care of the incorporation and ongoing administration of their companies and other structures, including accounting, tax returns and corporate secretarial services, and I serve as a professional director where required. With the support of a network of first-class cooperation partners, I also implement solutions worldwide.

My approach is to act as a trusted advisor who works directly with decision-makers, on an equal footing: I start from what you want to achieve and shape every structure, contract and tax decision around your commercial goals and how it improves your after-tax return. As “lawyers who make it happen”, my team and I stay involved until your company is set up, your structure is in place and your transaction has closed, and we remain available for any follow-on work that may be required. You benefit from bespoke solutions and personal attention, and sound, friendly and practical advice. We are not the lowest-cost provider in the market, nor do we intend to be; our aim is to deliver well-founded, proper solutions and excellent value for money.

Get in touch →

Language training and the schools

Notes

Setting up or expanding in Switzerland?