Bilingual can mean anything from two lessons a week to a genuinely dual-language diploma. Knowing the difference matters.
Switzerland's four national languages make bilingual schooling ordinary rather than exotic — but the label covers very different models.
Three common models
Immersion, where a second language is the medium of instruction for part of the curriculum. Parallel streams, where subjects are split between languages. And supported language acquisition, where the second language is taught intensively but not used for other subjects.
What to ask
What proportion of taught hours are in each language? Is the diploma itself bilingual? What support exists for a student arriving with no French or German?
Realistic timelines
Conversational fluency often develops within a year of immersion. Academic fluency — writing an essay under exam conditions — usually takes longer, and schools should be candid about that.
Thinking about a Swiss school?
We are happy to talk through your situation before you commit to anything.