Learning English: the Swiss curriculum and what's changing

The Swiss curriculum is changing. With the introduction of Lehrplan 21 in Kanton Zurich in the 2018-19 school year, children will be exposed to English a full year later than in the past. In recent years, children start learning English at school in the second grade: now, children entering primary school won't begin English lessons until third grade.

What does this mean?

It means children are exposed to and given the chance to speak and listen to English a year later. As we get older, our ability to learn new languages tends to decrease. Learning a second language as a preschooler is usually more effective, for example, than as a middle school student. A year may not seem like much, but as children's brains develop, they need more exposure and practice for a new language to "stick".

Not only that, but children benefit immensely in general from learning another language when they are younger, because their elastic brains are more able to learn other languages after that. The sooner we expose children to other languages, the more likely their brains are wired to learn. It also helps develop logic skills (forming sentences, understanding grammar) and develops their confidence and ability to communicate in their native tongue.

English is currently the international language of law, of trade, and of social exchange. Even playing computer games online is primarily an English-speaking activity -- eSport competitors are expected to be fluent in English to communicate with their team. English speakers are typically at an advantage when they travel outside their home country, as it is usually the common language.

Here in Switzerland, English is more and more prevalent in city streets and workplaces. While Swiss German will always be the language at the heart of this part of the country, English is the connection between Swiss and international residents or guests.

So what?

I am passionate about languages and I cherish my terrible German and Swiss German skills, because they help me feel at home here and accepted by my community. But I see English as a necessity for this generation as a tool to find a place in the wider world, to experience life as part of a global network of people. The internet, in particular, has made the world a much smaller place, and without English it is easy to feel isolated and stuck in a bubble.

Learning English prepares our children for a life in a technological and digital boom, where they have access to a universe of information, if they only have the language to find it.

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