The curriculum today includes dates, times and the categorisation of drinks. A lively discussion quickly begins: What is a hot drink? What is grappa? Teacher Céline Dengler asks for the right glasses. "We start very early in the morning, so I also have to be a bit of an entertainer," she says. The eight employees' countries of origin couldn't be more diverse: from Eritrea to Russia and Italy. The participants are active and are also interested in grammar beyond the curriculum. They all volunteer to do more than is specified.
"Participation is voluntary with us. If someone participates 70 per cent of the time, he or she is credited with the teaching time as working time at the end of the course," explains HR Manager Jürg Aemmer. Not all companies do this. "The courses are a benefit for everyone. Language skills generally help in life, with integration and in the workplace. We are very committed to further training, which is why the courses are a good fit for us," he explains. Participants also have to complete 70 per cent of the course in order to move on to the next one. There are three courses in total - without an exam at the end, but with a certificate.
The German lesson is over, now the real work begins for the participants. Céline Dengler is satisfied. "The course is designed to help overcome language barriers in order to find more expression. We only started in August and everyone already has more courage to say something. The indicator for this is that the participants are speaking louder. So this goal has been achieved."
The courses are organised by Hotel & Gastro formation Schweiz and run by Academia Languages. The whole thing is financed by the companies' L-GAV contributions.
