Apply to be a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Switzerland
The application deadline for the 2023-2024 program cycle is October 11, 2022.
Applications for the English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) program must be submitted through the application portal. Before applying, please continue reading below for more information about the program.
Apply for the ETA program here: https://us.fulbrightonline.org/applicants/application-components/eta
Program start date: September 2023
Grant length: 10 months
In partnership with Movetia (the Swiss National Agency for Exchange and Mobility), the Fulbright program in Switzerland offers 3 awards, which are part of the general English Language Assistantship program.
The ETAs will assist permanent teaching staff generally at a secondary school, such as Grammar schools, Specialist vocational schools and/or Federal Vocational Baccalaureate schools.
English teaching assistants usually cooperate closely with a Swiss teacher of English and take over certain responsibilities in the classroom, especially regarding projects on the U.S. The duration of the award is one school year, beginning in early September and ending in late June.
Fulbright English teaching assistants will:
- Gain experience in language teaching methods while improving their own knowledge of a foreign language.
- Broaden their knowledge about life in Switzerland and its education system.
Applicants can apply for three Swiss language regions: French, German and Italian. Depending on the Swiss language region, grantees should have German or French at A2 level or Italian at B1 (Common European Framework of Reference CEFR).
Teaching assistants will receive a monthly salary of CHF 3,200 per month, with which they finance their costs of board and lodging, insurances, and travel, including international travel to and from Switzerland. Teaching assistants are required to apply for the appropriate work and residence permits.
The teaching assistant commitment is 12 hours a week (16 lessons of 45 minutes each). In addition to teaching, the grantee is expected to engage in extracurricular activities within the school and/or community, such as language clubs or other extra-curricular activities or community volunteering activities. The grantee would also promote the full extent of the Fulbright program to other students and teachers. The teaching, extra-curricular, and community outreach activities should make up a full-time program.
Candidate Profile:
- College or University graduate holding a bachelor’s degree or higher and planning to teach English or work in a related field.
- Possibly having studied German, English, French, or Italian Language or Literature as a major or minor subject.
Eligibility:
- Citizens with dual U.S.-Swiss citizenship are eligible.
- Applicants who have been in Switzerland for more than nine months during the year prior to the beginning of the scholarship in September 2023 are not eligible.
The application procedure is managed by the Institute of International Education. Please check their website for additional information.
Applicants still affiliated with a university should consult the Fulbright Program Advisor at their institution for application information. Applicants who are no longer affiliated with a university should contact Fulbright U.S. Student Program website directly.
The application deadline for the 2023-2024 cycle is October 11, 2022. The IIE Online application system closes at 5:00 P.M. EST and applications have to be fully submitted by then. More information on the IIE timeline is available here.
All applications will be reviewed by special selection committees, and grants are awarded depending on funds available.
More information on the personal profile and expected duties and responsibilities of a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) can be found here:
https://us.fulbrightonline.org/countries/europe-and-eurasia/switzerland/1936
https://www.movetia.ch/en/programmes/language-assistants-programme/switzerland
