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Switzerland lies at the heart of Europe, and is an exciting crossroads of cultures and languages. The Swiss speak French, German, or Italian depending on their region, and a small minority speak a language based on Latin called Romansch. While being situated in the Alps in Western Europe, Switzerland stands out from its neighbors in many ways. The nation's sovereignty and neutrality have long been respected by its neighbors - Switzerland did not fight in either World War of the last century. Switzerland also avoided the recent political and economic integration of much of Europe, and is not a member of the European Union (EU). The scenic beauty of the country has long been celebrated, and there is a robust tourism sector.
 
For EFL job-hunters, Switzerland is a unique place to live and work. If one has a healthy bank balance, then getting a permit to stay in the country and search for an ideal EFL teaching position should be no problem. For most, however, relocating to Switzerland is a little more work. For non-EU nationals such as Americans, staying in the country for up to three months without a visa or residency permit is also usually not a problem, but after this time foreigners must leave Switzerland. Once out, they must be out of the country for one month before coming back for another limited three month stay again. A foreigner can only do this once, as he or she may only remain in Switzerland for six months in any calendar year.
 
While in Switzerland a foreigner has no right to work, and cannot even look for work without a work visa, which can only be provided by an employer. A foreigner may not enter the country until their work visa has been granted, essentially meaning that without one all job hunting and applications needs to have been accomplished previously elsewhere. A school in Switzerland must prove to their government that they cannot find a Swiss or EU national before offering a work permit to a foreigner. Foreigners are advised to not attempt to deceive Swiss authorities and work without a visa.
 
The good news is that there is a general demand for English language instruction in Switzerland. Business English is commonly in demand in the larger cities, with a steady demand for general English throughout the country. Most ready opportunities are through private language institutes, because breaking into the Swiss public education system is difficult. In the private sector wages are lower than in the state run schools, and contracts can be unclear or non-existent. The salary ranges depend on where in the country one teaches, with a major city like Zurich offering up to $60 an hour, and outlying regions as little as $25 an hour. The city of Basel is known to have better salaries than Zurich on average. Finding a full-time teaching position is rare in general, and many EFL professionals working in Switzerland have jobs at several schools to meet typical Swiss living standards.

To teach in Switzerland, the qualifications include some sort of teaching certificate, and experience. Most schools require a TESOL certificate, and many private Swiss schools will only hire EFL teachers with classroom experience. Qualifications for teaching at state schools are much higher, and vary considerably from region to region, called Cantons in Switzerland.

While going to Switzerland to teach English is more involved than some countries, it is by no means impossible. There is a demand for native-English speaking teachers, and there are many resources one can take advantage of in trying to find work in Switzerland:

The following books are also considered excellent resources for EFL teachers and other professionals looking to work in Switzerland, and can be found used at a reasonable price: