Volunteer Teaching English in Lugano, Switzerland

My experience in Switzerland was truly one of a kind! I had the most hospitable host family and was given an entire room to myself in their home, while also being treated to the most amazing home-cooked meals I have ever tasted. Breakfasts consisted of fresh squeezed orange juice and croissants with fresh jam or Swiss chocolate Nutella, and lunches and dinners ranged from delectable mushroom pasta dishes to fresh Caprese with Italian mozzarella cheese and a glass of wine to top it off. I felt so spoiled.
It took a few days for me to get used to the structure of my days. During the week, while the mom and dad went to work and the son Riccardo went to school, I’d head to the city centre using public transportation and would wander around, plop myself into coffee shops for some writing, and enjoy the beautiful sights of Lugano. Unfortunately, I endured a random four-day rain spree, which apparently was an anomaly for May, so I was not able to do as much outdoor exploring as I would have liked. But Lugano has so many nooks and crannies, and there were always places for me to visit even despite the rain.
I’d usually get home an hour or so before dinnertime to teach Riccardo his daily English lesson. One of the things I learned quickly is that children in Switzerland know many languages. Schools in Lugano teach them three to four languages, starting with Italian and adding on languages as they mature. English is the last language they learn, and these lessons usually don’t start until students are fourteen. So, with Riccardo only being twelve, it was a very new experience for me to teach English lessons to someone who essentially didn’t know the language. It forced me to be creative in my approaches with him, but ended up being so rewarding when I saw how quickly he was catching on and how certain phrases would “click” once he understood the context. We’d even have mock conversations in English so he could practice believable day-to-day situations, and he learned so quickly.
On the weekends, my host family was gracious enough to drop everything and take me to some of the most beautiful places. The days were packed with driving and exploring new cities, and I loved every second of it. Some of my adventures included visiting Locarno, and walking around the colorful Piazza Grande and taking the trolley up to to Chiesa Santa Maria Assunta, which is one of most incredible views of Switzerland. I visited the quaint arched-stone bridges of Valle Verzasca and marveled at the clear turquoise waters that ran along the highway. I was treated to a day trip to Lucerne and spent time wandering the narrow, cobblestone streets of the city, and also got the chance to cross the border into Italy to drive around Lake Como, take the ferry to Bellagio, and eat fresh fish while overlooking the tranquil lake. Switzerland and Italy are absolutely stunning countries; every place I visited looked like it could have been on a postcard and I felt as though I were walking around with my jaw dropped to the ground in awe.
All in all, this program ended up being one of the most rewarding experiences. It was not without its challenges—any time you go to a country where you do not speak the language, it’s a bit of an adjustment—but I feel as though I learned so much about the culture and about myself and would certainly recommend this experience.

As I just turned 18 I was qualified for the TravelNStudy volunteer programs in Central Europe. I finished my freshman year in college, inspired by other students to do some study abroad, however not ready yet to go away for the whole semester. My family actually encouraged me to travel abroad over the summer and we thought that Europe would be the perfect place for a novice traveler like me.
Christina from the admission office at TravelNstudy was extremely helpful, patient and thorough with answering my questions. She actually suggested considering both Switzerland and Poland discovery programs for my first summer abroad. Combining both programs worked out perfectly for my summer break since the Swiss program is in June and the Polish program is in July and August. I also had some time to travel by trains in Europe between the programs. The program is relatively small with six Americans participating, which made it a very unique experience in a more intimate setting. Every morning we met in Lugano and we either explored the city, went for a hike, a boat ride, or visited places of our interests (schools, local universities, banks, NGO’s). The location itself is absolutely stunning, palm trees, beautiful lake surrounded by Alps and the town of Lugano with it's colorful Piazza della Riforma! In the afternoon we thought English to kids of our hosts for about 2-3 hours every day. We came up with all kind of American games to get them more excited and involved. Most of the host families know each other since their children go to the same elementary school. I stayed with a lovely Italian-Swiss family with 2 kids ages 10 and 12 in a beautiful village near Lugano. The family spoke both Italian and French. During my 3-week stay, I improved my French, picked up some Italian and thought basics of English to the kids. The father spoke pretty good English but I learned later that English is not being introduced to Swiss students until high school. Reason? Swiss kids should master their French and German first. I was amazed and somehow inspired by the fact that an average college student in Lugano is fluent in Italian, French, German, and English. I very much enjoyed my stay with the Bollino family, practicing my French, conversing in English with Carla and Gorgio and I really hope to visit them again in the future. They cooked the best food in the world, shared their recipes with me, and even took me for a weekend trip to Milan and Venice. Thanks to them I learned how to take the train when in Europe and inspired by the awesome time in Italy I decided to travel more after the program was over. Before I started my next adventure in Poland I traveled by train to Austria and Germany. I highly recommend this program to anyone interested in touring Europe inexpensively, learning more about Swiss culture and teaching English to multilingual kids. Thank you TravelNStudy for the rewarding experience!