About us

SATE, the Swiss Association of Teachers of English, are the representative of English teachers at public grammar schools in Switzerland. SATE’s statutes declare our objective to be the promotion of “the study and teaching of English language and literature and the knowledge of Anglo-Saxon civilisation among its members.”

SATE tries to fulfil this aim by

offering courses to English teachers, most renowned are the November courses,
offering subsidies to schools for projects involving English. See here for latest news on this.

Details on past and future courses go to either the News page or the Archive page. Members of SATE get a CHF. 20.— rebate on course fees.

Membership is open to all past or present teachers of English in Switzerland who have successfully completed a course qualifying them to teach English at Swiss Gymnasien, Lycées, Liceos or at university level.

SATE is affiliated to the VSG/SSPES. Via this union of teachers at Gymnasium level, SATE can help fight for your rights and can contribute to discussions on Swiss education policy. Members of SATE are encouraged to join VSG/SSPES, but SATE only membership is also possible.

The membership fee for SATE is CHF. 30.— per year.

See here for the statutes of SATE.

DO YOU WANT TO ORGANISE SOMETHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY FOR YOUR SCHOOL BUT DO NOT HAVE THE FUNDS?

SATE offers financial backing to all Swiss grammar schools for any activities organised at these schools which aim to promote the English language and the cultures of the English-speaking world among its students. See here for details. And below, there is a report on the latest project we supported.

Staffordshire University visit & drama workshops at KZU Bülach (7-13 April 2018): some impressions

KZU Bülach has been hosting British drama students for more than two decades now. This year was the first time a group of students from Staffordshire University (Stoke-on-Trent) came to our grammar school. 10 students and their group leader, Andrew Fillis, arrived at Zurich airport on 7 April. They were introduced to the school and welcomed by their host families (all families of KZU students), with whom they spent the first weekend on trips to various Swiss sights.

On Monday the students started to teach workshops at KZU, adapted to the different age groups and levels of English. The exercises from their own professional practice which they enthusiastically shared with our students revealed a whole new side of some people who were not normally known to their teachers as the most active participants in English lessons! As a break from the teaching routine, the group went on an outing to Zurich on Wednesday, complete with a guided tour of Zurich Opera House.On Thursday, the English department invited our visitors and their host families to a farewell dinner, and on Friday the StaffsUni students presented a showcase of their training and work on the big stage in the school hall.

The English department of KZU Bülach are glad to have been able to continue the fine tradition of these exchanges. Since the programme is not easy to finance, we are especially grateful to the host families who put up foreign guests free of charge and to SATE for their generous contribution of CHF 1'000 towards our project. We do hope that 2019 will see another enthusiastic lot from StaffsUni at KZU!

(Siri Kohl, Head of English Department, KZU Bülach)