My Linguistics

What it is

My Linguistics is a language school in Geneva focused entirely on adult learners who want to build daily communication competence in French and English. The school's own phrasing is that it specializes in "structured, speaking-first" classes designed to help adults "use the language confidently and independently in real life". It holds eduQua certification, the Swiss national quality label for continuing education. This is a Geneva-based operation, not a branch of an international chain, and its entire mission is oriented toward the specific needs of adults establishing themselves in French-speaking Switzerland.

What it does for arrivals

Anyone relocating to Geneva or another French-speaking canton needs French to function at work, in housing, in schools, and in civic life. My Linguistics addresses exactly that need. The school specializes in FIDE test preparation, a Swiss-specific integration language assessment required or strongly preferred for residency permit renewal in many cantons. The site describes a "FIDE French pathway: A1 > B1 for Swiss integration", a clear progression designed for people who have arrived with little or no French and need to reach the B1 level that satisfies most Swiss integration requirements.

For English, the school serves both people who are professional speakers in English-dominant roles and people strengthening English for work or daily life. Because the school's philosophy centers on speaking-first instruction and real conversation practice, it is built for someone who is anxious about speaking, who has been taught grammar in a classroom before but struggles to form sentences in real time, or who learns best by listening and speaking rather than by textbook exercises.

The free consultation includes a placement test that assesses both "spoken fluency", vocabulary, ease of expression, and listening comprehension, and "structural fluency", how the learner builds sentences when speaking. This assessment-before-enrollment approach means no one is misplaced in a level that is too advanced or too basic, and the school learns what barriers the student faces.

The offer and pricing

Private lessons are offered at 100 CHF per hour for one-on-one instruction tailored to the learner's goals, pace, and schedule. Semi-private lessons (two students, such as colleagues or a couple) are 50 CHF per hour per person. Group classes with up to 4 people cost 35 CHF per hour per student. All formats include access to the school's online platform with hundreds of structured exercises for practice between lessons. The courses are built around what the site calls "guided speaking practice, reformulation, and progressive interaction tasks", so the learner is speaking nearly all the time, not listening to grammar lectures.

For FIDE preparation specifically, the school offers mock speaking and listening tests, so a learner preparing for the real FIDE exam gets a full sense of what to expect and where gaps remain. The site breaks down the FIDE progression as A1, A2, and B1 levels with a clear pathway documented.

Courses can be taken in person or online (via live video call), and they can be combined: a learner can attend one-on-one lessons in person and join a group class online, for example, or vice versa. The site does not specify a minimum course length or a required number of lessons, but the free consultation would clarify what the school recommends for a given learner's goals.

What the school teaches

French and English are the only languages offered, and the curriculum is divided into clearly labeled pathways: Business French, Casual French (daily life), and FIDE exam preparation for French; Business English, Casual English, and Intensive English for English learners. Levels run from A1 (beginner, starting from zero) to B2 (upper intermediate, able to sustain longer conversations and handle complex professional situations). The site does not advertise C1 or C2 levels, so someone wanting to reach advanced bilingual proficiency might need to look elsewhere or ask the school about its ceiling.

The site describes the typical progression: beginners move from simple real-life conversations to managing everyday interactions without scripts, then to sustaining conversations and participating comfortably in longer discussions, and finally to expressing ideas with precision and handling complex professional or academic contexts. This is the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) progression, and the site is transparent about how it maps to learner ability.

What is not settled

The site does not specify the exact duration of courses or how many lessons are typical for progression from one level to the next. It does not say whether the school imposes a minimum course length or whether a learner can book five lessons and stop. It does not list the qualifications of the teachers beyond calling them "qualified", nor does it name them individually. It does not specify how often courses meet (weekly, twice weekly) or how lessons are scheduled. The site does not say whether group classes meet at fixed times or whether they are held on-demand when enough students sign up. For a learner who needs to commit a specific number of hours to reach a goal, these gaps would need to be filled by the free consultation.

Who it suits

My Linguistics is built for adults relocating to French-speaking Switzerland who need French for integration, work, or daily life. The explicit FIDE pathway and Swiss focus make it especially relevant for someone whose residency status depends on reaching B1 French within a specific timeframe. The emphasis on speaking and conversation practice, and the small group sizes (maximum 4), make it good for someone who is anxious about speaking or who learns best by doing rather than by studying grammar rules.

The pricing (CHF 35 to 100 per hour depending on format) places it at a semi-private school level, more affordable than some intensive private tutoring but pricier than group-only community programs. Someone on a tight budget or someone who is highly independent and comfortable self-teaching might look for cheaper options. Someone wanting to learn a language other than French or English, or someone aiming for C1 or C2 proficiency, would need to ask the school or look elsewhere.

The online option makes My Linguistics accessible to someone whose schedule or location makes Geneva difficult to reach regularly. The free consultation, placement test, and online platform access all lower the barrier to trying the school before committing.

The verdict

My Linguistics is a focused, professional language school designed for exactly the population this directory serves: adults establishing themselves in French-speaking Switzerland. The transparent pricing, the clear FIDE pathway, the emphasis on speaking competence, and the eduQua certification all signal a serious institution. The school's philosophy, learning by speaking and practicing in real conversations rather than by textbook, is sound pedagogy for adult learners who need to function immediately in a new language and culture. Anyone relocating to Geneva or a French-speaking canton and needing French or English should start with My Linguistics's free consultation and trial lesson.