Last updated:
Language Training at CERN
CERN language courses are very popular and fill up quickly. Register as soon as enrollment opens to secure your spot, especially for French beginner levels.
Working Language at CERN
CERN's two official languages are English and French, and all official documents and communications are available in both. In practice, most day-to-day technical work, meetings, and emails are conducted in English, so you can work comfortably at CERN without speaking French.
That said, French is extremely useful for daily life outside CERN — shopping, dealing with local administration, visiting doctors, and socialising with neighbours. While there is no strict requirement to speak French, learning at least the basics will significantly improve your quality of life in the Geneva region.
CERN Language Courses
CERN offers subsidised language courses in French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, and occasionally other languages depending on demand. The courses are heavily subsidised for CERN personnel — you only pay a small fraction of the actual cost, making them an excellent value. Classes run during and after working hours, with lunchtime and evening slots being the most popular, and each course typically lasts one semester.
All courses follow the CEFR framework (A1 to C2), and a placement test determines your starting level — most newcomers begin at A1 or A2 for French. To enroll, register through the CERN Learning Hub (learning.cern.ch) when enrollment periods are announced via email and on the intranet. Act fast, because courses fill up within hours.
Welcome Club Language Classes
The CERN Welcome Club offers affordable French classes aimed primarily at partners and family members of CERN personnel. These group classes focus on French for beginners and intermediate learners, with an emphasis on practical everyday communication.
Beyond the language learning itself, Welcome Club classes are a great way to meet other newcomers and build a social network in the CERN community. Check the Welcome Club website for current offerings, schedules, and registration details — classes typically start at the beginning of each semester.
CAGI Resources
The Centre d'Accueil de la Geneve Internationale (CAGI) helps international workers and their families settle in Geneva, and language support is a key part of their offering. They organise conversation exchange programmes where you can practise French with native speakers who want to practise your language in return, as well as tandem language partnerships where you meet regularly with a partner and split the time between both languages.
CAGI also runs integration workshops covering Swiss and French culture, local customs, and practical life topics — all of which are helpful for both language learning and cultural integration in the region.
Local Options
The Geneva area has several well-regarded language schools. The Alliance Francaise de Geneve offers group and private courses at all levels with recognised certificates, while the Universite Populaire du Canton de Geneve provides affordable French courses alongside other languages and cultural classes. In Switzerland, the Migros Club School is the country's largest adult education provider and offers French courses at competitive prices across the canton.
If you live in France (the Pays de Gex area), your local commune may offer free or low-cost French integration courses. For more flexible scheduling, online platforms like italki and Preply connect you with professional French tutors for private lessons at times and prices that suit you.
Self-Study & Apps
Several apps can help you get started or supplement your formal courses. Duolingo offers free gamified French lessons that are good for vocabulary and basic grammar, while Babbel provides more structured, linguist-designed courses with deeper grammar explanations. For media-based learning, TV5Monde is a free platform with news, shows, and dedicated exercises for all CEFR levels, and RFI's Journal en francais facile is a daily news broadcast in simplified French that is excellent for intermediate listeners.
For passive immersion, try listening to French radio stations like France Inter or RTS La Premiere, watching French TV channels such as TF1 and France 2, and switching your phone and apps to French for everyday exposure.
Tips for Learning
If possible, start learning basic French before you move to Geneva — even a few weeks of self-study will make your first days much easier. Once you are here, register for CERN courses as early as you can, since they fill up within hours of opening. Set a reminder for the enrollment date so you do not miss out.
Use every opportunity to practise with locals — at the market, in shops, at the boulangerie. People appreciate the effort even if your French is not perfect. Joining French-speaking social events, conversation groups, or a local sports club where French is the common language will accelerate your progress and help you feel at home.