ESL Education

Company Timeline

  • 2011

    Opening of new agency drop-in offices in Barcelona, Berlin and Bogota.

    Purchasing of IH Prolog Berlin and IH Freiburg.

    Swedish office moves from Göteborg to Stockholm.

    For the second time ESL is elected "Western Europe's best agency" of the year by the Language Travel Magazine, highest honour in the language studies abroad industry.

  • 2010

    New agency drop-in agency offices in Madrid, Vienna, Lyon, Bologna, Brussels, Luxemburg, Strasbourg and Cologne.

    Swedish office moves from Helsingborg to Göteborg.

    ESL offers the largest selection of programmes for juniors, adults, professionals or 50 plus as well as the widest selection of languages including Dutch, Thai and Turkish, totalling 14 foreign languages in full immersion.

    ESL is the first agency to offer English programmes in more than 13 countries including India and the Philippines.

    ESL schools moves "Teens" program from Cannes to Valbonne and “Juniors" program from Paccots to Leysin. From now on the station of Vaud, thanks to its excellent infrastructure, accommodates two ESL course centres: "Juniors" and "Teens".

    Introduction of sports packages in all camps for "Juniors" and "Teens".

    ESL is elected "Western Europe's best agency" of the year by the Language Travel Magazine, highest honour in the language studies abroad industry.

  • 2009

    Opening of new agency drop-in offices in Bellinzona, Lausanne, Lucerne, Nice, Munich and Rome.

    ESL Schools division opens its first centre in Germany (Westerwald), offering programs for juniors and teens in both German and English.

    Another “Best Agency” nomination at the LTM awards.

    ESL advertising campaign wins the prize “Grand Prix Romand de la Création”

  • 2008

    A policy of Sustainable Development is written into the company code of ethics.

    Opening of new agency drop-in offices in Basel, Bern, Locarno, St Gallen and Paris.

    A new head office at 50 Grand Rue, Montreux, looking out over Lake Geneva.

    Lyon school gains “Qualité français langue étrangère” accreditation.

    Another “Best Agency” nomination at the LTM awards.

  • 2007

    Opening of a new agency drop-in office in Geneva.

    Opening of the "Teens" centre in Zug offering German and English.

    Opening of the “Teens" centre in Ascona offering Italian and English.

    Opening of the "Teens" centre in Cannes offering French.

    Opening of the "Juniors” centre in Paccots offering French and English.

    Montreux school is inspected by Eaquals association and becomes accredited member.

    ESL Lyon school joins Souffle.

    ESL is nominated by language schools as one of the five leading language travel agencies in Europe at the annual LTM Awards.

  • 2006

    Opening of new agency drop-in offices in Milan, Zurich, Widnau, Lugano, Prague and Panama.

    On the ESL schools division side, a new language school for Adults in Lyon, France.

  • 2004

    ESL Schools moves the “Teens” camp from Diablerets to the famous mountain station at Leysin and increases frequency to 3 times per year (spring, summer, autumn).

    ESL agency launches its Gap Year product line, specialized in internship placements abroad or job placements as part of the language study experience.

  • 2003

    ESL offers its services internationally. Again, everything is managed to the same exacting standards as in Switzerland.

    ESL opens a year-round adult school of French as a foreign language by the lakeside in Montreux.

  • 2002

    ESL’s first overseas office opens, in Helsingborg, Sweden. We work exceptionally hard to ensure that the same standards are maintained in other markets as at home in Switzerland.

  • 1998

    ESL is the first language travel agency to offer a portfolio of 11 languages including English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Arab and Greek.

    ESL Schools “Riviera” program opens in Montreux

  • 1997

    Under the name ESL and based in Montreux, the language travel agency starts offering language holidays.

  • 1996

    Alain Vadi and Patrick Siegenthaler start ESL Ecole Suisse De Langues, offering language summer camps for juniors in two small mountain stations; Les Paccots and Diablerets in French-speaking Switzerland.

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