I wouldn't change. If everyone seems a bit advanced, you should try to see it as an opportunity to learn from them. Also, don't forget that nobody is expecting you to know as much German as the rest of your classmates at this point. A1 is mostly for learning simple concepts, like counting, colors, and basic present-tense sentences. So don't expect to be able to discuss Freud, Luther, or Marx in their native tongue after an A1 class; you're just putting too much pressure on yourself!
"This Aussie speaks English perfectly - along with many of my countryfolk who similarly reside in Switzerland - and also speak German, French and Italian fluently."
I can see this point, but I can also agree that having a good understanding of the mother tongue of the student can help in a lot of ways. In any language, there can be multiple ways to express an idea; if the teacher has an understanding of the student's mother tongue (or even the culture of the home country, since English grammar varies by country), s/he can choose to teach ways to express ideas that are more "similar" to the student's mother tongue, and gradually move into more unfamiliar territory.
Listen - I'm not qualified to defend the general practice of the language professional - all I know is that learning another language is HARD when you are an adult, and that whilst it may be more comfortable to have things explained to you in your mother tongue, it has been shown time and time again that we learn most effectively in the way that kids learn.
So if you want to feel comfortable, hire an English speaking teacher and do it that way. But if you want to learn fast, keep going and push yourself through the pain barrier
This works well with private classes. When I'm tutoring an individual student (I teach French btw), I try to offer references to his mother tongue when relevant, to explain a grammar point or a special word history.
But back to the OP: why should the teacher use English if you're the only native speaker in the class? That's not fair for the others who also paid good money for their class, just as you would be even more confused if the teacher started using Italian or Portuguese examples in class!
Oftentimes if you ask the speaker to reply slowly, you can understand what they're saying, regardless of the dialect. Sometimes, with my American ear, I have to ask Brits and Aussies to slow down, too! This is even when we're all speaking the same language!
Seriously? Aside from the obvious immersion angle already mentioned, this just about hits the nail on the head:
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So what you are saying is that you'r rather be immersed in Swiss German, even though you are struggling with the high German... Fantastic turn of logic there.
Seriously. You can learn all the German you want in class, but as soon as you step onto the street you are surrounded by swiss-german speakers. There is no immersion outside the classroom in Switzerland.
The point you're missing, AussieSwiss, is that the "why" is not the important bit at your stage. Hearing the sounds, learning to recognize the sounds, etc. is where you will get the most benefit.
Further, the act of guessing the meaning, as you described it (I prefer to think of it as a deductive process) actually cements the words and structure more thoroughly into your memory. It causes you to actively think about them rather than passively.
It's hard, yes. Buck up, we've all (or at least most of us) have done it as well. It's like any other activity (think weightlifting or running or such) - you either fight your way past the pain point and improve, or... not.
Err, incorrect. While the languages are significantly different, they share enough of a common base that the immersion still helps, and when you speak to someone, they'll usually identify you immediately as a non-native and switch to high German. So when you're actively communicating, you'll still be immersed in it.
Not always true. My GF is German and when she speaks with Swiss in High German they often say "Can you please speak English instead? It is easier for me to speak in English than German". I have no idea why this is, but it has happened a few times now. Are high german and swiss german really that far apart?
I can't speak for every single school in the whole country, but I am sure (or at least, I would hope) that someone at some point made a cost-benefit analysis of doing what you suggest, and if there is no segmentation of the students along the lines you suggest, probably it was not beneficial at all for the school(s). Just consider what you mentioned - being the only English (mother tongue) speaker in your class.
If there are no classes specifically targeted at English speakers only, there is probably no demand for them (perhaps there are some, somewhere - no idea).