As a native flat-lander who has no idea how to ski, I would be grateful for any tips on a good place to take a private lesson as a beginner near Zurich. I would like to learn to ski without breaking a rib. I heard that Villars is a great place to learn to ski, but it is a bit far away from Zurich. Alsol, I recognize that this is a pricey option, but I figure that doing things carefully and safely are likely to make the experience more fun and less dangerous.

Tips and thoughts warmly welcomed...

International Ski Club of Zurich has courses at Flumserberg in Jan. Discussed elsewhere in this forum.
http://sites.google.com/site/isczch/

I read on another thread that these lessons are already booked out (even though the website doesn't say that). But Flumserberg would be a good place to learn and you can book your own lessons independently.