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SCHULWÄRTS! © Fotolia, Rido

Student Teacher Placement in Schools Abroad
About SCHULWÄRTS!

SCHULWÄRTS! arranges and provides funding for the placement of student and (prospective) teachers for two to four months at Goethe-Institut partner schools in over 40 countries.

Goals of the Programme

Our goals are to nurture lasting relations between the Goethe-Institut and our partner schools and to promote the internationalization of teacher training in Germany. SCHULWÄRTS! is funded by the German Foreign Office, and our student teacher placements in China, North Africa, the Middle East and Turkey by Stiftung Mercator. During their SCHULWÄRTS! placement, student teachers are in charge of planning and executing their teaching assignments themselves as well as carrying out extracurricular projects.

Through SCHULWÄRTS!, student and (prospective) teachers can gain:

  • International and intercultural experience
  • A heightened sensibility for and competence in handling cultural and linguistic diversity in the classroom
  • Inside experience of international educational cooperation projects with comprehensive support
  • Theoretical knowledge and practical skills in preparatory and follow-up seminars
Furthermore, SCHULWÄRTS! seeks to promote
  • Exchange on various aspects of teaching between local faculty members and student teachers
  • Increased interest in Germany and the German language at schools abroad
  • Research on the internationalization of teacher training based on newly gathered data
  • The creation of empirical evidence of the benefits of placement abroad for teachers’ professional competence
  • Ägypten SCHULWÄRTS! © Goethe-Institut/oneWave Studios
  • Australien SCHULWÄRTS! © Goethe-Institut/oneWave Studios
  • China SCHULWÄRTS! © Goethe-Institut/Umut Çiçekdal
  • Georgien SCHULWÄRTS! © Goethe-Institut/Umut Çiçekdal
  • Island SCHULWÄRTS! © Goethe-Institut/Umut Çiçekdal
  • Korea SCHULWÄRTS! © Goethe-Institut/oneWave Studios
  • Polen SCHULWÄRTS! © Goethe-Institut/Umut Çiçekdal
  • Russland SCHULWÄRTS! © Goethe-Institut/Umut Çiçekdal
  • SCHULWÄRTS! in Schweden © Goethe-Institut/Umut Çiçekdal
  • Thailand SCHULWÄRTS! © Goethe-Institut/Umut Çiçekdal
  • Ukraine SCHULWÄRTS! © Goethe-Institut/Umut Çiçekdal
  • Ungarn SCHULWÄRTS! © Goethe-Institut/Umut Çiçekdal
  • Vietnam SCHULWÄRTS! © Goethe-Institut/Umut Çiçekdal

Target Group

Student teachers of any school type and subject combination in a teacher training, Bachelor's or Master's programme are eligible for placement, as are current schoolteachers and prospective teachers before or after their probationary teaching period

  • With foreign language skills (level B2 in English or a command of the host country’s national language are an advantage)
  • With additional qualifications or a major in German as a foreign/second language (not required for eligibility)
German citizenship and university enrolment are not required. However, applicants must study at a German university or must work at a school in Germany. 

Duration and Funding of Student Teaching Assignment

  • Placement period: 8 to 16 weeks
  • Placement in a school in the host country
  • Amount of grant: One-off payment of €1000 to prepare for placement (e.g. for travel expenses, visa, vaccinations) and an additional €125 per week of placement to help cover living expenses
  • Extensive and profound preparation for and follow-up to placement
  • Individual support for student teachers before, during and after placement provided by the SCHULWÄRTS! team, contacts at Goethe-Instituts in the host country and a mentor at the host school

Here's How a Student Teaching Assignment Works

Successful candidates are invited to take part in a three-day seminar in Munich. The seminar is to prepare you for placement abroad by providing training in various subjects (including German as a foreign language, project work, intercultural sensitization, and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)).

In your host country, you will attend a one-day orientation event or an introductory seminar organized by the local Goethe-Institut to familiarize you with its (language) activities as well as the host country’s national school system.

In addition, you can make the most of our online support system to discuss teaching methods with other student teachers and gain further skills in teaching German as a foreign language.

During your supervised placement abroad, you will receive support from a faculty member, who will serve as your mentor at the host school. Among other things, your mentor will help you draw up a schedule for teaching/sitting in on classes and familiarize yourself with the school structure, translate during meetings with the school administration, put you in touch with other useful contacts and help you find accommodation. In addition, the SCHULWÄRTS! team and staffers at the local Goethe-Institut will be available to answer any questions and address any problems you might have.

Upon return, SCHULWÄRTS! student teachers take part in a three-day follow-up seminar. In the seminar, among other things, they discuss their placement experiences, evaluate the programme’s impact on their professional competence as (prospective) teachers and work up ideas for applying the experience acquired to everyday teaching in German schools.

During placement abroad, our student teachers have access to SWAP, the SCHULWÄRTS! alumni web app, which enables them to network and stay in touch with fellow student teachers and alumni.

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