Language Assistants

WHERE CAN I GO?

Austria

Belgium

Canada

China

France

Germany   

Italy

Latin America

Spain

Switzerland

map of Germany       

German National Tourist Board       

languageassistants-ela-success-stories-mexico.htm   SEE WHAT PREVIOUS ASSISTANTS SAY   

Germany

Become an English language assistant in Germany

Why should I choose Germany?
Germany is a country of contrasts. It has much to offer, from the scenic highlights of the Bavarian Alps to the lively cities of Berlin, Dresden, Frankfurt, Hamburg and the Bundesländer which include some of the most attractive areas of Europe.

What are terms and conditions in Germany?
Posts in Germany are in secondary schools, with a very small number in the primary and adult sectors. Undergraduates and graduates of any discipline may apply. You should have AS level, Higher Grade or equivalent in German.

Dates of appointment: 1* September – 31 May**
Hours: 12 per week
Pay: €800 per month net
Age limits: the German authorities are normally able to consider only candidates under the age of 30.

*Please note that induction courses may start from 27 August 2012

**A few places are available from 1 September to 28 February, suitable for Joint Honours students (studying more than one language as part of their degree). You must be able to commit to the full 6 months, termination of your contract before the end of February will not be accepted. You should include a covering letter with your application form if you are interested in one of these posts. If you do not include a cover letter with your application, we will assume that you wish to go to Germany for the full term. Please note that there are limited numbers of shorter posts therefore these cannot always be guaranteed. Joint honours students studying German and Spanish may wish to combine this with a post in Argentina for the second semester.

Where can I go in Germany?
Around 350 posts are available in urban and rural areas of all 16 Bundesländer (federal states).

You should be aware of the following before making your regional choices:

1. You may not apply for both Baden-Würtemberg and Bayern, nor both Berlin and Hamburg due to the high level of competition for those regions. Berlin is the most oversubscribed area. We recommend you research possible destinations in Germany thoroughly before applying.
2. If you have already had contact with a particular school in Germany, you should attach a letter from them to your application form. The final decision on where you will be placed rests with our German partner organisation. We are not able to guarantee you will be placed in any particular school.
3. If you are currently an Assistant in Germany and wish to apply for a second year, you should contact our partner organisation, the Pädagogischer Austauschdienst (PAD), details of which can be found in the Country Notes for Germany sent to allocated candidates, to request an application form.
4. You can find out more about what it is like to be a language assistant in Germany by reading the case studies from previous language assistants

Candidates for GERMANY have the following regions on offer. If you wish to express an area preference, you must choose three: either three from Group A, or 2 from Group A plus one other, or one from each group.

GROUP A    Brandenburg  -  Bremen  -  Hessen  -  
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern  -  Niedersachsen  -  Nordrhein-Westfalen  -  Rheinland-Pfalz  -  Saarland  -  Sachsen  -  Sachsen-Anhalt  -  Schleswig-Hostein  -  Thüringen

GROUP B    Baden-Württemberg  -  Bayern

GROUP C    Berlin  -  Hamburg

Will I be interviewed?
Some candidates may be assessed by telephone interview where areas of their application need to be followed up. These telephone interviews are likely to take place in February and March.

Will there be an induction course?
You will be invited to a four-day induction course at Altenberg, near Cologne, in early September. The course will cover all the necessary administration required for living in Germany and give you the opportunity to learn and practise teaching skills.

When will I hear?

You will receive an email from us confirming receipt of your application by early January.

April - you will find out if your application has been forwarded to our German partner organisation or not   
May/June - the British Council in the UK will inform you of the Bundesland (region) to which you have been allocated    
June-July/early August - you will find out the location of your post directly from the Bundesland   

Please also see our lifecycle document for more information.