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Kompetenzentwicklung fachlich, sprachlich, interku..
Kompetenzentwicklung fachlich, sprachlich, interkulturell - Praktikum mit Sprachkurs im Ausland
Start date: Jul 1, 2014,
End date: Jun 30, 2016
PROJECT
FINISHED
When you are studying at IFA to become a multilingual correspondent you have to get used to communicating with companies abroad. Even the most perfect training with native teachers cannot be as good as real life experience in a foreign country. Work experience is required in most job advertisements – and if this experience was even gained abroad future employers will appreciate it.
One of our main targets is to expand our BFS students’ professional and intercultural horizon by living abroad for a certain time. Not only will they become more self-confident but also improve their professional prospects, both in Germany and internationally.
In terms of language, he participants got the chance to improve pronunciation, understanding, oral expression and expand the vocabulary they learned at IFA. Moreover, they had the opportunity to understand what word processing is used for in a real working environment. Basically the internship was about working as a secretary or team assistant in an international situation. The students met people who might be useful in their future professional lives and got an idea what tasks are included in the profession of a multilingual secretary.
For this purpose 10 students each went to England, France and Spain for four weeks during their final IFA year, the country depending on the language they are most interested in. The stays in the spring of 2015 and 2016 included the Bavarian Easter holidays so that the students miss as few lessons as possible.
In September, at the beginning of the school year, teachers told students about this option and lots of questions were answered in individual conversations. In October, all interested students met and were provided with any information required. The participants were selected according to their applications and their general suitability. Intercultural training is an essential part of our curriculum so all students are trained throughout their time at IFA. The participants, however, were granted an extra Saturday for their specific preparations. Flight and insurances were booked by IFA. Our partners informed us about the planned work placements.
Upon arrival, the students were picked up by the host organization, and provided with any important information and taken to their host families/residences.
In the first week they attended a language and introductory course. After thorough consideration we decided to start the stay with this course because most of the students are quite young and not used to living abroad, let alone working. This week is provided for participants to adapt and to meet people, get to know the place and the language. At the end of the first week, the students were interviewed by their future employers, where they were going to work for three weeks according to the learning agreements agreed upon between the partners.
As long as the students were abroad, our partners also took care of tutoring, some social activities and monitoring, always in alignment with IFA. As soon as the students were back we met again and discussed their new experience. The participants’ reports, certificates and our feedback sheets were evaluated as well as our individual conversations. Once the evaluation is finished, we concentrate on the distribution of the acquired knowledge and information so that even more people get to know Erasmus+ and benefit from our experience.
As a result, the participants will function as messengers for international cooperation by developing as a person, in their field, in terms of language and intercultural competence. They built bridges between people they met privately or at work. As a direct and immediate personal result we expect their oral marks in their final state exam to be better after being so used to talking in a foreign language.
IFA teachers face new challenges by this absolutely new task of applying for EU funding and developing a project. At EU meetings they consult other teachers or educational experts as well as business people We come into contact with foreign organisations giving us new impulses, thus supporting our international orientation and profile.
This kind of projects helps our students to make their CV stand out by proving how proactive they have already been. Their newly acquired business contacts will be useful for their future professional lives. Studying at IFA becomes more attractive, meeting the requirements of our modern job market. Our whole institute benefits from the participants’ experience and it makes other students more open to applying as well. In our region, potential employers are grateful for our high quality education and training. By replacing prejudice with knowledge, Europe is turning all the more into a union and the participants become genuine Europeans.