Going Abroad
Internationalization
If they are planning to become teachers of English, students starting their studies in or after the Winter Semester 2011/2012 are required by the Ministry of Education (NRW) to spend at least three months abroad in an English-speaking environment during the BA phase of their studies (Auslandsaufenthalte nach § 11 Abs. 7 LABG 2009). It is strongly recommended that students organize longer stays though, and, where possible, take the opportunity to gain credit points at post-secondary institutions during their stays abroad.The English Section at Bielefeld University strongly encourages its students to spend time abroad in English-speaking countries in order for them to acquire cultural awareness and language skills at first hand. Our staff is committed to helping students find opportunities for stays in English-speaking countries, for example, by writing letters of recommendation, making themselves available as referees for exceptional students, or recognizing credit points obtained at universities where English is the medium of instruction. The English Section at Bielefeld University requires that this stay abroad take place in a country where English has the status of a first (L1) or second, i.e. official, language (L2). Countries where English is the L1 are, for example: The United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Countries where English has the status of an L2 include, for instance, Ghana, India, the Philippines, Cameroon, Malta, etc. The Internationalization requirements can also be met by breaking up the three months into separate, shorter stays, although these should normally be at least four weeks long. If several short stays of this nature are planned, this must be approved in advance by the supervisor of the essay (see below).
Students who have had sufficiently long stays abroad before beginning their courses of study may request that the stay be approved for the module. As a general rule, stays abroad
should not have taken place more than 5 years prior to this request.
A request form must be completed by the student and submitted to the module coordinators for authorization.
Each request will be considered individually by a committee of department members once per semester. Due dates for submission are the 1st February and
1st August each year. After the approval of the stay abroad, the student is still required to fulfill the other requirements of the module (i.e. the essay; see the guidelines for
this below).
At Bielefeld University confirmation of a stay abroad fulfills the requirement of the Internationalisierung module, comprising of 10 CP (credit points). To complete the module, students must write a 3,600 word essay, reflecting on the experience as well as showing the greater depth of cultural awareness they have obtained; see the guidelines below. This paper is to be handed in and judged acceptable by a member of staff in the English Section. An agreement must be reached before the stay abroad between the supervisor of the essay and the student as regards due date, length of time needed for reading and any other issues or formalities the supervisor deems necessary. The following form for the Internationalisierung module must be completed and handed in together with the essay. For more detailed information about the module as well as its requirements and expectations click on the following link: Internationalisierung - Studieninformation. Module coordinators: Prof. Paul Lennon paul.lennon@uni-bielefeld.de, Prof. Ralf Schneider ralf.schneider@uni-bielefeld.de, Prof. Anne Schröder anne.schroeder@uni-bielefeld.de,Prof. Wilfried Raussert wilfried.raussert@uni-bielefeld.de
Guidelines for the Internationalization Essay
The following points are to guide students in their writing of the essay for the Internationalization module. These are not given in order of importance, nor are they to be regarded as tests of knowledge, to be answered correctly or incorrectly. They are simply provided for reference to assist students in reflecting on their experiences during their internships or stays abroad. It is crucial that this essay is not written as a journal or diary documenting daily experiences. Rather, it is intended as a medium for students to reflect on their experiences from a critical and informed perspective, demonstrating that they have fulfilled the module's requirements. For more detail on these expectations and requirements, again see Internationalisierung - Studieninformation.- Give a brief overview of your experience abroad (max. ½ page)
- Reflect on your English language progress from the beginning of your stay to the end of it. Give concrete examples of how you felt your language developed.
- Reflect on the theories of language learning you have learned about and how your own language acquisition process may have confirmed or contradicted the ideas or hypotheses of these theories.
- Discuss your expectations about the people and culture you were involved with. Reflect on how these expectations may have been confirmed or contradicted by your experience.
- What stands out in your mind as the most salient example of how you gained awareness of self and other through your experience?
- What would you describe as a moment that made you more culturally aware, either about your own culture, or the one that you spent time in?
- Reflect on how the experiences you had may have an influence your future career.
- For example, discuss how your understandings of the foreign language culture may influence the way you teach pupils about the country you visited.
- Reflect on your relationships and/or cooperation with friends/colleagues/classmates/host family and how these influenced you.
- Describe an eye-opening moment that left an impression on you. This may include an epiphany about the foreign language, your own language, the foreign culture, your own culture, your own personality, etc.
Studying Abroad
Studying abroad offers multiple new perspectives. First there are the academic benefits, as the host institution will offer a different spectrum of courses and research focuses from our own University and department. Then, for students living and studying in an English-speaking environment, there is the language bonus. And perhaps most important of all is the first-hand encounter with another culture - and the personal growth that results from living and studying in a different cultural and linguistic environment.When going abroad there are a number of decisions to take and questions to ask; these might include the following. :
- Do you primarily want to study a specific field? With a specific teacher?
- Would you like to have first hand experience of other universities?
- Which language do you want to use in every day situations?
- How do you fund your stay abroad?
- How long do you want to stay abroad?
- Which country do you want to go to?
- Will the credits you receive abroad be recognized at home?
Use the menu on the left to find further information on the areas that interest you. Here you will find links to some of the international exchange programmes that are available. The Erasmus programme is funded by the European Union and the university cooperates with different institutions in various European countries under this umbrella. In the USA we can support students as an ISEP member organization. Australia may also be of interest to some. We provide information for those who want to work in the UK or Ireland as well as for those who wish to teach in Europe or North America.
