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German & Internship Program - Berlin, Germany
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German Course
All Group courses consist of a maximum of 12 students per class and each class is 45 minutes in duration. The goal of each course is to improve the student's active and passive language ability and develop understanding of German culture and the German way of thinking. All courses are taught exclusively in German and are open to all levels. Students are obliged to attend all lessons on time. All students should bring a dictionary German/own language - own language/German, paper and pens/pencils. All other teaching material will be provided to students.
Standard Course Group 20 hours per week. Lessons take place Monday to Friday from 9:15 to 12:30. Beginners must start on specified dates, while all other levels may start any Monday for a minimum of 2 weeks.
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All Group courses consist of a maximum of 12 students per class and each class is 45 minutes in duration. The goal of each course is to improve the student's active and passive language ability and develop understanding of German culture and the German way of thinking. All courses are taught exclusively in German and are open to all levels. Students are obliged to attend all lessons on time. All students should bring a dictionary German/own language - own language/German, paper and pens/pencils. All other teaching material will be provided to students.
Standard Course Group 20 hours per week. Lessons take place Monday to Friday from 9:15 to 12:30. Beginners must start on specified dates, while all other levels may start any Monday for a minimum of 2 weeks.
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The program combines a minimum of 4 weeks of German language study in the Group 20 hrs/wk program with work experience in a Berlin-based company for 8 or 12 weeks. Students may choose to take a more intensive language course prior to beginning the internship if they would like. German companies participating in the internship program require a minimum German language proficiency level of high intermediate in order to accept individuals into the program. Internships are unpaid, and start after the language study course has been completed. Internship fields available include:
* Marketing
* Banking
* Insurance
* Travel and Tourism
* Graphics and Design
* Social services
* Political organizations
* Communication Technologies
* Other fields on request
We can guarantee participants will be placed in the professional field of their choice, but not in a particular company. All host companies are situated in and around Berlin. They want trainees to be available during working hours and employ individuals according to the skills they possess. Students speak directly with prospective organizations before beginning work at any company. Appropriate contact information wil be provided for the most relevant organizations. Additionally, the center will finalize the work relationship, and will monitor your progress with the host company.
The program costs include 8 or 12 weeks of the internship, including insurance, all placement fees, monitoring and counseling, a certificate of completion from the organization validating your work experience, and a detailed performance statement from your employer. If interested in this program, please enclosed an updated resume with the NRCSA registration form at least 8 weeks prior to your intended start date.
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* knowledge of German on level B1 by the time you start the internship
* participation in a German language course of min. 4 weeks - longer if you need more time to get to level B1
* minimum age 18
* finished secondary education
* time budget of min. 10 weeks (course + internship)
* reliability
You will receive 2 certificates, one from the school and one from the host company. The school will certifies your language skills; the host company issues a statement commenting your performance as a trainee.
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This is the schedule for the classes;
09.00 - 10.30: Standard course
10.30 - 11.00: BREAK
11.00 - 12.30: Standard course
12.30 - 13.00: BREAK
13.00 - 14.30: Intensive- and Crash course
You can have a snack or eat at the cafeteria or at the school restaurant at the ground floor.
The cafeteria is...
* open from 8 am till 4 p.m. (at 11 am the restaurant opens, too)
* on the menu: e.g. Schnitzel, pasta, Koenigsgerger Kloepse, salad, German cakes
* prices between 3 and 6 €
After class activities
The school organize activities after classes:
* every week min. 3 after class activities and ...
* ... one full day excursion every weekend
The guide is free, what you pay for are train tickets, board and accommodation, often less than regular prices, as we get special rates for groups.
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Application
Please apply no later than 4 weeks prior to arrival with this form, accompanied by:
* CV in German - sample CV (PDF). Don´t worry about minor mistakes you may make: If necessary we will correct linguistic mistakes before sending it out to companies. We are also ready to work on your CV with you once you are here, but we need at least a first draft from you, however imperfect, when you enroll.
* letter of intent in German - describing your language skills, previous professional experiences and expectations regarding the internship in Berlin - sample letter of motivation (PDF)
* information, what type of course and accommodation you´d like to book
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Questions?
What types of work experience or interships do you offer?
We offer work experiences in fields such as Marketing, Banking, Insurance, Travel and Tourism, Graphics and Design, Social Services, Political Organisations and Communication Technologies. Other fields are possible on request. Please note: we grant a placement in a professional field, not in a specific company.
Will I earn money?
No, your internship is unpaid. Some of the host companies or institutions may offer to pay you a little amount afterwards, if they were very happy with the work you did, but in general internships are unpaid in Germany. In exchange for your work, your host company grants you insight in the professional field that you are interested in. And you will profit as well by training social skills in a cultural context, different from the one you are coming from.
Do I need a visa or work permit?
No, you do not need a work permit or working visa: in legal terms the internship is considered part of the language training and as you don´t earn money, no special visa is necessary. If, however, you need a visa to come to Germany, then this visa - the one for the language course - will be valid for the internship as well.
How do you find host companies?
For one, we have been placing foreign interns in Berlin companies for a couple of years by now, so there are contacts coming from there. Secondly, GLS does inhouse language training for lots of companies and institutions in Berlin, which means that we know their Human Resources departments quite well. And a third source for company contacts is GLS memberships in associations like Marketing Club Berlin or Wirtschaftsjunioren.
When and how should I apply - and what about requirements?
Requirements first:
1. age: 18 or older
2. knowledge of German on intermediate level
3. completed secondary education
4. flexibility and adaptability
5. time budget: minimum 10 weeks
Those requirements are the basic ones, but of course potential host companies are happy if you bring more than that, professional experience for example or some university studies. In some companies this even is a prerequisite: If you are interested in Radio or TV for example, the institutions we work with demand that you already finished two years of university studies.
Ideally you apply at least 2 months prior to arrival in Berlin. Please apply by filling out this online booking form, indicating which German language course you selected and then filling in the field below re work experience.
Your application including your CV and letter of motivation - both in German - have to be handed in 4 weeks prior to the date, that you´d like your work experience to begin. If your documents are handed in later, a placement in time cannot be guaranteed
Will I have a selection of companies to choose from?
Not in the sense, that you have several interviews at several companies and then select the one you liked best. The way it works is this:
Prior to your arrival we preselect potential host companies for you, that match both your requirements re professional field and the background you have. Once you are here and we had a chance to talk to you, we focus on one host company or institution, which emerges as the best possible match. We then will arrange an interview with that company for you, and if the company agrees to take you in as an intern, you are expected to accept that placement. If you reject a placement done by GLS without good reason, the placement fee will not be refunded.
If I finish my internship sooner than agreed upon - will I get a refund then?
No fees are refunded in case of a premature dropping out: Once you accepted a placement, you have a commitment towards your host company and can´t drop out inbetween: host companies expect reliability in your attendance as well as social skills.
Can I do my German courses in the morning, and the work experience in the afternoon?
Host companies expect interns to be available all day and to adapt to their work schedule, so you will have to finish your German course first before starting the work experience. That way you have a chance to explore Berlin by coming along on the after-class activities and excursions we offer.
Can I do an internship, if I don´t speak German, but know English well?
No, unfortunately not: even though in bigger companies staff use English a lot, the common working language in Berlin still is German. And neither companies nor institutions will accept you as an intern, if you don´t speak German on an intermediate level at least. To give you an idea: if you start with 0 knowledge of German and want to reach intermediate level, you need between 5 or 6 months of German with 20 lessons per week.
Do I have to take the German course, even if my German is already quite good?
Yes, you do: We consider the German course necessary to prepare you for your work experience, as you won´t only train your German, but also learn a lot about German culture and mentality. Plus that way we have a chance to talk to you personally and to get to know more about your professional background - very helpful in order to secure the best match possible.
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Activities
This is how a week:
Sunday
Arrival in Berlin and transfer to accommodation
The reception is open 24 hours (after 8 p.m. there is no receptionist, but the security guy will check you in). If you stay with Berliners, please try to schedule arrival between 9 am and 9 p.m..
Monday
Afternoon: we show you around in Prenzlauer Berg, the neighborhood.
Evening, 8 p.m.: old an new students meet in the school restaurant . Depending on the season there usually are between 40 and 120 students present.
Tuesday
We take you to see "Kunstwerke", one of the best addresses for independent art in all of Europe - the cafe there has good cakes!
Wednesday
Walking tour through Oranienburgerstraße - before the holocaust this used to be a center of Jewish life, and today that street is one of the trendiest in Berlin.
Great opportunities for shopping on Oranienburger Straße!
Thursday
Visit of the Badeschiff - a swimming pool in the middle of river Spree, with a fantastic scenery and a nice bar
At night: every Thursday we show a movie with German subtitles (big screen in the lounge)
Friday
Join us for a boat trip around Museum Island - or do a bike tour with us, along the Berlin wall
At night our guides take you to Friedrichshain: a young and rather alternative district famous for its nightlife
Saturday
Full day excursion with a the school guide: to Potsdam for example or to Sachsenhausen, a former concentration camp.
Every second week we arrange excursions to places further away like Dresden, Hamburg or Leipzig.
Sunday
Free day for activities on your own - our recommendation:
Go to one of the may lakes in and around Berlin.
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Accommodations
These are your options:
Student Apartments-In Campus Living on campus: 50 studios in 2 houses
You can live right next to the school, in one of 50 studio appartments on site.
All studios are mini-appartments and you can book, single, double, shared double.
Option : Standard:
* own kitchen
* own bathroom with WC and shower
* WLAN access for your laptop
* Phone and TV
* Linen & towels
Option 2: Superior:
like standard plus a:
* bathtub plus shower
* sophisticated furnishing
Cafe & Restaurant
The school cafe is open daily from 7.00 to 15.00, serving breakfast, a choice of 2 lunches plus coffee & cake.
The School restaurant is open daily from 12.00 to 23.00.
In the lobby area there also is a spacy lounge - ideal, if you just want to hang out, meet people or read a paper.
Shared Apartments Bed & Breakfast Students are housed in shared apartments inhabited by one or more Germans. Each student has a single room in the apartment and the German hosts prepare breakfast for you, lunch and dinner are self catering; a good option if you´d like some service from your German host but don´t want to be confined by having to integrate into their everyday life.
Student Apartments: Apartment share is a popular form of living among Germans, especially in bigger cities. You have a single room in an apartment you share with one or more Germans and take care of all meals yourself. The Germans are between 20 and 40, either students at Berlin universities or professionals. Often you develop close contacts with the Germans in your apartment.
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Arrival days
... are Sundays, departure days Saturdays. Please try to schedule your flights accordingly so as to avoid expenses for extra nights.
Getting around
This is Berlin´s metro map: GLS is just north of Alexanderplatz at U 8 Rosenthaler Platz or U 2 Eberswalder Straße. Our recommendation: rent a bike! Berlin is great for cycling (more), and you cant rent bicycles at a station right around the corner.
What you should bring:
* We provide all teaching materials, so all you´ll have to bring are paper, pen, bilingual dictionary plus 2 fotos for your GLS student ID - good for price reductions on entrance tickets (hardly any reductions for public transport any more - calculate ca. 24 EUR for a weekly ticket, ca. 70 EUR for a monthly ticket)
* Clothing: Berlin has a continental climate, with cold winters and hot summers: Berlin weather
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