German at UC offers a range of unique experiences and opportunities to improve your knowledge of German language and culture. UC's lively club culture also creates a forum for learners to meet and socialise while improving their language skills.
German exchanges
Study at Universitat Konstanz
The exchange programme between UC and the University of Konstanz, in Germany, has existed since 1998. The exchange scheme is available for a small number of students and is run by German in conjunction with the Outgoing Student Exchange Programme at UC (current UC students).
Our staff can propose students of German for a study programme of either one semester or a full year at the University of Konstanz. The credits obtained in Germany in seminars on German literature and culture and in advanced language courses will be fully recognized here. In effect this means that part of the Canterbury course programme in German can be studied in Germany. The exchange is open for all students at stage 2 level and up, and is thus also open for post-graduate students. Students who would like to participate in the Konstanz exchange should plan well in advance. The German semester starts either in October or April.
The city of Konstanz lies at the heart of an area with an ancient cultural heritage. For hundreds of years the region around Lake Konstanz in the South of Germany at the borders of Germany, Switzerland and Austria was a centre of European cultural and spiritual life. Today Konstanz is the administrative and cultural center of southern Baden-Württemberg. Founded in 1966, the university of Konstanz is situated on the Gießberg, a hill outside the city centre overlooking Lake Konstanz and the Island of Mainau.
The exchange programme includes subsidised accommodation in student hostels on the campus, but students must budget for their living costs.
Scholarship
Two part-scholarships (Teilstipendien) for one semester, at €250 per semester each, are available to UC students who plan to attend the University of Konstanz. In Konstanz, students can enrol in the full spectrum of courses offered by the university. Furthermore, a free intensive German language course is offered before the start of the semester.
Students interested in the exchange programme should contact Evgeny Pavlov, the co-ordinator of the exchange programme.
You can also find information, as well as all the necessary forms, on the Konstanz website.
International study courses in Germany
For information, see the German Embassy's website.
Teaching assistantships at German high schools
The German State Ministries of Education employ a large number of foreign language teaching assistants, above all for English and French, to a limited degree also for Italian, Spanish and Dutch.
Teaching assistants can be employed in all states of the Federal Republic. Personal preferences will, as far as possible, be taken into account.
Duties
Assistants work under the supervision of German foreign-language teachers. Their primary task is to further the pronunciation and communicative skills of the German pupils, above all through speaking and conversation classes. Furthermore, they should present and introduce life and culture of their own native country. Frequently their task is also the discussion of set texts. Assistants should possess a good knowledge of their country, its culture and its current problems. Generally, they teach 12 periods of 45 minutes per week.
Generally the work of the assistants begins on the 1st of September and ends on the 31st of May of the following year.
The reimbursement is sufficient for one person, so married applicants can only be considered if the living expenses of the spouse are met from other sources. The first reimbursement is normally paid after 4-6 weeks.
Eligibility
You should be a student of German and have a BA degree at the time of commencement of your duties. All applicants should have a good command of German, and should not be older than 29 years at the time of application. Your chances of being accepted for this scheme are excellent.
Application and information
Application forms and information can be obtained here.
Goethe-Institut language proficiency exams
The Goethe-Institut's German proficiency exams are available through the UC's German staff. Contact the German Subject Co-ordinator for more information.
