International

If they are planning to become teachers of English, students 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 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 internationalization report (see below).

The English Section at Bielefeld University requires that this stay or these stays abroad take place in a country where English has the status of official language and is the first language (L1) of a substantial part of the population, or is an official language that is a second language (L2) for much of the population. 

• Countries where English is an L1 are, for example: The United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand. 
• Countries where English has the status of an L2 include, for instance, Ghana, India, the Philippines, Cameroon, Malta, etc. 

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 about 3 years prior to the beginning of their English studies.

A REQUEST FORM must be completed by the student and submitted to the module coordinator for authorization. Please hand in completed request forms (on paper or as an email attachment) to Ms. Retzlaff (kathrin.retzlaff@uni-bielefeld.de) in C4-204. 

This checklist should also be handed in . 

Each request will be considered individually by a committee of department members once per semester.

• Due dates for submission are the 1st April and 1st October 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 report; see the guidelines for this below).

At Bielefeld University confirmation of a stay abroad is the first step to fulfilling the requirement of the Internationalisierung module, which is worth 10 CP (credit points). 

To complete the module, students must write a 3,600 word report, 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 internationalization report 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 report. For more detailed information about the module as well as its requirements and expectations, click on the following link: Internationalisierung – Studieninformation.

• Module coordinator: Jessica Koch (j.koch@uni-bielefeld.de)

A guide to scholarships for studying abroad and other helpful information can be found on the GAES (DAAD) website if you click on this link.

Guidelines for the Internationalization Report

The following suggestions are meant to guide students in writing their reports for the Internationalization module. They are not given in order of importance, nor are they to be regarded as tests of knowledge to be answered correctly or incorrectly, but are intended to assist students in reflecting on their experiences during their internships or stays abroad. 

• It is crucial that this report is not written as a journal or diary documenting daily experiences. 
• Instead, it should be a means 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.

1. Give a brief overview of your experience abroad (max. ½ page)
2. 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.
3. Reflect on the theories of language learning you may have learned about and how your own language acquisition process may have confirmed or contradicted the ideas or hypotheses of these theories.
4. 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?
5. 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.
6. Reflect on your relationships and/or cooperation with friends/colleagues/classmates/host family and how these influenced you.
7. 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.

The language of this report must be coherent, effective and accurate. Any report that shows major weaknesses in the language should not be accepted by the supervisor. 

• All reports in these modules are evaluated with either bestanden or nicht bestanden. 
• A report judged to have been nicht bestanden must be rewritten by the student and resubmitted to the supervisor. 
• Only upon successful completion and acceptance of the report will the allocated 10 CP be granted.

The Module Internationalization at Home has been designed specifically for students who are unable to spend a three-month period in an English-language environment abroad (Modul 23-ANG-Int - Internationalisierung), so that they too can gain international experience. 

• This contact with English must not take place in the institutional context of a German school, for example during a teaching practical.

By the end of the module, students should have

• gained international experience in a non-school environment
• improved their English skills and
• developed a deeper understanding of English-speaking cultures.

This module is the equivalent of the Internationalization module. The opportunity to do Internationalization at Home is offered to those students who cannot go abroad - for example for health reasons, due to pregnancy, because they have children to care for or other kinds of caring commitments, or for financial reasons. 

1. Stays in non-English-speaking environments abroad can also be recognized, provided they take place in a predominantly English-speaking context. Examples might be internships with international organizations, public authorities or businesses where English is the working language. That is, the students should gain practical experience, for example by doing internships in firms, foundations, embassies, libraries, in media organizations (such as TV, radio, print media, etc.), or with cultural organizations in Germany or other countries, provided that the language they use is predominantly English, so that the competences outlined earlier can be developed. 
2. Participation in research projects conducted in English, mentoring, or other similar activities can also be recognized, again provided that the context in which they take place is predominantly an English-language one. 
3. Participation in student-led study groups or seminars with integrated excursions offered by British and American Studies can also be recognized for this module.

• The 'Internationalization at Home' activities that a student plans to carry out should amount to 270 hours (9 CPs) in total. 
• 90 hours (3 CPs) can be completed by participating in a study group (Studiengruppe).
• 180 hour can be completed by organizing a study group. 

(Although exceptions were made during the Covid pandemic,) In principle, only one study group can be chosen in this module. 

• Plans for 'Internationalization at Home' activities should be approved in advance by a lecturer in British and American Studies, who will also assess the final report. 
• Students can approach any member of staff to do this, with the exception of temporary lecturers (Lehrbeauftragte). 
• Should a student be unable to find a lecturer to supervise their project and read the report, the module coordinator will suggest someone they could approach.

Participation in an internship, project, seminar etc. must be documented or certified and confirmed by the signature of the relevant lecturer, project leader, representative of the institution, etc. Alternatively, in the case of a seminar, the work required for a Studienleistung must be completed. 

The Modulprüfung takes the form of a report approximately 3,600 words in length, and can be submitted to any of the lecturers in British and American Studies (excluding Lehrbeauftragte), providing this lecturer was approached in advance and okayed the project.

• The following form Formular_Internationalisierung_at_home.pdf for the 'Internationalization at Home' module must be completed and handed in together with the report.

For more detailed information about the module as well as its requirements and expectations click on the following link Internationalisierung at home - Studieninformation.

Module coordinators: 

• Dr. Patricia Skorge patricia.skorge@uni-bielefeld.de 
• Dr. Christine Gardemann christine.gardemann@uni-bielefeld.de

Guidelines for the Internationalization at Home Report

The following suggestions are provided to guide students in writing their reports for the Internationalization module. They are not given in order of importance, nor are they to be regarded as tests of knowledge to be answered correctly or incorrectly, but are intended to assist students in reflecting on their experiences during their internships or stays abroad. 

• It is crucial that this report is not written as a journal or diary documenting daily experiences. 
• Instead, it should be a means 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 at home - Studieninformation. 

1. Give a brief overview of your Internationalization at Home experience (max. ½ page).
2. Reflect on your English language progress from the beginning of your activities to the end of them. Give concrete examples of how you felt your language developed.
3. Reflect, if relevant, on theories of language learning you are familiar with and how your own language acquisition process may have confirmed or contradicted the ideas or hypotheses of these theories.
4. 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?
5. 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 it.
6. Reflect on your relationships and/or cooperation with friends/colleagues/classmates/host family and how these influenced you.
7. 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.

The language of this report must be coherent, effective, and accurate. Any report that shows major weaknesses in the language should not be accepted by the supervisor. 

• All reports in these modules are evaluated with either bestanden or nicht bestanden.
• A report judged as having been nicht bestanden must be rewritten by the student and resubmitted to the supervisor. 
• Only upon successful completion and acceptance of the report will the allocated 10 CP be granted.

FAQs: Internationalization at home

Q: Can I have previous Internationalization at home experiences accredited?
A: In principle, this module has been created so that students who have legitimate reasons for not going abroad can gain international experience in other ways during their studies. If you have gained experience with an international company or organization (for example during a practical placement or internship) before your studies, or spent several months in a non-English-speaking country where you used English intensively to communicate, you may ask the supervisor of your report to approve this. You must, however, demonstrate that you have acquired the following during this time: (1) international experience, (2) improved English proficiency, and (3) a greater understanding of English-speaking cultures. Also, official documentation of your placement or internship must be presented in order to fulfil the requirements for the Studienleistung.

Q: Can I go to a non-English-speaking country to gain experience for the Internationalization at home module?
A: Yes, the module explicitly states that students may go to non-English speaking countries for this module, provided they do not speak the language and use English intensively to communicate. In addition, you must demonstrate that you have acquired the following during this time: (1) international experience, (2) improved English proficiency, and (3) a greater understanding of English-speaking cultures. Also, official documentation of your practical placement, exchange visit or internship must be presented. The use of English in this institution must be officially documented and presented to the university.

Q: Can I include a visit from someone from an English-speaking country as Internationalization at home experience?
A: No, private visits from friends, relatives, boyfriends, girlfriends, etc. who are from English-speaking countries cannot be accredited unless their visit is part of an official exchange program (e.g. student exchange, church-affiliated exchange, etc.) from an English-speaking country and the visitor is residing with you 9 weeks or more. If you do receive a visitor for over 9 weeks from an official exchange or mentorship program, this must be officially documented and presented to the university.

Q: How do we count the days and hours that we do for this module?
A: The general rule for practical placements and internships during your BA degree is that a full work week amounts to 1 credit point (CP) (see BPO-Studienmodell 2011 § 16 Abs. 3). The number of hours that you spend at an institution must be officially documented and presented to the university.

Q: What are Studiengruppen?
A: Studiengruppen, or Study Groups, are peer-led seminars involving between 5 and 10 students who independently plan and discuss materials and topics of  their own choosing in English (e.g. books, films, theatre, research-based or school-related topics, etc.) on a regular basis during the semester. Ideas for Studiengruppen come from the students themselves and can be started upon the approval of one of the following mentors: Dr. Pat Skorge, Dr. Angela Stock, or Dr. Christine Gardemann. Students may accumulate a maximum of 90h (3 CP) for this module through a Studiengruppe (the organizer of a study group can be awarded 6 CP for 180 hours of work invested). Study groups appear in the ekvv and students register for them as they do for other seminars. Students must complete Studienleistungen in these groups; these are accredited by the mentor.

Q: Can I combine the modules Internationalization with Internationalization at home?
A: No, the study abroad module Internationalization cannot be combined with this module because they have been created as two separate modules.

The module Praxisstudien is a compulsory module in the BA programme for students who are NOT planning to become teachers. The aim of this module is for students to gain experience in a professional environment that they might work in after completing their BA. Students are strongly encouraged to work or do internships in an English-speaking country to acquire valuable cultural awareness and language skills as well as professional experience. 

Ideally, students will try to find work / internships in institutions that are possible workplaces for English studies graduates. 

• If students go to a primarily English-speaking country for their work / internships, jobs that are less ideally suited can also be recognised. 
• If students choose a work placement in Germany or another country in which English is not spoken as a first or official second language, this has to meet higher professional standards. 

It is crucial that the tasks carried out are done in a working relationship and not a formal learning situation. 

• A semester at a university in another country or a language course abroad CANNOT be recognised for this module. 

Students have to find a supervisor for their reports before they start their work / internship. The supervisor decides whether the work placement planned by the student is appropriate for the module and also evaluates the report and reflection. 

Suitable work / internships completed before a student's enrolment at university may be approved for the module as well if the respective work / internship does not date back more than 5 years prior to the student's enrolment in the English and American Studies programme. 

A request form Antrag-Anerkennung-Praxisstudien.pdf must be completed by the student and submitted to the module coordinators for authorisation. Each request will be considered individually by a committee of department members once per semester. 

• Due dates for submissions are 1st February and 1st August each year. 

After the approval of the work placement, the student is still required to fulfil the other requirements of the module (i.e. the report; see the guidelines for this below).

Report

Students have to find a member of staff who will evaluate their final report before they start their work / internship. This report consists of two parts: the documentation of the student's work (not more than 500 words) and a reflection on their experiences (see the guiding questions below). 

• It may also contain pieces of work carried out by the student or feedback from supervisors, but such material does not count towards the final word count of the report, which is 3000-5000 words. 

The report is to be written in English. Although it is not an academic text, the level of English should be appropriate for a university context. 

• Reports are evaluated as bestanden or nicht bestanden. 

Any report that shows major weaknesses in the language will be evaluated as nicht bestanden. Students may rewrite and then resubmit their report to their supervisor if their report has been judged as nicht bestanden. The credit points for the module are only awarded after successful completion of the report.

Guiding questions

The following points are to guide students in their writing of the report for the Praxisstudien 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. Students do not need to refer to all of these points in their reports, as 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 report 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, see the official information (in German) on the "Praxisstudien-Modul".

1. Give a brief overview of your experience abroad (max. ½ page)
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Discuss your expectations about the people and culture you were involved with. Reflect on how your experience may have confirmed or contradicted these expectations.
5. What stands out in your mind as the most salient example of how you gained awareness of self and other through your experience?
6. 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?
7. Reflect on how your experiences may have influenced your way of thinking about other cultures.