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GOETHE-INSTITUTA WORLDWIDE NETWORK

Recognition of Teacher Qualifications and Teaching Opportunities in GermanyCraig Childers, Language Program CoordinatorGoethe-Institut Washington

São Paulo Paris Istanbul Toronto Bangkok Rotterdam Tel Aviv Addis Abeba

GOETHE-INSTITUTA WORLDWIDE NETWORK

Our MissionTo promote the German language as a foreign and second language.To promote international cultural cooperation.To convey a comprehensive picture of Germany by providing information about Germany’s cultural, social and political life.

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At a Glance

■ 149 locations worldwide

■ 136 institutes in 91 countries

■ 10 liaison offices

■ 13 institutes in Germany

■ Non-governmental organization (NGO)

■ Provides services on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany

■ Headquarters in Munich

■ Capital office in Berlin

■ 2.800 employees worldwide

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Goethe-Institut – Ein weltumspannendes Netzwerk 7

Locations worldwide

Locations in Germanyand Europe

Goethe-Institut – Ein weltumspannendes Netzwerk 8

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An American Teacher in Germany

■ Is there recognition of foreign teaching credentials in Germany?Jein!

■ The Federal Republic of Germany is, as its full name indicates, a federation of states (Bundesländer), not wholly unlike the United States of America, when it comes to teacher certification.

■ At the university level, there are more opportunities and less red tape. PhD-holders are judged exclusively on the quality of their research, their reputation and the demand for their talents in high-demand fields.

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EFL Teaching Opportunities

■ Foreign Language Teaching Assistantships for recent college graduates (Fulbright, US State Department)

■ Private Language Schools (Wall Street Institute, Berlitz, etc.)

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International Schools

■ Every major city in Germany hosts at least one “international school”■ Typically, this type of school is a private, independent, K-12, US-accredited

school catering to a primarily expatriate clientele■ A Master’s degree, K-12 certification from any US state and two years of

experience will pre-qualify you to begin applying for jobs throughout Germany and all over the world (these qualifications are equivalent to German teaching qualifications)

■ www.iss.edu

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Department of Defense Schools

■ The DoD also operates dozens of schools in Germany, which are actively recruiting teachers from the US

■ DoD schools provide quality education for the children of military and eligible civilian personnel stationed around the world

■ Competitive salaries and great benefits available at schools in Germany and beyond

■ www.dodea.edu/offices/hr/onlineapplication/default.htm

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Teaching at German Public Schools

■ Having your credentials recognized in Germany will be a long and difficult process

■ Decide which Bundesland you’d like to work in and focus on that state’s requirements/process

■ Having your qualifications certified/recognized is no guarantee of employment

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Teaching at German Public Schools

■ There is a shortage of teachers in Germany: some estimate a shortage of 45,000 teachers for the 2010/2011 school year

■ In conjunction with the ongoing discussions about integration, the topic of recognizing immigrants’ qualifications is being discussed/debated at the state and national levels

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The Future is Bright

■ Currently only 49% of well-educated immigrants in Germany are working in a highly-qualified job, v.s. 70% of native-born Germans (http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-74549658.html)

■ Studies have shown and state boards of education recognize both the advantages and dire shortage of immigrants as teachers in the classrooms

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Best Practice Example: TAP

■ The Teacher Acquisition Program (TAP) in NRW is a program to recruit native English speakers to English-language Immersion schools in NRW to teach EFL, as well as content classes in the subject areas of Biology, History and Geography.

■ Good German skills are required.

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TAP Guidelines

■ Who can apply?■ Which degree is required?■ How do I apply?■ How much can I earn?■ Answers to these questions and more:

www.schulministerium.nrw.de/TAP/jspsrc/tap/daten/guideline.pdf

■ Again: the existence of such programs does not guarantee the availability of job openings

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Going Forward

■ To meet its current needs and to stay competitive, Germany needs to reform its teacher qualification recognition policies

■ Due to the decentralized state-based education system in Germany, this will take time

■ Innovative states and states where there is a need for highly-qualified English native-speaker teachers, whether as EFL teachers or content teachers in Immersion schools, will achieve the best results with special programs such as TAP

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More information?www.goethe.de

■ 250,000 webpages

■ 15,000,000 internet hitsper month

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Vielen Dank für Ihre

Aufmerksamkeit!