Get To Germany!
There are several options to get to a German-speaking country. The costs and time involved in planning can vary greatly. From two weeks to a stay of a full year, the experiences can be life-altering and lead to many wonderful things.
One option is to plan a trip to travel in one or more German-speaking countries. The costs can vary, but good planning will save you money. Options include flying over before June 1, when rates are cheaper, or even between semesters in the winter. If you are learning German and have at least two semesters completed, but have never been to a German-speaking country, this can be an excellent way to gain greater knowledge about the culture first-hand and possible future stays for work or study.
One can also participate in a study abroad program to a Goethe Institute, which is offered by MSCD some Summer semesters. This involves studying the language with people from many countries and cultures, with instruction usually lasting four hours each day. Excursions and activities are planned and one typically earns six credit hours in a three week period.
Students can also plan their own stay at a Goethe Institute, from which MSCD accepts the instruction on a transfer ratio of one credit for each 45 hours (based on a 50 minute period). One must bring the documentation back to prove the total instruction time. There are sixteen Goethe Institutes in Germany. They have an excellent website at http://www.goethe.de.
Another option is to plan a paid internship at a German company. Several students have been successful in obtaining such internships, based on their language skills and computer abilities. One creates an email letter seeking the internship with a viable resume as an attachment and a link to a suitable webpage further explaining skills and abilities. One then targets companies to which the email is sent. The selling point is the computer capabilities, though the prospect of a native English speaker is also attractive. Students have worked on webpage development, installing software and networking computers, making photo databases, digital conferencing, and translating German to English.
Students have also successfully applied for scholarships. One such scholarship is the Bundestag / Congress Youth Exchange program, which five Metro State students studying German have received. Particpants leave in August for two months of language study, a semester at German university, and then a paid internship. The website for this program is http://www.cdsintl.org.
After graduation, seven Metro State students who studied German in our program have been also able to receive Austrian Fulbright Teaching Scholarships by direct application to the Austrian Fulbright Commission. The website for this program is http://www.fulbright.at. There are other opportunities available, too. The point is to start to plan and get over there!
Another program recently started was the German Academic Exchange Service's undergraduate scholarships. The website for this program is http://www.daad.org, and has many useful links to information about German universities.