Internship Office of the School of German Language and Literature

The School of German Language and Literature completes the theoretical training of its students with a specialized Teaching Internship Programme that aims to bring together theory and practice in teacher education under real teaching conditions. Its theoretical foundation results from the internationally acknowledged need for future teachers to benefit from a stage of experimentation with teaching in the context of their studies.

The Teaching Internship Programme starts in the 7^th semester of studies in the form of Microteachings. The core course DID 503 Methodology of Teaching German as a Foreign Language ΙΙΙ: Lesson observation and planning – Internship: Microteaching (12 ECTS) is compulsory for all students and is conducted in three parallel groups.  During the Microteachings students are given the opportunity to safely experiment with foreign language teaching methods. They enhance their knowledge of foreign language teaching and learning methods and techniques, so that they are able to plan, teach it, and reflect on the teaching of German as a Foreign Language.

In the 8^th semester, within the framework of the specialization Elective (SPE) PA0801 Lesson analysis – Teaching Practice (12 ECTS), an optional two-month teaching Internship takes place during which students in groups of three observe, analyse and conduct German lessons. The responsibility for the organisation and conduct of the teaching Internship lies with the Department's teaching staff specialised in the teaching of German as a foreign language and the Internship Office. The teaching Internship takes place in public and private educational institutions in cooperation with school mentors, i.e., experienced German language teachers. 

During the entire Teaching Internship Programme the principles, theories and techniques which comprise the teaching methodology of German as a Foreign Language and which students have acquired throughout their studies are put into practice. Students transfer the complex knowledge they have gained in the university environment to the classroom, and this contributes to their preparation for their future professional careers.

More specifically, the main objectives of the Teaching Internship Programme are for students to:

• develop essential competences and skills that will enable students to meet the current demands of society and education: sound theoretical training, appropriate skills for teaching and the ability to think critically, make decisions, etc.,
• understand - through experience - the complexity of teaching and to be able to critically review current and past teaching practices. At the same time, to become aware of the value and to practise self-criticism and self-assessment,
• learn to apply in teaching the relevant theoretical and practical knowledge they have acquired,
• become familiar with their future working environment, since many of them will work in education and to understand its features with the help of pedagogical guidance from experienced in-service teachers.

The effectiveness of the Teaching Internship Programme is strengthened by its duration (two months), by the rich material that supports it and, in addition, by its structure as well as its content, which include distance and lifelong learning.

Throughout the whole duration of the Teaching Internship Programme a systematic and multifaceted evaluation process is carried out, aiming not only at the self-evaluation of the students but also at the optimization of the Teaching Internship Programme.

Every year, some students are given the opportunity to take part int the Teaching Internship Programme within the framework of the NSRF, the "Higher Education Internship Programme” of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki which is funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and co-financed by national resources through the Operational Programme "Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation" of the Partnership Agreement for the Development Framework 2014-2020, with the Special Management Agency of the Operational Programme "Human Resources Development, Education and Lifelong Learning" as Intermediate Body.

There is finally also the possibility for a teaching Internship to take place within the framework of the Erasmus Placement Programme, provided the applying student has previously attended the course DID 503 Methodology of Teaching German as a Foreign Language ΙΙΙ: Lesson observation and planning – Internship: Microteaching (12 ECTS).

The Internship Office cooperates with most public schools - and some private schools - of Primary and Secondary Education (including Experimental Schools), so that students can do their Internship as well as research in both undergraduate and postgraduate studies. The Internship Office also cooperates with the German School and the Goethe-Institute of Thessaloniki for the conduct of the teaching Internship, as well as for the conduct of conferences, seminars, lectures, workshops, cultural events, etc. For many educational events, the Internship Office cooperates with German Teachers Associations in Greece. 

See here the cooperation protocols

The Internship Office pursues the following main research objectives:

• To address existing gaps and shortcoming in the design, organization and undertaking of educational research in Greece concerning the learning and teaching of German as a foreign language and the GFL teacher education;
• to promote interdisciplinary, inter-university research in cooperation with institutions in Greece and abroad;
• to support the research activities of students at undergraduate and postgraduate level through collaborations with experimental schools where students conduct their research;
• to continuously contribute to and create various databases for ongoing research and educational purposes in the context of the lifelong education of GFL teachers. Such material might include lesson plans, video recordings of lessons and transcripts thereof as well as lesson observation protocols, etc;
• to apply for projects through the research committee in cooperation with institutions and private bodies in Greece and abroad;
• to disseminate new knowledge, research findings to the general public, teachers and individuals or institutions that are generally concerned with the issues of foreign language education through lectures, conferences, publications, but also through specially organized training seminars or workshops, such as the annual conference “DIDAKTIK TAGUNG” that has been launched since 2013 (see Conferences).

The annual Teaching Methodology Conferences have become an institution at national and international level, with participation reaching 300 teachers and scientists from Greece and abroad, as well as students. The 1^st Teaching Methodology Conference was held in 2013.

The Teaching Methodology Conferences are held every year in June and aim to bring together theory and practice, to present innovative developments and scientific theories of the field, as well as to connect higher education with other levels of education.

This page contains material for various levels (A1-C1), which GFL teachers can use in their lessons a) either as additional material, in addition to the textbook they use, or (b) as supplementary material for specific textbooks.

Useful links for information on Germany, Austria, Switzerland and GFL teaching material.

Practicum statistics:

2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021

Practicum posters: 

2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021