SKB 5 About the SKB 5 Internship and involvement

Internship and involvement

Do you want to work together with people from all over the world in a self-organised grassroots democratic project in Berlin? As a member of the SKB you can offer language courses in your first language or get involved in one of our numerous working groups. There is also plenty of room for your own creative ideas and projects.

If you want to become an SKB member and work at the SKB on a freelance basis, you first have to do an internship with us. The internship lasts one semester. You should expect an average time commitment of about 7 hours per week, which you can, however, freely arrange to a large extent. During your internship you must be a registered student.

After successful completion of your internship, you will be welcomed as an SKB member and can work at the SKB on a freelance basis.

Internship in summer semester 2023

The internship takes place from 21. Februar 2023 – 31. Juli 2023 will take place. Thus, SKB membership and independent teaching will be possible from August 2023.

We are currently looking for interns for the following languages:

Afrikaans, Albanisch, Armenisch, Bengali, Chinesisch, Dänisch, Deutsch, Französisch, Georgisch, Isländisch, Kroatisch, Kurdisch, Marathi, Norwegisch, Niederländisch, Punjabi, Serbisch, Kishwahili, Tamil, Tschechisch, Turkmenisch, Ukrainisch, Urdu, Vietnamesisch, Wolof

It is important that you speak the language you are applying for as your first or native language. Is your mother tongue still missing at SKB? Then we would also be happy to receive your unsolicited application.

A brief overview of the application process:

The application deadline is February 12, 2023.
There will be an info meeting on February 14, 2023 at 6-7 pm. There we will present the internship and the SKB and questions can be discussed.
Zwischen dem 15. – 20. Februar 2023 wird dann ein Bewerbungsgespräch mit deiner Sprachgruppe an der SKB stattfinden.
Am Dienstag den 21. Februar 2023 findet bereits das erste Praktikumstreffen statt.

Wenn du dich für das Praktikum interessierst, dann lies bitte die folgenden Informationen genau und schick uns deine Bewerbung per E-Mail innerhalb der Bewerbungsfrist an praktikum@skb.tu-berlin.de . In addition to your CV and a current certificate of study, please also send us a short cover letter in which you tell us why you would like to do an internship at the SKB.

What will you be doing during the internship?

You will sit in on different courses with different teachers in your "language group" and get to know different language levels and teaching methods.
You will take part in the monthly SKB plenum (our general meeting) and get an insight into the grassroots self-administration of the project.
You will get to know different working groups and decide for yourself in which working areas you would like to be actively involved (e.g. advertising, further education, language programmes for refugees, IT, cultural initiatives, etc.).
In various didactic workshops you will acquire a basic knowledge of teaching methods and lesson planning and reflect on your experiences sitting in on courses and your own teaching ideas.
Towards the end of the internship, you will conduct a few lessons yourself in the presence of the respective course instructors.
In regular intern meetings, you will exchange information with other interns about your internship experiences. In addition, you will learn more about the organizational structures and processes of the SKB (e.g. our rules of procedure, plenary motions, financing of the working groups, etc.).
Normally you will be part of a "language group" and take part in the activities of your language group (e.g. assistance with the placement tests during the enrolment phase, group meetings, etc.).

What do we offer you and how do we accompany you?

The SKB is a self-organised grassroots democratic project with very flat hierarchies and lives of the commitment of its members. This is also reflected in the internship: as an intern, you don't have to make coffee or copy anything. The goal of the internship is that you get to know the members, work areas and processes of the SKB and find your own place with us.
Especially in the beginning, the structures and processes at the SKB can seem a bit confusing. Your internship supervisors are always there to help you with questions and problems. They will support you in finding your way around the structures of the SKB and organising your internship.
The SKB is largely self-financed. This means that the money for workshops and the support in the internship must first be earned through our course fees. For this reason, we unfortunately cannot pay you during the internship. What we do offer you: valuable experience in a diverse transcultural project and a variety of opportunities to contribute with your interests, implement your own ideas and further your development according to your own wishes.

What would we like from you?

You are enrolled as a student at a university or college in Berlin or Brandenburg.
The language you are applying for is your mother tongue or first language. In addition, you must speak German at about a B2 level. This is important because German is our common language at the SKB and almost all communication takes place in German.
Since the internship is parallel to your studies, good time management is very important. You should be able to dedicate an average of about 7 hours per week to your internship. Some dates and times are fixed (e.g. for workshops, plenum, interns' meetings). To a large extent, though, you can plan your time very flexibly: for example, you can be less active during your exams and more active during the quiet times of the semester.
You have the desire to be involved in the SKB in the long term, not just for the internship. (So if you are planning a semester abroad directly afterwards, it wouldn't be the right time for an application ;-).
You want to work in self-organised structures (maybe you already have experience?). In this context it is important that you approach others openly and communicate actively: questions and new ideas are always welcome! A desire for self initiative and involvement are essential.
You are interested in grassroots communication and decision-making processes and understand that such processes can sometimes take a long time. Openness for different perspectives, an appreciative and constructive attitude and a lot of patience in decision-making processes are important at the SKB!
You are interested in intercultural exchange and would like to introduce other students to your language and the culture(s) of your home country. Whether you have previous teaching experience or not, you should be interested in and find joy in language teaching.

So, do you want to become part of the SKB? Then apply now! We look forward to your application!

Do you have any questions about the internship? Then write us an Email.