DAAD Lektoren
DAAD Lektoren
What is the Lektorenprogramm?
The Lektorenprogramm aims to promote German language and German area studies abroad. The DAAD supports ca. 450 Lektors in 90 countries, with a particular emphasis on Europe . These junior academics teach mainly at German Departments. In the United Kingdom and Ireland the Fachlektors also teach German law, politics, economics, history and engineering.
What is a Lektor?
A Lektor is a senior language teacher with significant teaching experience. Many of the applicants are junior academics and/or trained teachers. The Fachlektors are Lektoren teaching in their specific subject areas.
What does a Lektor do?
The range and focus of tasks and responsibilities exercised by the Lektors varies depending on the host higher education institution. They include some or all of the following:
• Teaching German as a foreign language
• Holding courses or giving lectures on literature, language and linguistics, German studies and recent German and European history
• Teaching specialist classes for translators and interpreters on the didactics and methodology of foreign language teaching
• Maintaining contacts with German organisations (DAAD, DFG , Goethe-Institute and others) and with higher education institutions in Germany
• Advising students, both from the host department and other academic departments as well, on study opportunities in Germany and on possible sources of financial support
• As for Fachlektoren, teaching courses in their specific subject areas.
Some Lektors offer extracurricular activities such as screening German films, initiating a German society or a German drama group.
How does the Lektorenprogramm work?
The Lektorat is allocated to a university institution on the basis of an application by the academic department of a British or Irish university, depending on financial possibilities and in accordance with the guidelines of the German Foreign Office.
The individual Lektor remains in a department for a minimum of two years and a maximum of five years. This restriction to a maximum duration aims to ensure that Lektors have an up-to-date knowledge of contemporary Germany in its political and cultural aspects, its university system and current methods of university teaching in Germany .
Notes on employing a DAAD Lektor
A DAAD Sprach- or Fachlektor is employed in the UK/Ireland by the host university. The DAAD acts as the Lektor's sponsoring agent. He/she receives a salary from the British or Irish university and the DAAD provides a top-up, which includes certain benefits accoriding to criteria such as age, experience, the number of dependents etc. The top-up is independent of the host institution's salary.
Each individual contract between the host institution and the Lektor should be made out for two full years without hiatus, with a proviso of a possible extension for a further three if both sides are in agreement, as long as DAAD funding is available, making a total of five years employment.
The average teaching hours for a Sprachlektor are 12 per week and 8 for a Fachlektor. If this proviso is not fulfilled the continued support of the post is jeopardised. The minimum salary to be paid to a Lektor in the UK is currently £16,500 and in Ireland €23,000.
For more information please contact: strowa@daad.org.uk
