Study plus internship (Internship)
These are programs for young people who want not only to practice a foreign language but also to gain professional experience. They include a general or special intensive foreign language course (at least four weeks) and an internship at a foreign company in accordance with the student's educational profile, work experience, and interests (from four weeks). The work is usually unpaid (except in the fields of tourism and hotel management, where the trainee's salary can exceed $1,200). However, it adds a nice line to the resume.
Many language schools in Ireland, Great Britain, Spain, Germany, France, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Costa Rica offer such programs. You can intern in a wide variety of fields: marketing and advertising, computer technology and graphic design, tourism and hospitality, finance, accounting, and personal finance management, administrative management, business communications and public relations, education, fashion, insurance, retail, printing, and the social sphere.
The school itself selects the workplace for the student according to their requests and professional interests. However, one should not think that interns are immediately seated in the director's chair or given an important area of work. Most often, the company to which the intern is sent will indeed specialize in the field chosen by the student. Upon completion of the program, participants receive two certificates: one for completing the language course and one for completing an internship at a Western company.
Basic requirements for applicants: age 18 or older, a good level of language proficiency (above intermediate, and for some programs advanced), and relevant education and/or work experience.
One of the leaders in the field of 'study plus internship (work)' programs in English-speaking countries is the Aspect school, whose branches are located in England, Ireland, the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The programs are certainly not cheap. For example, four weeks of study plus four weeks of internship will cost at least 3,500 euros (including tuition, accommodation, meals, airfare, insurance, and consular fees). But experts say that a professional English language course would have cost more. So even here, poor students can save money.
Au Pair
This is a cultural and language international program for young people that has been operating in Europe for more than 50 years and in the USA since 1986. It allows you to learn a foreign language at minimal cost, get acquainted with the culture of the country, and gain experience of independent living. Participants live with host families, take care of children, do simple light housework, and simultaneously take language courses for foreigners two or three times a week.
The term au pair is borrowed from French and translates as 'on equal terms' or 'as a pair'. The program participants, who are also called au pairs, temporarily become members of the host family with certain rights and responsibilities.
Girls and (more rarely) boys take care of children and look after the house. In European countries, the work takes 30-35 hours per week, in the USA up to 45 hours. The host family provides accommodation and meals. They also give pocket money. There are countries where the family pays for language courses for those who want to become Mary Poppins for a while. But more often, the au pair pays for the courses themselves. The cost of language courses is usually low.
Au Pair programs can last from two months to two years, depending on the country. Standard requirements: age 18 or older, completed secondary education, experience working with children, good conversational language skills, and the candidate must not be married or have children.
To France, as an 'elder sister' - as the participants of the Au Pair program are often called - you can go for 4-18 months. You will be given at least 300 euros per month. You will have to pay from $280 for three months of language courses. The age limits for au pairs in Germany are lower - 18-24 years, as is the amount of the allowance - 200-230 euros.
In Denmark, they wait for girls aged 18-26 who are ready to spend 6-12 months with a family. They are entitled to at least $300 (in Danish kroner, of course) in pocket money per month. If a participant does not speak the national language of the country, she can try to find a family that agrees to an English-speaking 'nanny'. By the way, Danish language courses are offered free of charge. For those wishing to go to Spain, it is also not necessary to know the local language; sometimes English is enough. Girls aged 18-27 can come here for 3-12 months.
The Cultural Care Au Pair USA program, approved and supported by the US government, lasts 12 months. In addition to pocket money, its participants receive $500 from the family to pay for their studies. The educational component is a mandatory part of the program, and if the student does not complete the required minimum (72-90 academic hours), he will lose money. By the way, you can not only study the language but also take a course at an American college in literature, history, international tourism, design, computer science, etc. A special feature of the requirements for 'nannies' is that they must have an international driver's license and at least 200 hours of experience working with children. Age limits - 18-26 years.
Can young men participate in the Au Pair program? In principle, yes. But families most often invite girls (among American families, only 7% agree to a 'mustachioed nanny'), so the percentage of young men participating in the program is significantly lower. Accordingly, requirements for males are somewhat higher: a pedagogical education, much more experience working with children, etc. Some countries accept only girls.
Documents must be submitted four to six months before the desired program start date.
Work & Travel USA
This is one of the most common programs, the costs of which really pay off. Its essence is that participants work for up to three to four months in the service sector, in positions that do not require special qualifications, and with the money earned they can travel for another month. Knowledge of a foreign language improves automatically through immersion in the language environment, without special classes.
Students of full-time departments of universities of all years except the last, aged 18-23, can participate. Knowledge of a foreign language at a level sufficient to perform professional duties is required: pre-intermediate/intermediate. Students typically work 40 hours a week in US resort towns: in amusement parks, hotels, restaurants. The minimum wage is $5.25 per hour. You can earn from $1,000 per month, and if you get a second job, even more.
Since in addition to visa documents, an invitation to work from an American employer is required, you must contact the company organizing the trip at least six months in advance.
Another program - Camp America (USA) - involves working in US summer children's camps as counselors (preferably with experience working with children) or support staff for three to four months. It is also aimed at full-time students aged 18-24, but the level of English must be higher. While in the Work & Travel program participants must pay for food and accommodation themselves, Camp America (USA) participants are provided with this for free. The minimum wage for nine weeks is $500. This, of course, allows you to recoup the costs of the program, but few manage to earn more than that.
Programs similar to Work & Travel also operate in Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, and Greece, where foreign students are attracted by seasonal work, such as harvesting crops.
Study plus work (Work & Study)
This type of program, combining studying a foreign language in courses and work, operates in Ireland, France, Spain, and other countries. In addition to studying a foreign language, participants are given the opportunity to additionally work after classes up to 20 hours per week in the service sector: as salespeople, couriers, waiters, bartenders, kitchen workers, maids, porters, reception staff, and assistant administrators.
In the UK, programs of this kind are long-term - six to nine months. Young people aged 18-30 can participate. Students study English for 15 hours a week and have the right to legally work up to 20 hours a week during studies and full-time during holidays. The minimum wage is 4.1 pounds per hour (3.5 pounds per hour for those aged 18-21). You can search for work independently or use the services of agencies for an additional fee. The cost of such a program is usually $1,250-1,550 (tuition plus two weeks of accommodation with a host family with breakfast). The program runs year-round, but it is advisable to submit documents two and a half months before the intended departure date.
Similar programs exist in Ireland, where those interested can combine study with work, for example in Dublin. You can come here not for a long period, but for a month. In this case, the cost of the program will be about $700 (full payment for tuition plus one week of accommodation in a youth hostel). Participants have the right to legally work up to 20 hours per week. The school does not participate in finding a job.
Companies offering Work & Study programs in the UK, Ireland, and France warn that the opportunity to work should not be considered as a way to cover one's expenses. That is, participants need to prove their financial solvency when obtaining a visa, for example by providing a bank statement. If you manage to partially recoup your costs - well, so much the better.
There are Work & Study programs in which job search is provided by the school itself or an intermediary company.