Eligibility
- 18 years of age or above
- Good academic and disciplinary standing at Penn State
- 3.0 cumulative GPA or better at the time of application
Program Description
This short-term program is designed specifically for Penn State students in the English as a Second Language certificate program, which prepares Penn State students in teacher education programs to meet the needs of ESL learners in the K-12 schools. Students will spend approximately four weeks during the month of May in Jönköping, Sweden and will fulfill the requirements of a 3-credit hour Penn State course, World Languages Education (WL ED) 483. This course, which may also be taken in residence on Penn State's campus, comprises a field experience for students to work in cooperation with primary or secondary school teachers to meet the needs of ESL learners. On this program, Penn State students will be directly supervised by faculty at Jonkoping University while working in local Swedish schools. They will also be responsible for completing reflections and other assignments associated with the WL ED 483 course and submitting these electronically to an assigned Penn State course instructor. Program participants will simultaneously gain practical experience teaching ESL learners while also working in the education system of another country and developing their own intercultural capabilities.
Indeed, the Swedish context is unique in that the emphasis placed on English nationwide means that all children in the primary and secondary schools study the language but that adults the Penn State students will encounter at the university and elsewhere will all all be highly proficient in English. In the view of the ESL certificate program faculty, such international experience is invaluable for promoting future teachers' awareness of and sensitivity to the cultural and linguistic processes and struggles that mark ESL learner development. It is worth noting that as the course WL ED 483 is an intensive field experience, the majority of Penn State students' time will be spent in Swedish schools, although they will also have opportunities for seminar discussions with the supervising faculty member from Jonkoping University.
Dates
Refer to the program website for the specific dates, if available.
Location
Dating back to the 13th century, Jönköping is the tenth largest city in Sweden with a population of approximately 120,000 inhabitants. Situated near the second largest lake in Sweden, Lake Vättern, Jönköping is surrounded by rolling hills speckled with lakes, forests and farms. Jönköping was strategically located 200 miles from Stockholm and 100 miles from Gothenburg, making the city a popular venue for exhibitions and conferences. There is plenty to do in and around Jönköping, including shopping, boating, and various cultural activities. Jönköping University is a growing center of higher education.
Education Abroad in Countries with a Penn State Restricted Travel Designation
In order to comply with Penn State’s International Travel Policy, students interested in studying abroad in countries that Penn State has designated as “restricted” for travel, a petition for a waiver must be submitted. Once a petition is complete, and if the student is approved for study on the program in question, the student may be asked to meet with the Director of Education Abroad and the petition will be reviewed by the Penn State International Restricted Travel Committee (IRTC). The necessary petition will be included in the online application process for this program. To see if your program is taking place in a restricted travel country, please visit the Global Programs website.
