Years Abroad in Austria
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Little countries across the world suffer from being defined by what they are not rather than what they are: Scotland is not England, Belgium is not France and Austria is not Germany…
The few Austrian stereotypes which have entered the British public consciousness would lead one to believe that the country is covered completely with snow-tipped mountains and overrun with men in lederhosen but this isn’t really Austria either.
It’s partly this ignorance about Germany’s little sister that makes it a fascinating year abroad destination. Very few Brits choose to look beyond the abundant kitsch - there’s a reason there’s no English translation for this German word - and to experience Austria, not as a tourist, but as a local.
The country is home to only 19 universities so not all British university has an ERASMUS links with Austria. However, the low tuition fees and condition that - unlike in bigger brother Deutschland - anyone with a secondary school leaving certificate can attend any university, regardless of grades, make Austria an accessible destination for your Year Abroad. If you are determined to study at the Universität Wien, the oldest university in the German speaking world and the largest in Europe, or you have heard that the German department in Innsbruck is particularly prima, then all you need is your A-level certificates, obviously including one for German.
The British Council offers 3, 4 or 8 month teaching assistantships in secondary and vocational schools. The 13 teaching hours and around 230 Euros a week make the prospect of being an English language assistant sound pretty sweet, but it’s important to remember that when you put yourself in the hands of the British Council, you could end up anywhere. There are posts available all over Austria. Competition is particularly tough for jobs in Vienna, Salzburg and the Tyrol. Regardless of your thoroughly thought-through area preferences, you could find yourself in Vorarlberg, where the dialect is famously impenetrable.
Job seeking is a risky business these days but, if you’re up to the challenge, the variety of Austrian employment possibilities matches the variety of the country. Whether working in second city Graz for Bank Austria or as a chalet maid in the Alps, speaking German all day, every day will prove that becoming fluent really is possible.
