The LPlus programme is an accredited JGU certificate which enables B.Ed/M.Ed students to get across borders and make intercultural experiences. The scheme spans 12 months and blends academic study, practical teaching and critical self-reflection. The scheme is structured into four phases: Students study at a Scottish partner university for one semester (LPlus Study), before teaching as a German language assistant in a Scottish primary school (LPlus Teach) and gaining first-hand insight into a different education system. 

The blended-learning course LPlus Global supports the students with theory and practice in multiculturalism, inclusion, and the Scottish GIRFEC (“Getting It Right For Every Child”) approach, while LPlus Local connects students with Scottish peers on social projects in Rheinland-Pfalz. These elements equip students to with intercultural competences, encourage reflective practice, and provide teaching experience in a classroom.  

Key Facts at a Glance

The LPlus programme provides the perfect opportunity to gain practical experience in an international setting. Developed from the GET-SET-GO initiative, the certificate strengthens our partnership with Scotland. Designed to offer more than just student mobility, the certificate is integrated into the B.Ed./M.Ed. curriculum. The 12-month course is worth 30 ECTS and provides an in-depth exploration of intercultural exchange and education.

As part of the first LPlus Study stage, students spend a full semester (three to four months of short-term mobility) studying at one of our Scottish partner universities. Then, in the LPlus Teach stage, students are placed at a Scottish primary school as German language assistants (German Educational Trainees). Here, they will gain hands-on teaching experience while becoming part of an intercultural, diverse classroom. Throughout the programme, students are guided by the year-long blended-learning course LPlus Global, which is designed to help students learn about and reflect on multiculturalism, inclusion, and teaching in a diverse and globalised world. Finally, back in Rheinland-Pfalz, as part of LPlus Local, students will collaborate with Scottish peers on real-life social projects under the theme ‘Global Outreach – Global Citizen’.

I spent my LPlus at a high school as a foreign language assistant and then studied at the University of Edinburgh. It was the combination of teaching, studying and living locally that made the experience so special for me. It allowed me to experience the language and culture more intensively and gather many impressions that have had a lasting impact on me. My fascination with this country has remained over time – and has even grown stronger. I can recommend LPlus to anyone who is interested in other cultures and languages and enjoys teaching. You won’t regret it!

For my Lplus, I first worked in Ayrshire on the west coast of Scotland as a foreign language assistant. Here, I gained a lot of experience in teaching German as a foreign language. The Scottish school system is very different from the German one. Ayrshire is great; I lived right by the sea and visited Culzean Castle and the surrounding park several times.
For my studies, I then moved north to Aberdeen. The city wasn’t as grey as everyone always says. There was lots of sunshine and even snow in March. I saw dolphins for the first time in my life and fell in love with Aberdeen straight away. The university was great and, in addition to lectures in education, I was also able to take seminars in linguistics. Social contacts are simply different at Scottish universities: I recommend anyone going to Scotland with Lplus to try out a few societies and clubs. You can find friends for life there.