English language internship - 2nd year

General Objective
 

The objective of this course is mainly to enhance the student's level in English. It takes place in an English speaking country or a specialized institute in Morocco.
 

Specific objectives
 

The language total immersion course in English allows sophomore students to consolidate and improve their English level through a total immersion in an English-speaking environment.

The course is all the more necessary due to an ever boundary-expanding environment in which the English language holds a prominent place in the flow of information and knowledge.

Through this course, students are expected to make a considerable leap in English language proficiency for an easier access to any class or conference and a more fluent spoken and written communication for professional needs.

Besides, mastering French, English and Arabic by the end of the curriculum, underpins the philosophy and goal of the HEM Business School Grande Ecole Program.
 

Duration of Internship 
 

The internship runs for a period of six weeks. It takes place within the middle of the academic year, over semester break of the 2nd year.
 

Location of Internship 
 

The main objective of immersion course in English is to develop English proficiency in a totally English speaking country or environment in Morocco.

Thus, HEM Business School thought of three alternatives with the same goals:

The student undertakes his/her internship in a business English environment, abroad or in Morocco. This alternative allows him/her to use English in everyday life and upgrade the use of language as an exchange and work medium.
 

• Moreover, through its international network, HEM Business School develops contacts with English or English-speaking universities to give students a second alternative in the form of linguistic stays in order for them to master the language and discover the English speaking social, cultural and economic environment.
• As a third alternative, the student may attend a training-immersion course in a language center in Morocco where he/she will be offered a number of activities focused on the acquisition of English as a working tool and a medium of exchange and communication.
• HEM Business School then issues a request for proposal, retains at least two offers for student to choose and provides for a DH 1000 to DH 1500 grant per student to cover the training costs.
   

An internal committee sets the appropriate criteria and validates selection based on the available seats.
 

Internship Step by Step
 

As for other internships, language immersion goes the same three steps:
 

Step 1:  Looking for an Internship (during the 1st semester)
 

In addition to contacts with appropriate foreign universities and language centers, the Corporate Relations Department (DRE) provides students with a list of English-speaking companies and structures that meet the requirements and are likely to host them during the internship period.

It will also help them:

• Be aware of the procedure and conditions of the internship
• Ensure the internship agreement administrative follow up.
   

The internship agreement is an official document jointly signed by the host organization, the SAR and the student. It outlines the internship’s duration and conditions. No placement can be validated without the prior deposit of the placement agreement with RPD under a predetermined schedule.
 

Step 2: During the Internship 
 

Hard work and involvement are key requirements during the internship. Any absence must be justified both with the company and the ERD. Total justified absences should not exceed one week, otherwise the training cannot be validated and the student could be required to retake it in August or September of the active year.

In addition, the student is required to inform the SAR and supervisor of any difficulties arising during the internship.
 

Step 3: At the End of the Internship

Upon completion of the internship, the student has to hand in an activity report, using the appropriate form according to the internship type. The non-validation of the report leads to the adjournment thereof.

The internship's report is to be elaborated individually.

Manuals at the ERD office detail the report’s form, content and presentation modes.
 

Supervision 
 

HEM Business School provides educational support for students during the 3 above mentioned steps.

The DRE monitors and guides the student before, during and after the internship.

It therefore manages all educational activities related to training and coordinates all the supervisory activities undertaken by:

The sponsor: He/she oversees and guides the student in the host company. His/ her name appears on the internship agreement and is appointed by the host organization. He/she oversees (during the training) all activities throughout the internship’s 2nd step. The sponsor’s mark represents 40% of the final assessment grade. Coordination between the SAR and the sponsor takes place via site visits, telephone calls, emails, etc.

The supervisor: Appointed by the SAR, he/she receives and responds to emails - especially when the internship takes place overseas- describing the weekly task list the student is required to prepare and send to the supervisor. He/she also helps the student during the internship in preparing the report and is responsible of correcting it during the second semester.
 

Assessment
 

Validation of the immersion internship is based on all activities during the internship, as well as on the following three elements:
 

• 1) The host company certificate: it relates to the proper conduct of the internship in terms of attendance, attitude, behavior and results.
• 2) A written test:  a unique and same exam for all students to assess progress in English language command. It takes place during the first 2 weeks of the second semester. Based on the objectives of the immersion internship, the three hour examination is to assess the completion the internship’s objectives. The pass mark is 10/20.
• 3) The internship report: it is written in English; it is individual and should state all activities of the internship period. Manuals at the ERD office detail the report’s form, content and presentation modes. The minimum mark required is 12/20.
   

Thus, the validation of the language immersion course in English requires passing three separate assessment components. The non-validation of either one results in the adjournment until September by year-end student class council. In this case, it is necessary to take up the non-validated components.

In case of failure in September to get one of these three components validated, students will have to retake the course on scheduled catch-up sessions, with the exception to the first component of the validation process (Host company certificate confirming the internship proper occurrence) whose failure automatically causes retaking the course again.

Passing the written test and the internship report are prerequisites for validating the English language immersion internship.

A schedule is established each year and is made available to students. They must comply with the set deadlines in order to validate their internship. A copy of this schedule is available upon request at the administration office.