By Neha Galhotra
Editor's note: This is an edited reflection on Modlingua's Summer Internship Programme of 2018. It describes Neha's experience then, not current programme rules, tools or eligibility.
My two months as a Modlingua summer intern introduced me to the work around translation as well as translation itself. The programme brought together people with different language interests through online lectures, assignments and social-media collaboration. For me, it was a way to explore how language professionals learn, present their work and build relationships.
Learning to notice errors in my own writing
The first assignment asked us to compare the professional profile and career goals we had submitted with the version published on the Modlingua website. That comparison made the editing process visible: we could look at specific changes rather than think about good writing only in general terms.
The next assignment concerned the Modlingua writing rubric and our views on it. In my original report, I was enthusiastic about its potential to reduce errors and improve writing. A rubric is better understood as a guide for review, rather than a promise that every error will disappear. I also considered grammar-checking tools such as Grammarly as part of proofreading.
From a transcript to subtitles
We then explored transcription and the use of voice-typing or speech-recognition tools. The task was to transcribe a video from Modlingua's collection. That transcript became the starting point for subtitling the same video.
Interns could choose the subtitle language. Using the transcript as source text and translating it into another language made the link between listening, writing and audiovisual translation practical. I described this stage as challenging for many participants.
Collaboration, marketing and scripts
The marketing assignment asked us to think about social media and online collaboration, including their advantages and limits. We were already experiencing those questions through the ways interns helped one another online.
Two script-writing tasks followed: one concerned a language-related person and another a business figure. They gave me a reason to research, organise information and think about how a written script supports a film or video.
The lectures widened the discussion to translation standards, project management, self-branding, citizen journalism, entrepreneurship and interpreting. I valued being able to ask questions and hear advice from people working in different parts of the language field.
Volunteering beyond the assignments
I completed the assigned work and volunteered to write summaries of two Modlingua videos. One concerned citizen journalism and street plays; the other concerned the subtitling process.
Writing those summaries encouraged me to understand the material before putting it into my own words. Along with the main assignments, the extra work helped me develop my writing and analytical skills and learn more about translators as entrepreneurs.
The benefits and limits of learning online
I appreciated flexible working hours, working from home and using the summer break to learn about professional language work. The online format made participation across locations possible.
It also had drawbacks. Connectivity problems, disturbed audio and time differences could interfere with sessions. Sometimes a task was difficult to explain remotely, and the format could not reproduce an office environment. Those limits are part of my experience, alongside the benefits.
A wider view of a language career
Overall, I found the internship useful for my personal and professional development. The lectures, assignments and volunteering helped me see how writing, translation, marketing and collaboration connect.
I left with a broader view of the language field and of the work involved in finding clients, discussing a project and maintaining professional relationships. This reflection records that learning experience, rather than claiming that a short internship settles every question about a translation career.
