By Vikash Kumar

A final project report on the Modlingua summer internship, June to August 2018.

About the programme

The internship programme at Modlingua is a platform that gives young students many opportunities. It works like a bridge between knowledge and accomplishment. The programme ran for three months, from June to August, and for a young student like me who wanted to build a career as a professional interpreter or translator - or in any other professional field - it offered a great environment to learn the basics of professionalism. The idea was to make interns familiar with the professional world, the working culture, its ups and downs, and, most importantly, how to prepare oneself to go through these phases and learn beyond complexity.

The internship began in June with an interaction session where all the interns met our mentor, the founder of Modlingua, Ravi Kumar. In that first online conference we discovered a new way of interacting with different kinds of people through technology. He taught us about professional work, the importance of time, and the things one should always remember while dealing with clients. We learned about Modlingua, its working culture, its history, and the idea that holds this family together. We also met new friends not only from India but from different parts of the globe. Our questions were answered by our mentors, which gave us a clear picture of what the internship was about. We learned that assignments would be a fundamental part of the course. What really excited me was that guest lecturers would address us during the internship - for us, that was the icing on the cake.

Assignments

In the first lecture we studied the analysis of errors and omissions in content writing and how it matters in the life of a professional. We learned about the quality standards one should maintain while translating, transcribing, or doing any other professional work. We were then asked to build a rubric from our own self-introductions. It was a challenge, and along the way we discovered many online applications that can make a translator's life easier when it comes to maintaining standards.

The second assignment covered quality control in content writing and translation. This kind of work demands a certain standard, and quality is the backbone of any content or translation. This assignment extended what we had learned in the first one into practical use, helped by videos on the Modlingua YouTube channel that showed us what "quality control" means in practice.

The third assignment - the most interesting part of the internship for me - was transcription. We learned how to transcribe a video. It was challenging, but with our mentor's guidance we picked it up quickly. I transcribed a video from the Modlingua YouTube channel in which Ravi sir explains the AIDA technique and social networking. We learned not only transcription but also the deeper idea of social networking, and many things that were completely new to us.

Before the fourth assignment, we attended a conference with Prof. Ioanna on business enterprise and personal branding for interpreters. In the fourth assignment we added another tool to our armoury: subtitling videos. I personally subtitled a 19-minute video. It was a challenging task and a great learning curve.

In the later part of the programme we learned about social marketing, script writing, and business personality. The guest lecturers added special flavour to the programme.

Experience at Modlingua

The internship was attractive and full of knowledge for someone new to the professional world. It helped our all-round development and added skills that can set us apart in the global market. On every front it was well managed, and it offered different kinds of opportunities through volunteer work that interns could opt for. That kind of exploration boosts confidence and helps maintain the balance professional life requires. The whole idea was to make us familiar with the challenges waiting for us in the near future.

The online format

The idea of an online internship was new to us, and it helped in many ways. It let us connect with people around the globe through social networking, work from the familiar environment of home, and find enough time and space to learn while working on assignments. It cut travel time, was easier to manage, and gave us the confidence to work in any kind of environment. It added a new dimension to learning - practical, experimental learning rather than the orthodox classroom way.

Conclusion

This internship programme made a huge difference in my attitude towards the professional world. It showed us not only the exciting parts of the work but also the harder side of professional work culture. We learned new things, new ideas, and a different way of thinking, and, most importantly, we built a family-like relationship with Modlingua. For any young student who wants a career in translation, interpretation, or any professional field, this kind of internship can help their overall development. It was my great pleasure to complete my internship programme with Modlingua.