Foreign Language Internship 490 is open to advanced students in foreign languages. Students must have completed nine (9) credits at the 300 level, with one course in advanced grammar and writing, one in conversation and one in civilization. Those students taking a language in which there are no 300 level courses (Russian, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, and others) will be evaluated on a case by case basis. This course can be taken for 1-3 credits and a student must complete 50 hours of service for each credit, or a minimum of 150 hours for 3 credits. This course counts for one of the 400 level courses in the Spanish, German and French majors, but it cannot be repeated to satisfy more than 3 credits of the 9 credits required at the 400 level for foreign language majors. Under the supervision of both a faculty member and a field supervisor, students will apply their language skills in an approved work situation and each internship will be specifically designed in accordance with the student's linguistic level and the job requirements. These internships can take place at the local, regional, national or international level, and they are designed to give students the opportunity to use their language in practical work situations.

Basic Requirements

Selection and Placement Process: Students must have completed nine (9) credits at the 300 level and they must submit an application and write a short essay on the reasons and goals for the internship. In addition, students will be given a short interview in the target language in which they will answer several questions relating to the internship. The interview will last approximately 15 minutes. After a student is selected and he/she chooses a site, an orientation visit will be made to the site before the student actually starts in January. During this orientation visit, the student, accompanied by a faculty member, will meet the staff and the field supervisor, decide on a work schedule, review the general job requirements and clear up any other matters. Students must realize that the actual work may differ somewhat from day to day because of changing needs. For example, a student might spend more time answering the phone, making return calls, working on a translation project, helping to fill out forms, or other duties. Every translation project will be checked and corrected by the faculty member in charge of the program and/or language.

Evaluation Process

Students will be required to keep a weekly log of their activities, a copy of any translation project, to obtain evaluation letters from the field supervisor and any other persons with whom students work, and write a paper in the target language about their experience, discussing such topics as work environment, problems, achievements, suggestions for improving the internship, and how they think the internship has contributed to their career goals. During the semester the faculty will make a series of announced site visits, talk to the student, the supervisor and resolve any problems which may arise. In addition, all the interns will meet periodically with the faculty supervisor to evaluate the situation, discuss problems, share information and other experiences which may be mutually beneficial. The student's final grade will be determined by the overall performance record and the paper written by each student.

For more information email Dr. Kathryn Murphy-Judy (kmurphyj@vcu.edu) or call her at 828-2200.