Translation Internship 3200-M1-0PRAT

Students undertake an internship in companies/institutions of their own choice, in accordance with the profile of their field of study and within the number of didactic hours stipulated in the curriculum. Students may also use the proposals presented by the internship coordinator, or the electronic database created by the University’s Careers Office, available on its website: https://biurokarier.uw.edu.pl.

The internship may take place in Poland or abroad, including participation in European Union and foreign exchange programmes addressed to students. The obligatory accident insurance provided by the University of Warsaw for the duration of the internship covers Poland and all European countries, not only EU-member countries. Students willing to undertake an internship outside Europe must insure themselves on their own.

After contacting a translation agency/institution/organisation interested in having the student as an intern and after making the necessary arrangements regarding the dates, the student downloads the template of the Tripartite translation internship agreement from Kampus internship website (ILS) (https://kampus-student2.ckc.uw.edu.pl/course/view.php?id=14742) /
IKSI website (internship tab), and fills it in according to the arrangements with the host institution.

The student fills in the template of the tripartite translation internship agreement according to the Procedure of referring students to
translation internship. The form should be filled in with care to ensure the correctness and completeness of data.
The student subsequently presents the completed agreement to the coordinator for approval, no later than two weeks before the intended
start of the internship. The coordinator checks if the form contains all the necessary data, accepts the agreement, and prepares it to be
signed by the dean of the Faculty of Applied Linguistics. The tripartite agreement must be signed by all parties before the internship begins.

The student must contact the coordinator in advance (no later than two weeks before the starting date of the internship), because the agreement must
be checked by the coordinator, signed by all parties and the student needs to be registered for the obligatory accident insurance provided by the University of Warsaw.

The student receives credit for completing the internship (entered into the USOS system’s protocol) after submitting to the coordinator the
"Internship completion certificate" and "Internship evaluation sheet", filled in, signed and stamped by the host institution. Both documents can be
downloaded from Kampus internship website (https://kampus-student2.ckc.uw.edu.pl/course/view.php?id=14742) / IKSI website.

Translation contracts ('umowa-zlecenie') cannot be the basis for obtaining a credit for translation internship.

The student can apply for internship credit on the basis of their own translation output if the work translated by the student has been published with the translator's first and last names mentioned in the publication.

The main purposes of the internship are:
• to extend knowledge gained at university and learn how to implement it in practice;
• to become familiar with the specific character of the working environment;
• to shape specific professional skills, directly related to the character of the host institution;
• to improve communication skills in the workplace;
• to be acquainted with the structure of the institution, workflow, allocation of responsibilities, procedures, quality assessment;
• to improve skills necessary for individual and team work, effective time management, conscientiousness, responsibility;
• to improve translation and/or interpreting skills.

Term 2026:

Duration of the internship:
The internship lasts four weeks. In total, during the academic year, students are required to complete 120/90 hours of internship work — a number of hours adjusted to current market requirements. The internship concerns language B or languages B and C, with at least half of the required hours (60/45 hours) devoted to language B. Internships are usually carried out during the summer months. Other arrangements are possible provided they are agreed in advance with the coordinator of translation internships for the program and do not conflict with the student’s other obligations (classes or examinations).
Place of internship:
Internships may be completed in public institutions, non-governmental organizations, private companies whose activities involve the use of translation services, as well as in businesses specializing in the provision of translation services (translation offices/agencies).
Rules for assigning students to internships:
Students independently choose and submit their proposed internship placement to the internship coordinator. An agreement specifying the terms and conditions of the internship is signed on behalf of the university and the institution accepting students for internships. The university internship coordinator remains in contact with the institutions where students complete their internships.
Form of the internship:
As part of the internship, students may observe practicing translators, perform translation-related tasks assigned by them (such as preparing glossaries or conducting subject-matter research), or carry out translation tasks within a specified scope. Students may perform designated tasks in cooperation with translators, under their supervision, or independently.

Course coordinators

Term 2025:

Anna Fornalczyk-Lipska
Anna Janus
Grzegorz Kowalski
Marta Sylwanowicz
Weronika Sztorc

Term 2026:

Grzegorz Kowalski
Marta Sylwanowicz
Weronika Sztorc

Type of course

obligatory courses

Mode

Field classes
Remote learning

Prerequisites (description)

The curriculum of full-time MA studies at the Faculty of Applied Linguistics at the University of Warsaw includes an obligatory translation internship for MA students in their first year. Before starting the internship, the student should read the Procedure of referring students to translation internship, available on the Kampus website for internship (https://moodle.ils.uw.edu.pl/course/view.php?id=300) / IKSI website (internship tab). Students may choose in which combination of their A, B and C languages they wish to work (please note: an internship undertaken entirely in languages A and C requires the coordinator’s prior consent). Duration of internship is 120 lesson hours = 90 clock hours. Weekly workload must not exceed 40 clock hours and daily workload must not exceed 8 clock hours. The internship should take place during the summer holidays, but other arrangements are possible if previously agreed with the ILS / IKSI translation internship coordinators. These arrangements must not interfere with the student's core learning duties (classes or examinations).

Learning outcomes

KNOWLEDGE
The student:
K_W01: has advanced knowledge of the complex structure of language as a system.
K_W09: has advanced knowledge of the relationships between linguistics and other fields of science.
K_W13: has advanced knowledge of the fundamental principles of creating and developing various forms of entrepreneurship in the translation market.
SKILLS
The student:
K_U03: is able to search for, analyze, evaluate, and select information in their native language and in foreign languages.
K_U04: is able to use advanced linguistic research tools and select research methods appropriate to the problems being addressed.
K_U07: is able to use language B at the C2 level and language C at the C1 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
K_U08: is able to cooperate and work in a group, assuming the role of a linguistic mediator.
K_U09: is able to independently acquire knowledge in the field of linguistics and assess the usefulness of the methods, practices, and procedures learned in their own professional activity.
K_U10: is able to independently plan and pursue their own learning using their knowledge of foreign languages.
K_U11: is able to cooperate with representatives of linguistic and cultural communities.
K_U12: is able to independently acquire knowledge in the field of literary studies and assess the usefulness of the methods, practices, and procedures learned in their own professional activity.
SOCIAL COMPETENCES
The student is prepared to:
K_K02: appropriately identify and resolve problems of interlingual and intercultural communication.
K_K03: participate continuously and actively in cultural life using traditional and modern forms and means of communication.
K_K04: perform the profession of a linguistic mediator in accordance with the principles of professional ethics.
K_K05: recognize the importance of knowledge in solving cognitive and practical problems and seek expert opinions when necessary.
K_K06: apply scientifically grounded criteria for evaluating different types of translation.

Assessment criteria

Credit is given on the basis of either the

internship completion certificate or existing translation work approved by the Coordinator.

Practical placement

YES

Bibliography

References can be recommended by the internship supervisor in the host institution if necessary in relation to the character of the translations performed by the student.