From Kazakhstan to California to Montenegro, Students Are Making a Difference Around the World

In the United States, practicum internship students are working with organizations as close as Monterey, California, and as far away as Washington, D.C. We also have several students working abroad in China, Costa Rica, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Japan, Montenegro, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Students in our translation practicum are translating content ranging from best-selling novels to narratives produced by a video game character. 

The following courses provide students with applied, hands-on learning that connects their academic training with their professional fields of interest. 

The Professional Service Semester

The Professional Service Semester (PSS) is an experience designed for students in the Environmental Policy and Management and Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies programs. The PSS experience allows students to apply skills and knowledge gained through their prior coursework in a professional setting. These experiential learning courses serve as stepping stones to their future careers. 

International Education Management and Joint MPA/International Education Management Practicum

The International Education Management (IEM) and joint MPA/International Education Management practicum is focused on gaining practical experience and advanced management skills for students entering the career of international education. 

International Policy and Development, MPA, and International Trade Practicum 

Starting in May 2023, the Master in Public Administration (MPA), MA in International Policy and Development (IPD), and MA in International Trade (ITED) degrees combined all practicum course options within one course. Students can select to complete a work project for an organization where they are completing a job or internship, a client project for a partner organization, or independent academic research that is published in an academic journal or self-published through Middlebury digital platforms. 

Below is a list of current participants for both programs, their organizations, and their locations: 

TESOL and Teaching Foreign Language Practicum 

TESOL and Teaching Foreign Language (TFL) students are combining reflective practice and professional development in preparation for careers in language education.

Below is a list of current participants for both programs and their projects:

Translation and Localization Management Practicum

The Translation and Localization Management (TLM) program offers hands-on experience through Localization practicum, which is a core class both in the fall and the spring semesters for second-year students. The fall TLM Practicum is divided into 2 sections (A and B), run by different professors.

Section A, led by Professor Martins, is designed for people who prefer to work on existing student-run projects, such as the student-led magazine, podcast, mentorship program, school outreach, etc., or create and run their own special project. Students can also design and complete their own localization-related research project, participate in an internship in a real-world company, or work for a nonprofit organization such as Women in Localization or The Globalization and Localization Association (GALA). The projects and internships all have a learning component, and students are expected to share their experiences with each other to foster knowledge sharing.

Below is a list of current projects for Localization Practicum Section A:

Section B led by Professor Klaudinyova is run in conjunction with a fall Program Management class. TLM students are paired with industry mentors to design strategies for different localization programs. Students work with senior localization professionals and explore the real world of multinational companies expanding into international markets (for buyer-side programs) or the ins and outs of the work of Localization Service Providers (LSPs)—who are the localization agencies supporting buyers, executing the work and enabling the global expansion.

Translation Practicum

The Translation Practicum is a project-based course. Each student must translate at least 5000 words of a book, publication, etc. of their choice, with the exception of the students who work as interns for Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, a public policy think tank. They, too, must submit at least 5000 words of translation. In addition to the translation, each student must submit a glossary of at least 50 unique words or expressions (not found in common dictionaries) and a diary, tracking their work (difficulties, solutions, pitfalls, etc.). Students could select a piece that they have always wanted to translate.

Below is a list of current participants and their projects: