GJU student Aya Bashiti successfully completed an internship with our official partner SprachUnion as part of her year in Germany from April to November 2024. In her own words, she talks about how her internship gave her the environment she needed to surpass herself. This text was originally published by SprachUnion.
My internship abroad: How I grew between homesickness and new challenges
My name is Aya Bashiti, I come from Jordan and completed a mandatory internship in Chemnitz as part of my studies. Before moving to Chemnitz, I was at Johannes Gutenberg University in Germersheim, where I lived with my best friend. The days there were like a little paradise, we laughed, cooked together, learned a bit and spent every free minute together. As a result, I didn't feel homesick.
Home in the office
But then I moved to Chemnitz for my internship at SprachUnion. The city was strange and suddenly I felt incredibly alone. But I soon discovered that my workplace at SprachUnion It was the only place where I felt really comfortable. Here I found people who distracted me and helped me forget the loneliness of my empty apartment. Over time, the friendly team became my small family and it was as if my new home was no longer my room but my desk at work.
Working at SprachUnion
My internship began in April 2024 and lasted until September 2024, working in various fields; translation, proofreading, preparation of language courses and customer support. The familiarization with new software such as Projetex or SDL Trados Studio was particularly exciting. Despite initial challenges, thanks to the help of my colleagues Learn quickly.
A translation project in which I translated an app to reduce CO2 emissions from English into Arabic was particularly exciting. In doing so, I learned how to use Trados translation management software and deepened my knowledge of environmental terminology. I also received valuable feedback, which helped me to further improve my skills.
Editing a brochure that was translated from German to Arabic was another interesting project for me.
In addition, preparing language courses was an important part of my job. I created folders for the participants and prepared certificates, which I enjoyed and rounded off my tasks.
Overall, my internship at SprachUnion was a valuable experience. I've learned a lot and expanded my skills.
Linguistic and professional challenges
The biggest challenge was adapting to the Saxon dialect. Even though my Standard German was good, the local dialect was difficult for me to understand at first. But with the patience and support of my colleagues, that also got better and better.
Another adventure was getting used to doing lots of tasks at the same time. As a perfectionist, I usually spent a lot of time on each individual task. It was almost as if I wanted to turn every project into a small masterpiece. But over time, I learned that work isn't always about perfection. Today I can say with a smile that although I still like to do my best, I don't spend more hours trying to make sure that every line of text is perfectly aligned. Sometimes you just have to accept that “good enough” is also very good!
My conclusion
The internship at SprachUnion was a valuable experience for me. Not only was I able to expand my professional knowledge, but I was also able to grow personally.
My studies at university taught me the basics of translation theory, terminology management and general communication strategies. At SprachUnion, I was able to apply these theories directly. This practical experience has shown me how varied the work is. I have also developed important skills in time management, teamwork and customer communication.
I am very grateful for this time and can give anyone who wants to work in the field of translation a Internship at SprachUnion recommend!
