Languages & Literatures Internships

An internship with the Department of Languages and Literatures – Spanish concentration (SPAN 401) gives the student a part or full-time experience in the practical environment of an organization or company that serves their local, Spanish-speaking communities. The internship is developed in collaboration with a Department of Languages and Literatures internship director, the on-site supervisor and the student. It is carefully designed to meet the student’s academic, professional and/or personal needs and area(s) of interest. Completing an internship during ones’ undergraduate studies demonstrates a seriousness of commitment and can play a powerful role in the student’s college experience. In many cases, it has led to future professional and academic opportunities. Students in our Department have worked in areas of health and wellness, food resources, English and Spanish language teaching for adults and children, journalism, marketing, event planning, translation and interpretation, immigration law, medicine, YMCA and other summer camp planning and leadership, and community outreach/services in areas such as domestic abuse, housing and legal matters.

The specific student learning outcomes for the internship are to:

1. apply knowledge, information, techniques, and theories from major program courses to an experiential learning context,
2. reflect critically on the impact of experiential learning on the student’s personal, academic and professional development,
3. gain professional skills in an “on-the-job” setting while continuing to learn and integrate university program knowledge with the internship context,
4. communicate the experience through appropriate and timely prepared written and verbal expression to other interns, on-site supervisors, and faculty supervisors,
5. demonstrate time-management and self-motivated independent learning skills, and
6. present oneself in a professional manner by communicating through grammatically correct written form, appropriate verbal and digital communication, physical appearance, and timely presented documentation.

If you are interested in learning more about internship opportunities with the Department of Languages and Literatures – Spanish Concentration, please contact Dr. Michelle Bettencourt at mbettenc@unca.edu or 828.251.6282. Note that internships are offered only during summer sessions and offer 1-4 credit hours.