社会实践 How do you say it in English?

[Kenny同志]

It is a term specifically used on a student. When he conducts his 社会实践 he takes up a part-time paying job or volunteers in something in the summer or winter vacation so as to sample off-campus life. So is there any equivalent in English to this term? Many thanks in advance.

[anonymoose]

Well, I don't think there's a standard literal translation, but usually we'd say something like "work experience" or "internship".

[Kenny同志]

Thanks, Anonymoose. Do you still call it “internship” even when the 实践 is irrelevant to your major?

PS:We do 社会实践 throughout the university years in vacations.

[jbradfor]

I would call it "internship" (or "coop") if it's related to your major (paid or unpaid), "volunteering" if it's not related to your major and unpaid, and "working" if it's not related to your major and paid.

[skylee]

Yes it is internship. In my old office, we had summer interns and spring interns from universities. But we don't use the term 社會實踐. Those interns were simply 實習生.

This university in HK runs a pretty good programme called WIE, which is mandatory. Take a look (English only) -> http://www.polyu.edu...index.php?id=75 Many useful terms in there.

PS - for volunteering perhaps you could use community services or simply volunteering.

[Kenny同志]

Thank you all. But well, I think the term is in some way different from “internship”. For instance, if I spend my summer vacation tutoring somebody, it is still called 社会实践. I am looking for a translation that would fit into the range the term covers.

[jbradfor]

"Summer Job" might be the closest.

[Typically here, our winter breaks are much shorter, about 2-4 weeks, while summer break is 2-3 months, so we don't usually talk about "winter jobs".]

[renzhe]

I don't think that there is a term which corresponds perfectly for the full range of meanings.

Internship implies that learning about real-life work and getting hands-on experience is your primary focus, and they are usually short ( a few months), and less paid than a proper job. Tutoring somebody during the summer vacation is a summer job or a side job.

I think that "gathering work experience" is a possible translation for what you need.

[gato]

"Work experience" probably fits the best.

[abcdefg]

I am looking for a translation that would fit into the range the term covers.

If I were helping a young Chinese person with his application for admission to the postgraduate program at an American university or for scholarship funding there and wanted to help him convince the university authorities of his merit, I would make it clear to them that he not only studied hard and made good grades, but that he made constructive use of his free time as well.

For example, in his recommendation letter I might say something like:

“During summer holidays and winter break, Zhang Dong committed himself to worthwhile social practice activities with the same diligence and zeal he spent on his academic duties, tutoring underprivileged village kids in English, science and math.”

I think in this context, “social practice activities” is what you mean by 社会实践。

[creamyhorror]

The issue is that the meanings that 社会实践 encompasses aren't covered by a single English term; English speakers wouldn't group the activities under a single term. We usually think of volunteering/community service as quite distinct from internships; they're two different kinds of "experience", not a single one like 社会实践.

("work or volunteering experience", "non-academic/societal exposure"?)

[abcdefg]

I agree with you @creamyhorror. In re-reading my post now, I don't really think it was helpful.

[Kenny同志]

谢谢大家这么热心帮忙，虽然没找到一个完美的译法，但里面也有不少说法可以灵活采用。

Many thanks to all of you. Though we have not found a perfect translation, we have got some that might fit in certain contexts.

再次谢谢同志们。