Mediation: explaining a German careers week to English parents
A Hamburg Gymnasium is planning an exchange with a sixth-form college in Bristol. The German coordinator, Frau Petersen, sends an email about the 'Berufsorientierungswoche' for Jahrgang 11. It says: 'Die Woche findet vom 3. bis 7. Juni statt. Ihre Schülerinnen und Schüler können teilnehmen, wenn sie bis zum 15. März ein kurzes Motivationsschreiben einreichen. Die Plätze sind auf 12 begrenzt. Ein Praktikum im Sinne einer dualen Ausbildung ist nicht Teil des Programms; es handelt sich um Betriebserkundungen und Bewerbungstraining. Für die Unterkunft in Gastfamilien fällt ein Beitrag von 60 Euro an; die Versicherung übernimmt die Schule.' The English teacher, Mr Clarke, asks you to mediate the essential points into English in an email to parents. You have 20 minutes and about 120 words. A classmate suggests translating 'duale Ausbildung' as 'dual education' without explanation and rendering 'Praktikum' as 'internship'.
1. Draft the English mediation (about 120 words) and explain two translation choices.
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Dear parents, I am writing to inform you about the careers week at our partner school in Hamburg. It will take place from 3 to 7 June for Year 11 students. Your child may take part if they submit a short letter of motivation by 15 March. There are only 12 places. Please note that the programme does not include a work placement as part of the German dual vocational training system; instead, students will visit companies and practise job-application skills. Accommodation with host families costs 60 euros; the school provides insurance. Kind regards, [Name]
Two choices: (1) 'Berufsorientierungswoche' becomes 'careers week' rather than a literal 'vocational orientation week', because the target reader needs the function, not the German compound. (2) 'duale Ausbildung' is glossed as 'the German dual vocational training system' because English parents are unlikely to know that it combines company training with vocational school. The negative clarification is retained because it prevents a false expectation about an internship.
2. A classmate suggests 'dual education' without explanation and 'internship' for 'Praktikum'. Evaluate both choices.
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Both are risky. 'Dual education' is a calque that English readers may associate with two-school systems or special needs education; the German concept is a company apprenticeship combined with vocational school. Since the email's purpose is to tell parents what the week is not, an unexplained term fails the mediation. 'Internship' suggests a longer, often paid or degree-related placement, typically one person in a company; here the programme is short careers exploration with company visits. 'Work placement' or 'taster days' plus a gloss is more accurate. Mediation is not lexical equivalence; it is enabling the target reader to act on the information. A brief explanatory phrase costs three or four words and prevents a costly misunderstanding.
3. Which details must not be omitted, and which can be compressed?
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Must keep: dates (3–7 June), deadline (15 March), participation condition (short letter of motivation), cap (12 places), cost (60 euros), insurance (school covers), and the clarification that no dual-system placement is included. These are decision-relevant for parents. Can compress: the formal opening and the exact German title; 'Jahrgang 11' can remain 'Year 11' without conversion; 'Bewerbungstraining' can be 'application training' or folded into 'careers activities'. Do not omit the negative clarification - it prevents a false expectation. In mediation, omission is a judgement about function: if a detail changes a parent's decision or understanding, keep it; if it only decorates the message, cut it.