ADVANCED SKILLS & TRAINING DAY

Advanced Skills and Training (AST) Day takes place Wednesday, October 25. This “conference-before-the-conference,” will provide specialized education and networking opportunities.

Intensive & Interactive

AST Day offers a selection of three-hour courses, specifically chosen to provide intensive, interactive instruction from highly-acclaimed speakers.

ATA-certified translators may earn 3 CEPs for each course attended. Certified interpreters may earn continuing education credit. Learn more

Separate registration is required. AST Courses are available only for 3-Day registrants. See each course description for registration information and cancellation policy.

NOTE: Due to scheduling conflicts, you cannot register for AST Day courses if you are also registered for T&I Advocacy Day.

Space is Limited

AST courses will have limited seating to ensure the individual attention needed for an optimal learning experience.

Networking Opportunity

AST course includes an individual break, exclusively for the attendees and speakers of that course. Attendees will enjoy focused and effective networking.

GET CONNECTED

by using #ata58

Don’t wait until October. Join the conversation now by using #ata58!

GET BOOKED

at the Washington Hilton

Discounted rates are available until October 4 or as space allows.

GET A GLIMPSE

of ATA58 in DC

See photos, videos, and what attendees say about their experience!

AST-1
The Digital Interpreter™: Tablets and Pens

Improve your interpreting skills and performance with the wealth of digital technologies now available. From apps for smartphones to smartpens for hybrid simultaneous-consecutive interpreting (Sim-Consec™), you will learn how to make the best use of these technologies and find out about their practical implications for conference, court, medical, and community settings. Smartpens will be available for use.

Click to read the full course description
Digital technologies offer interpreters a wealth of options for improving skills and performance, ranging from apps for smartphones and tablets to smartpens for hybrid simultaneous-consecutive interpreting (Sim-Consec). This session will introduce you to these technological wonders and discuss their practical implications for interpreters and their varied working environments, such as conference, court, medical, and community settings. Whether you are barely getting started with some of these devices or have been using them for a while, you will come away with some fresh ideas on how to make the best use of these technologies.

The instructor will provide smartpens for attendees to use during practice exercises.

  • Limited to 24 participants
  • Language-Neutral; Intermediate/Advanced
  • Earn 3.0 ATA CEPs
  • To be submitted for Certified Interpreter CEs

  • Wednesday, October 25, 8:30am-12:00pm
  • Networking Break, 10:00am-10:30am
  • Course fee: $150; Register Today!
  • Cancellation Policy: Refunds will not be issued after October 6

navarrohall

Esther M. Navarro-Hall, CT, is an adjunct professor at MIIS and the creator of the Sim-Consec method. She is a certified court and medical interpreter, and an ATA-certified translator.

"The most rewarding three hours I have ever spent. This workshop was full of discovery, challenge, and excitement.”

AST-2 - THIS COURSE IS FULL!
Long Consecutive Bootcamp: An Applied Skills Workshop for Interpreters

Get the skills you need to competently and comfortably provide consecutive interpreting of longer segments. This intensive workshop—for interpreters of all levels—explores the challenges and strategies for providing “long consec” with confidence. Take part in guided exercises to improve your active listening, visualization, memory and recall, integrated note-taking, public speaking, self-monitoring, and more.

Click to read the full course description
Interpreters are commonly expected to provide consecutive interpreting of long segments of discourse. This intensive, language-neutral workshop offers both novice and experienced interpreters the opportunity to review and enhance the multi-tasking skills needed to competently and comfortably provide consecutive interpreting of longer segments. The workshop, presented in English, will first explore the challenges associated with the key skills needed for “long consec.” These skills include attention, active listening, source text analysis, visualization, memory and recall, integrated note-taking, public speaking, and self-monitoring.

The instructors will then support participants through guided exercises as they experiment with new strategies and apply their skills to longer segments. At the end of the workshop, participants will reflect on what they have learned and outline the steps they will take to maintain and enhance their skills and confidence. Interpreters of any language combination and any level of experience–actively wishing to revitalize their interpreting skills–are encouraged to attend.

  • Limited to 25 participants
  • Language-Neutral; All Levels
  • Earn 3.0 ATA CEPs
  • To be submitted for Certified Interpreter CEs

  • Wednesday, October 25, 8:30am-12:00pm
  • Networking Break, 10:00am-10:30am
  • Course fee: $150; This course is full!
  • Cancellation Policy: Refunds will not be issued after October 6

burian

Laura Burian,
professor at MIIS since 2000, shares her interpreting expertise gained in conference and diplomatic settings.

harmer

Jacolyn Harmer, professor at MIIS since 1985, actively contributes to interpreting training programs worldwide.

“Offered a wealth of important information and lots of great ways to practice with my fellow interpreters at home.”

AST-3 - THIS COURSE IS FULL!
AI, NMT, and Me: Thriving in the Age of Artificial Intelligence and Neural Machine Translation

Artificial Intelligence and Neural Networks are beginning to have a profound effect on our industry. Do you have the skills that will soon be in demand? Through hands-on activities and guided discussions, you will learn what these technologies are and how they will likely continue to change our industry. You will gain strategies to develop the skills you’ll need to thrive in our rapidly changing world.

Click to read the full course description
Artificial Intelligence and Neural Networks are beginning to have a profound effect on many industries, and ours is no exception. The question isn’t whether these technologies will have a bearing on the day-to-day work of translators and interpreters, but instead how you, as a language professional, are going to react to these profound changes. This training session will give you an overview of what these technologies are and how they are already changing and will likely continue to change the industry. The instructor will provide ideas and strategies for developing the skills that will allow you to not only remain relevant but even thrive in our rapidly changing world.

Through presentations, hands-on activities, and guided discussions, you will be introduced to machine learning, AI, neural networks, Neural Machine Translation, post-editing, adaptive MT, and automated translation workflow systems. You will also learn about the skills that our industry will demand from those willing to add value to technology while also being willing to have technology augment their abilities, even those that were once thought beyond the reach of computers.

Attendees are expected to complete the prerequisite readings that will be distributed in the weeks preceding the session.

  • Limited to 30 participants
  • Language-Neutral; All Levels
  • Earn 3.0 ATA CEPs
  • Attendees are required to bring laptop with Internet browser

  • Wednesday, October 25, 8:30am-12:00pm
  • Networking Break, 10:00am-10:30am
  • Course fee: $150; This course is full!
  • Cancellation Policy: Refunds will not be issued after October 6

marciano

Jay Marciano, director of machine translation at Lionbridge Technologies, serves on the board of the Association for Machine Translation in the Americas. While at SDL, he was responsible for the development of natural language processing software.

"Jay delivers an intellectually stimulating and insightful foray into the impact of AI and what to expect in the future.”

AST-4
Translation Magician Tips and Tricks Workshop

This high-powered workshop is for translators who want to make their lives easier and dare to diversify the scope of their services. Using practical examples from real-world scenarios, the instructor offers selective tips and tricks that will open new horizons and make tedious tasks easy to handle. Topics include increasing productivity, innovative approaches for handling PDFs, using regex, termbase automation, working with XML files, disaster recover planning for translators, and much more.

Click to read the full course description
This high-powered workshop is for translators who want to make their lives easier and dare to diversify the scope of their services. Using practical examples from real-world scenarios, the instructor offers selective tips and tricks that will open new horizons and make tedious tasks easy to handle.

The topics to be discussed will include:

  • Intermediate/advanced tricks for SDL Studio (complicated case studies will be made easy with magical solutions and video demos)
  • File management and office processes
  • Building your offline monolingual and bilingual corpora from available resources, with or without CAT tools integration
  • Regex: The Future! (Practical examples and case studies)
  • Enhancing predictive input layers and autosuggest mechanisms (tools, tips, and case studies)
  • Audio transcription: CAT tool integration (audio transcription redefined case study)
  • Subtitling: CAT tool integration (subtitling redefined case study)
  • The PDF syndrome (newer approaches and advanced techniques to handling complex PDF files in relation with CAT tools).

Topics include:

    • Innovative approach to translating complex PDF files.
    • Different methods used to clean up the PDF conversion mess.
    • Effective ways to extract PDF text.
    • Mastering the review/proofreading process in PDF platform, including Commenting – stamps, sticky notes, signatures, highlights, etc.
    • Performing last minute edits prior to printing.
    • Understanding PDF printing standards, in case a client asks for a print ready PDF (including crop marks, bleed marks, etc.).
    • Disaster recovery tips for password protected files
    • “Saving-the-day” techniques with a client facing problems reading a printed PDF translation due to language support or font issues
    • Understanding redaction and maintaining privacy when sending PDF files
    • Effective ways to sign NDAs and other PDF documentation electronically
    • Effective ways to comparing PDF files and to quickly work on an updated PDF file
    • OCRing technique and making corrections on the fly where the OCR has misinterpreted words
    • Last minute addition of hyperlinks and bookmarks to a print ready PDF, without having to go back to the underlying originating file
  • Productivity and automation (many examples taken from complex projects and difficult translation requests)
  • Working with input models
  • Advanced search of termbases
  • File type handling and guidance to create your own when needed
  • Enhancing your TM search experience
  • Handling XML files using an advanced approach
  • Introduction to custom quality assurance rules
  • Disaster recovery planning: Everything a translator needs to know to be prepared against computer disasters and loss of data.

Topics include:

    • Effective ways to create a full system image that can be restored in minutes
    • Techniques for creating full and incremental data backups
    • Proactive methods for protecting your machines from sudden failures
    • How to use external media to save and restore your data
    • Building portable versions of your registered software to use them anywhere when needed
    • The benefits and the hazards of cloud-based backups

  • Limited to 30 participants
  • Language-Neutral; Intermediate/Advanced
  • Earn 3.0 ATA CEPs

  • Wednesday, October 25, 8:30am-12:00pm
  • Networking Break, 10:00am-10:30am
  • Course fee: $150; Register Today!
  • Cancellation Policy: Refunds will not be issued after October 6

sameh8

Sameh Ragab, an ISO 17100 lead auditor and certified translation services provider, is a registered translation vendor with the United Nations and World Bank. He has over 25 years of expertise in the translation industry.

"This session alone was worth what I paid for the entire conference. The best and most useful session I attended.”

AST-5
Build a WordPress Website for Your Translation Business

Learn the ins and outs of building a beautiful website for your translation business using WordPress. In this hands-on workshop, the instructor will walk you step-by-step through the process of how to select a theme, build pages, set up a navigation menu, add images, and include really cool features using free plugins. You will leave with a basic, but fully functioning website. You will receive instructions for installing WordPress and creating a domain name. No programming or website experience is required.

Click to read the full course description
Learn the ins and outs of building a beautiful website for your translation business using WordPress. WordPress is a free and open-source platform for building websites and blogs. During this hands-on workshop, participants will be introduced to the WordPress platform. The instructor will walk them through the process of building a website step-by-step. Participants will learn how to select a theme, build pages, set up a navigation menu, add images, and include really cool features using free plugins.

The goal of the workshop is to have all participants leave with a basic, but fully functioning website in place. It is required that participants bring their own laptops, have a domain name, and have WordPress already installed. Instructions on how to create a domain name and install WordPress will be provided in advance.

This is an introductory workshop but will answer more advanced questions, if needed. No experience with WordPress or any programming or special skills are required.

  • Limited to 25 participants
  • Language-Neutral; Beginner
  • Earn 3.0 ATA CEPs
  • Attendees are required to bring a laptop

  • Wednesday, October 25, 8:30am-12:00pm
  • Networking Break, 10:00am-10:30am
  • Course fee: $150; Register Today!
  • Cancellation Policy: Refunds will not be issued after October 6

molenaar

Mery Molenaar, CT, has been the webmaster for the Colorado Translators Association since 2011 and is also the webmaster for the ATA Science & Technology and Dutch Language Divisions.

"I found Mery’s WordPress training useful and practical. She clearly knows what she’s talking about.”

AST-6
Putting the Zing Back into Marketing Materials

When translating marketing materials, you’ve got to be both translator and copywriter in order to deliver compelling and persuasive content. Using English translations from various languages that sound stilted and awkward, we’ll work together to identify what doesn’t work and how to transform it to create effective copy. Along the way, you’ll pick up tips and strategies for putting the zing back into your marketing translations.

Click to read the full course description
When translating marketing materials, you’ve got to be both translator and copywriter in order to deliver compelling and persuasive content. Many translators are fine at the translation part, but fall flat when adding the copywriter’s touch. 

In this course, we’ll take a look at translations that don’t make the grade and see how we can improve them. They’ll be from various languages, but they’ll all have one thing in common: the English sounds stilted, awkward, or incorrect and, as a result, the copy just doesn’t do the job it was intended to do. As we work together to identify what’s wrong and how to correct it, you’ll pick up tips, strategies, and pointers for putting the zing back in your marketing translations.

    • Limited to 25 participants
    • Language-Neutral; All Levels
    • Earn 3.0 ATA CEPs

  • Wednesday, October 25, 8:30am-12:00pm
  • Networking Break, 10:00am-10:30am
  • Course fee: $150; Register Today!
  • Cancellation Policy: Refunds will not be issued after October 6

grant

Grant Hamilton owns and manages an agency that works with advertising agencies, leading retailers, publishers, and the tourism industry. Past attendees say he offers interactive and thought-provoking sessions that always provide inspiration to become better writers.
Follow Grant @anglais

"He made this session dynamic and interactive! I got a lot of valuable information from it! More please!”

AST-7
Preparing for the ATA English>Spanish Certification Exam

ATA-certified translators stand out in their profession. With a 20% pass rate, the ATA Certification Exam can be challenging even for those with experience. This workshop will prepare you for that challenge! Once registered, you will receive an ATA Practice Test ($80-$120 value) to translate and return by September 15. If your translation is received by the deadline, the speakers will review it so they may target the errors to analyze during this workshop. Errors used will remain anonymous.

Click to read the full course description
Many candidates who fail the ATA Certification Exam are surprised and wonder how–after so many years of experience–they are still unable to pass it. This workshop will help attendees understand how the exam is graded and what are the common errors that candidates make. The presenters will show examples from real-life practice tests to demonstrate common pitfalls, and will provide tips to avoid them.

In order to develop and tailor this course, attendees will be given a sample practice test to translate and return by September 15. Practice test translations received by September 15 will be reviewed in order to target the common–and not so common–errors. Errors used during this course will be kept completely anonymous.

  • Limited to 20 participants
  • Spanish Required; All Levels
  • Earn 3.0 ATA CEPs
  • Cancellation Policy: Refunds will not be issued once Practice Test is sent to attendee

  • Wednesday, October 25, 8:30am-12:00pm
  • Networking Break, 10:00am-10:30am
  • Course fee: $200; Register Today!

heller

Rudy Heller, CT, has been an ATA English>Spanish Exam grader for over 12 years, as well as a professional translator for over 40 years.

Izaskun Orkwis, CT, is ATA-certified English>Spanish and Spanish>English, and a certified sworn translator appointed by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

mansilla

Diego Mansilla, CT, is an ATA-certified translator English>Spanish and an English>Spanish exam grader.
Follow Diego @TodoTranslation

“The course gave excellent insight into what is required to pass the exam. Very informative and truly useful.”

AST-8 - THIS COURSE IS FULL!
Rethinking Your Simultaneous Interpreting Delivery 2.0

Simultaneous interpreting is a complex and challenging skill. Even after we’ve mastered listening, processing, speaking, and monitoring output, the skill we most often neglect is arguably one of the most important—our delivery. While you might achieve 100% accuracy, you might be driving your listeners crazy with your monotone, choppy, or hesitant delivery. Join us for this practice-intensive workshop full of practical tips and eye-opening exercises. Portable FM equipment will be used.

Click to read the full course description
We all know that simultaneous interpreting is a complex and challenging skill to learn. Even when we’ve mastered listening, processing, speaking, and monitoring output all at the same time, the skill we most often neglect is arguably one of the most important—our delivery. As far as those listening are concerned, what goes into their ear is all matters. You might achieve 100% accuracy but drive your listeners crazy with a monotone, choppy, hesitant, or uneven delivery.

If you are working to improve your simultaneous interpreting, be sure to join us for this practice-intensive, three-hour workshop full of practical tips and eye-opening exercises to help you improve your delivery. You will also get to practice using portable FM equipment.

You will leave this workshop knowing:

  • What audiences truly value when listening to interpreting
  • The finer points of microphone management
  • Practical strategies to provide a smooth delivery when dealing with different types of speakers
  • How to assess your own delivery and improve it

  • Limited to 20 participants
  • Language-Neutral; All Levels
  • Earn 3.0 ATA CEPs
  • To be submitted for Court-Certified Interpreter CEs

  • Wednesday, October 25, 1:00pm-4:30pm
  • Networking Break, 2:30pm-3:00pm
  • Course fee: $150; This course is full!
  • Cancellation Policy: Refunds will not be issued after October 6

olsen

Barry Olsen, co-founder of InterpretAmerica and associate professor at MIIS, is a veteran conference interpreter with over two decades of experience. Past attendees say he’s a fountain of cutting edge information, and an effective and positive instructor.
Follow Barry @ProfessorOlsen

"He made this session dynamic and interactive! I got a lot of valuable information from it! More please!”

AST-9
Improve Your Consecutive Note-taking for Dialog Interpreting

To fully master consecutive interpreting, consecutive note-taking is essential. This highly interactive workshop adapts Rozan’s classic note-taking method for long consecutive to meet the needs of dialog interpreting required in legal, medical, and other settings. Improve your note-taking and symbols development skills, and have fun doing it! You will also learn straightforward, concrete strategies for continuing to improve your skills.

Click to read the full course description
Consecutive note-taking is an essential part of fully mastering consecutive interpreting, whether you work in conference, legal, business, medical, or other community settings. Yet many of us lack full confidence in our consecutive because we haven’t mastered note-taking and we believe the only way to do so is through long hours of tedious study and practice.

This fast-paced and highly interactive workshop adapts Rozan’s classic note-taking method for long consecutive to meet the needs of dialog interpreting required in non-conference settings. This teaching approach has been field-tested to great success for seven years with participants in conference sessions, short course trainings, and academic courses. In three hours, you will improve your note-taking and symbols development skills, and have fun doing it. Most importantly, you will walk away with straightforward and concrete strategies for continuing to improve your skills.

Workshop attendees will:

  • Practice Rozan’s seven-step note-taking process.
  • Learn simplified strategies for note-taking in legal, healthcare, and other settings.
  • Develop strategies for developing symbols and symbol groups.
  • Integrate symbols and note-taking into the dialogic flow in short consecutive interpreting.

  • Limited to 25 participants
  • Language-Neutral; All Levels
  • Earn 3.0 ATA CEPs
  • To be submitted for Court-Certified Interpreter CEs

  • Wednesday, October 25, 1:00pm-4:30pm
  • Networking Break, 2:30pm-3:00pm
  • Course fee: $150; Register Today!
  • Cancellation Policy: Refunds will not be issued after October 6

allen

Katharine Allen, co-founder of InterpretAmerica, is a healthcare and community interpreter and trainer with over 30 years of experience. Past attendees say she’s an encouraging and inspiring speaker who offers dynamic, practical, and interactive training.

"Can’t wait to practice these skills! Katharine knows her stuff. Time flew by in this course!”

AST-10
Beyond Translation: Lingua-Aware Services in the Age of New Media

Traditional translation is only one part of what a client needs to launch their content in new markets. To boost your client’s digital presence, you now need to provide “lingua-aware” services: keyword research, market research, competitor analysis, and social listening. The instructor will lead you through exercises to grasp the fundamentals of search engine marketing and the mindset required to provide these valuable services.

Click to read the full course description
Enterprises have fully embraced digital content distribution on a global scale. In turn, translators are becoming increasingly valued for their ability to provide insight into a successful search and marketing strategy because of their deep knowledge of buyer behavior in the native market. A company’s success now depends heavily on how to digitally engage those audiences.

You are missing valuable opportunities if you haven’t been asking questions like:

  • What’s your strategy for web or video searches from outside your home country?
  • Who manages and monitors your social media presence outside your home country?
  • How are you rating the success of your marketing campaigns and your market position outside your home country?

The speaker will share the non-traditional requests that companies are now demanding: requests that push the boundaries of traditional translation offerings into the realm of so-called “lingua-aware” servicesnot exactly translation, but an evolution of work required of in-country linguists in this digital age.

In this session, we will perform live exercises that will enable you to grasp:

  • the fundamentals of “on-page” and “off-page” global web marketing strategy
  • determining the right approach to search engine marketing (SEM) and social media marketing (SMM) for a target market
  • how to ask questions to find additional potential “lingua-aware” services
  • the know-how and mindset required to providing these services

Those who have a real passion for culture, marketing, strategy, research, and helping clients to succeed globally in this digital age will especially love this session. The only requirements for you are to bring your laptop, have a Google registered account, and be prepared to do some deep thinking about your native market.

  • Limited to 25 participants
  • Language-Neutral; All Levels
  • Earn 3.0 ATA CEPs
  • Laptop and Google account required

  • Wednesday, October 25, 1:00pm-4:30pm
  • Networking Break, 2:30pm-3:00pm
  • Course fee: $150; Register Today!
  • Cancellation Policy: Refunds will not be issued after October 6

jon_ritzdorf

Jon Ritzdorf has been an instructor of translation technology and localization concepts for several years and is currently employed as a globalization architect. Past attendees say he’s a passionate and dynamic speaker who provides relevant and useful instruction.

"Jon is an amazing instructor. This course was extremely engaging and was worth every penny and then some.”

AST-11
Tips and Tricks to Boost Your Terminology Work

Terminology research can be cumbersome, but it is essential to ensure consistency, increase productivity, and keep clients happy. In this hands-on workshop, the instructor will analyze your specific needs to offer targeted strategies for doing research, finding equivalents, and evaluating sources. You will learn how to best manage terminological assets and will explore a range of techniques for automation, leveraging, and conversion of both personal glossaries and online resources.

Click to read the full course description
Finding terminology resources can be tricky, particularly in specialized domains or under-resourced languages. Terminology research can get cumbersome, but it is essential to ensure consistency in our translations, minimize proofreading and quality assurance time, increase productivity, and keep clients satisfied.

In this workshop, we will analyze participants’ terminological needs in terms of language pairs, domains, and type of information needed, and offer targeted tips and tricks for doing terminology research, finding equivalents, and evaluating sources. This course will also focus on how to best manage terminological assets to have them readily available for future projects. We will explore different options, from spreadsheets to professional term bases, presenting a range of techniques for automation, leveraging, and conversion of both personal glossaries and online resources.

Participants will need to bring their own laptops to try out the suggested methods hands on.

  • Limited to 25 participants
  • Language-Neutral; All Levels
  • Earn 3.0 ATA CEPs
  • Laptop required

  • Wednesday, October 25, 1:00pm-4:30pm
  • Networking Break, 2:30pm-3:00pm
  • Course fee: $150; Register Today!
  • Cancellation Policy: Refunds will not be issued after October 6

ramirez

Laura Ramírez holds a postgraduate certificate in computational linguistics from the Ludwig-Maximlians-Universität, a PhD in controlled languages and machine translation from the University of Valencia, and is a trainer and language processes professional.

"Laura provided practical examples for working with terminology more efficiently. She knows her subject matter!”

AST-12 - THIS COURSE IS FULL!
Trados Studio Workshop

Intended for intermediate/advanced Trados Studio users who fully grasp the basics, this workshop will provide hands-on exercises for advanced features so you can work smarter and faster. Topics include translation memory management, quality assurance, advanced editor features, and more. You will be invited to send questions to the speaker by October 6 so he may tailor this workshop to your needs.

Click to read the full course description
This workshop is intended for advanced and intermediate Trados Studio users who fully grasp the basics of the software but are interested in learning some of its more advanced features. The instructor will guide attendees through hands-on exercises for the following features:

  • Translation memory management (import, export, translation memory fields, filters, and translation memory QA)
  • Quality assurance and customizing QA settings, including the use of regular expressions
  • Advanced editor features, such as auto-propagation and display filter with regular expressions

Participants are encouraged to send their questions in advance to the instructor. Bringing a laptop computer with Trados Studio (preferably version 2017) installed is required so that you get the most out of the session.

  • Limited to 20 participants
  • Language-Neutral; Intermediate/Advanced
  • Earn 3.0 ATA CEPs
  • Laptop with Trados Studio required (version 2017 preferred)

  • Wednesday, October 25, 1:00pm-4:30pm
  • Networking Break, 2:30pm-3:00pm
  • Course fee: $150; This course is full!
  • Cancellation Policy: Refunds will not be issued after October 6

kostiainen

Tuomas Kostiainen, CT, is an independent Trados trainer, providing training for hundreds of translators and translation companies in the U.S. and abroad. He presents workshops for translator associations on Trados, PDF tools, and other topics on a regular basis.

"Exactly what I was needing at this time. I feel more confident and competent with the tool. Well worth the money.”

AST-13
Getting to “Yes” and Sealing the Deal: How to Negotiate and Draft Translation Contracts

Become a trained negotiator! In this interactive workshop, you will learn how to turn a negotiated agreement into a solid contract. The instructor will illustrate the key elements of business negotiations, from planning a negotiation to evaluating an agreement before closing translation deals. You will discover how you can quickly measure your best alternative to a negotiated agreement and use it to your advantage.

Click to read the full course description
Become a trained negotiator! In this interactive workshop, you will learn how to turn a negotiated agreement into a solid contract. The instructor will illustrate the key elements of business negotiations, from planning a negotiation to evaluating an agreement before closing translation deals. You will discover how you can quickly measure your best alternative to a negotiated agreement and use it to your advantage.

You will learn the logic behind pricing from the client’s point of view and the roll pricing plays in a negotiation. Finally, toward the end of the workshop, you will learn tips for drafting a solid translation contract, including sample clauses. By the end of the workshop, you will have acquired several negotiation strategies and techniques and gained knowledge about contracts that will help you make more informed business decisions in the future.

  • Limited to 25 participants
  • Language-Neutral; All Levels
  • Earn 3.0 ATA CEPs

  • Wednesday, October 25, 1:00pm-4:30pm
  • Networking Break, 2:30pm-3:00pm
  • Course fee: $150; Register Today!
  • Cancellation Policy: Refunds will not be issued after October 6

arturo

Paula Arturo is an independent lawyer-linguist for the United Nations Universal Periodic Review process of several Latin American States and co-director of Translating Lawyers, a boutique firm specializing in legal translation.

"She opened my mind up to some important facets that will facilitate my skills and will help me relax when negotiating.”

AST-14
Revision Refresh Workshop

Get hands-on, professional proofreading and copyediting experience. Individually and in small groups, you will engage in comprehensive revision practice creating style guides, drafting proofreading checklists, revising texts for tone, style, and register, and learning how to effectively manage a project. You will receive sample texts to edit and return by October 6 and may bring copy from your website, online profile, résumé, etc. to improve your personal writing skills using techniques learned.

Click to read the full course description
This workshop will provide hands-on experience for professionally proofreading and copyediting personal writing and client texts. You will define the various stages of revision and learn how to effectively manage each in any type of project.

In advance:
You will be given a general text at least three weeks in advance of the workshop. You will be asked to send the following three different edited versions of the text to the instructor by October 6:
1) reduce the text to three paragraphs;
2) reduce the text to one paragraph; and
3) reduce the text to a single sentence.

Come prepared with:
1) Two copies, printed single-sided, of your website homepage and bio (or similar web content, such as your LinkedIn, ProZ, or your résumé)
2) Two copies, printed double spaced and single-sided, of approximately 1200 words of a personal project you are working on (translation or original writing)

Part 1: Editing
We will review and discuss the pre-workshop editing exercise as a large group and consider the overarching goals at every level of the revision process.

Part 2: Copyediting
You will get a breakdown of common copyediting concerns and suggested tools to manage variations across client, project, and specialty subject matter.

In small groups, you will create a short style guide for a specialty subject based on a sampling of texts. Individually, you will​ revise a specialized document using the style guides you create. Possible subjects include human or veterinary science, nonprofit bylaws, patent lawsuits, automotive manuals, and winery management.

Part 3: Proofreading
You will review a general checklist of common proofreading concerns and get tools to manage this step across a range of project types and timelines. In small groups, you will draft a proofreading checklist specific to your primary language pair. In pairs, you will proofread your website content, bios, and résumés.

Part 4: Comprehensive Practice
Individually and in small groups, you will revise texts for tone, style, register, consistency, and other details. Possible exercises include texts created by dictation software, machine-assisted translations, and team-translated projects.

We will spend at least 30 minutes working in pairs or small groups on your personal writing samples. If time allows, we can also revisit your website content for more comprehensive suggestions for improvement.

  • Limited to 25 participants
  • Language-Neutral; All Levels
  • Earn 3.0 ATA CEPs

  • Wednesday, October 25, 1:00pm-4:30pm
  • Networking Break, 2:30pm-3:00pm
  • Course fee: $150; Register Today!
  • Cancellation Policy: Refunds will not be issued after October 6

yohn

Carolyn Yohn translates French and Hungarian legal, personal, and academic documents, and has worked as an in-house proofreader and copyeditor of marketing and technical writing.

"This will certainly add to my skill set and produce better work for my client and me.”

AST-15
Preparing for the ATA Spanish>English Certification Exam

ATA-certified translators stand out in their profession. With a 20% pass rate, the ATA Certification Exam can be challenging even for those with experience. This workshop will prepare you for that challenge! Once registered, you will receive an ATA Practice Test ($80-$120 value) to translate and return by September 15. If your translation is received by the deadline, the speakers will review it so they may target the errors to analyze during this workshop. Errors used will remain anonymous.

Click to read the full course description
This workshop is for any translator interested in taking the ATA Spanish>English Certification Exam. Excerpts from several past exam passages will be reviewed in detail. Common errors in all error categories will be illustrated, and good renditions will be explained.

In order to develop and tailor this course, attendees will be given a sample practice test to translate and return by September 15. Practice test translations received by September 15 will be reviewed in order to target the common–and not so common–errors. Errors used during this course will be kept completely anonymous.

  • Limited to 20 participants
  • Spanish Required; All Levels
  • Earn 3.0 ATA CEPs

  • Wednesday, October 25, 1:00pm-4:30pm
  • Networking Break, 2:30pm-3:00pm
  • Course fee: $200; Register Today!
  • Cancellation Policy: Refunds will not be issued once Practice Test is sent to attendee

maier

Jane Maier, CT, is ATA-certified in three language pairs and a Spanish>English exam grader for 20 years.

mikkelson

Holly Mikkelson, CT, is an ATA-certified translator English<>Spanish and a Spanish>English exam grader for over 10 years.

“Speakers were very thorough with their points and took the time to ensure we understood each aspect.”