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ATA’s 67th Annual Conference takes place October 28-31, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco, and those four days will fly by. The attendees who get the most out of the conference are rarely the ones with the best luck; they’re the ones who did a little homework before boarding the plane. Here are nine things you can do ahead of time so you arrive ready to learn, connect, and enjoy yourself. 1. Order paper business cards now Yes, still. Paper cards remain the fastest way to close a conversation gracefully in a noisy hallway. Order them early enough so…
Happy Birthday to The Savvy Newcomer!
This Friday, August 15, marks the first anniversary of The Savvy Newcomer blog – still very young, but, boy has its presence been felt! Now that you have come to know The Savvy Newcomer, we thought it would be nice to hear the experience of all involved in this project, because, in a way, we were all newcomers (again), and…
Newbies and Buddies Survey: The Results Are In
By Helen Eby & Jamie Hartz Last year’s American Translators Association annual conference in San Antonio was the first to host two new sessions called “Buddies Welcome Newbies”. The Buddies and Newbies sessions were the brainchild of a few volunteers and some very eager supporters, and the events made such a successful debut last year that they will be taking place…
Eight Unusual Tips for Newcomers
By Steven Marzuola & The Savvy Newcomer As you might already know, online groups are an excellent source for discussing the everyday challenges we face as professionals. One such group in LinkedIn recently sparked a great conversation, and one of its contributors, Steven Marzuola, offered excellent – and often unspoken – tips for aspiring translators and interpreters. In today’s post…
Tips for an Interpreter-Friendly Presentation
By Ewandro Magalhães Featured article from The ATA Chronicle, originally published in August 2012 As much as we hate to admit it, interpreters make mistakes. Yet, holding interpreters solely responsible for successful communication and betting on their infallibility is a utopian dream. Ultimately, speakers should be equally accountable for the clarity and translatability of the ideas and words that make…
Helen’s summer reading topic: Spanish linguistics
By Helen Eby I plan to teach a class on the formal aspects of Spanish for Hispanics who speak Spanish well and have a solid level of literacy in English and Spanish. I started thinking of this when I taught my first Medical Interpreter training program here in Oregon starting in January of this year. There is a significant number…
University of Massachusetts Amherst: A Day in the Life
By Jocelyn Langer The simple New England elegance of Amherst and the plain grey concrete walls of Herter Hall do not at first glance hint at the diversity of language and culture represented within the Translation program at the University of Massachusetts. A scientific look at the geology of the Connecticut River Valley, however, shows traces of its graceful mountains’…
Ten Things You Must Never Do to Your Colleagues
By Maria Cristina de la Vega Reblogged from the NAJIT Blog with permission Do not give advice freely, even if you think it would be helpful, unless you are specifically asked for it. It is far better to just lend an ear. Most people just need a sounding board to express their thoughts and come to a decision about events in their…
From ATA’s Divisions: The German Language Division
By Arnold Winter As a German-to-English translator, it was a “no brainer” for me to join the ATA’s German Language Division at the start of my career in translation almost ten years ago. While joining the ATA and putting up my profile online resulted in being contacted out of the blue by my first paying client, the GLD is where…
What direct clients want: From a Marketing Director’s perspective
By Daniela Guanipa A lot has been said about the complexities of setting up shop as freelancers and whether to work with agencies or direct clients. If you have set out to find direct clients, you have probably invested a lot of time and effort specializing in a certain niche and researching your potential clients. Most likely, you have focused on…
Century College Translating and Interpreting Certificate/AA: A Day in the Life
By Kristen Mages If you fall into the vast majority of the population, you may never have heard of Century College in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. I hadn’t either until I recently moved back to the Twin Cities and was looking into options for studying interpretation as a career. That’s when I stumbled upon Century College’s Translating and Interpreting (TRIN)…