The Savvy Newcomer aims to serve newcomers to the translation and interpreting professions by publishing high-quality, peer-reviewed content on a weekly basis. We strive to provide you with the answers to the many questions you face as a new or aspiring translator or interpreter.
It has to be admitted that the translation marketplace in 2023 is a strange thing to experience. I sometimes imagine that it’s getting stranger by the moment, but I realize that the overreactions to the latest technology and the threats posed by artificial intelligence have to be understood from the perspective of a short history of market upheavals over the past few decades, which have experienced their own share of technological advances, and the insecurity of translators who don’t want to see their jobs overtaken by computers. And while I’m not old enough to have witnessed this short history of…
Read MoreAn Invitation: A Day in the Life
As you may have noticed, the ATA Savvy Newcomer blog will be running a series in the coming months on the many options for education in translation and interpreting that exist in the U.S. We have had posts by NYU and Kent State students, and we are in the process of reaching out to other institutions that have certificate and/or…
Read MoreThe Hidden Part of the Job
By Giovanna Lester In my marketing workshops I discuss a subject I call “Anatomy of a Project.” The focus is on the immediate interaction following the acceptance, performance, delivery, and post-delivery of a project from the standpoint of marketing. However, there is another phase of what I call the “Greater Project” that I do not discuss in depth in those…
Read MoreKent State University: A Day in the Life
The Program Kent State University’s Department of Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies is home to an active and vibrant translation department boasting bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD programs in translation and translation studies. Five languages are currently offered in the master’s program (French, German, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish), and one more will be added in Fall 2014 (Arabic). The master’s…
Read MoreNice Interpreter!
By Judy and Dagmar Jenner Reblogged from Translation Times with permission from the authors Today’s post is about the importance of being, well, nice. It’s essential to be a great interpreter — that goes without saying — but there’s also much to be said about the importance of soft skills. In the interpreting world, these skills are especially relevant in…
Read MoreBilingualism – Part III
In this third and final part of the series about Bilingualism, Eta Trabing discusses what it really means to be a “professional”, some of the rewards of the language-related professions, and even gives us suggestions of less-known paths for bilingual individuals. By M. Eta Trabing, Berkana Language LLC – www.eberkana.us Professionalism Means… Being totally accountable for your work. You are solely responsible…
Read MoreATA Divisions: Providing Homes for all Translators
By Lucy Gunderson, CT Administrator of the Slavic Languages Division Getting involved in an organization like the American Translators Association can be an intimidating step to take. I know—I went through this once myself. Trying to find a way to stand out among the other 10,500+ members is at best a daunting task. Fortunately, though, the ATA offers the perfect…
Read MoreBilingualism – Part II
Today we continue with Part II of this fascinating journey through bilingualism. In this issue, our guest author, Eta Trabing, provides some tips to put that second language to good use, whether it is polishing your skills to be more effective in your job, or becoming a translator or interpreter. By M. Eta Trabing, Berkana Language LLC – www.eberkana.us Are you…
Read MoreTo the Shy Networker
By Evelyn Yang Garland There I was, at a well-attended networking event… hiding in the restroom! I hated to schmooze with a room full of strangers. I forced myself to attend that event for one reason only—I was looking for a job, and the one piece of advice that I kept getting was that I needed to network. That is…
Read MoreBilingualism – Part I
Today we will begin with Part I of a series of three articles about Bilingualism. Our guest author, Ms. M. Eta Trabing, walks us through a truly fascinating description of what being bilingual means, and how to apply this knowledge in the working world. She offers help with the most daunting question we all language people face at some point:…
Read MoreNegotiation — A Learnable Skill
By Nina Sattler-Hovdar. Translated from the German by Tom Ellett. Original article first published in Infoblatt 01/2013, the newsletter of ADÜ Nord. When it comes to talking prices with clients, many translators lack confidence. Nina Sattler-Hovdar, who specializes in marketing, PR, finance, and contract translations from English, Norwegian, and Danish to German, is well known as an ardent champion of…
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