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As language professionals, we have a duty to keep up with training and education in our languages and specializations; with technology, legislation, and other developments important to our field; and with other people, both colleagues and clients. Attending a professional conference is a great way to manage all of these obligations. But conferences, by their very nature, can be big, overwhelming, and difficult to navigate. Simply showing up and hoping for the best is a recipe for exhaustion, failure, and wasting all the money we invested to be there. To really make the most of the conference experience, it helps…
This is a summary post from Tess Whitty’s ebook Quick Start Guide: 10 Steps to an Optimized Website, published in 2019. Having a website is one of the best ways to maximize your online presence. Your website serves as the hub for all your marketing activities and is a good place to store information about your products and services. When…
This post is a reblog, originally published on the Austin Area Translators & Interpreters Association blog. It is reposted with permission from the author. If you’d walk into a major bookstore today, one of the first books you see on display will have Malcolm Gladwell’s name on it. In one of his books, Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know…
We’re calling all members, followers, translators, interpreters, and students to participate in ATA’s interactive social media campaign to celebrate International Translation Day 2021. From September 27–October 1, 2021, ATA will release one to three interactive posts per day on each of its social media channels, inviting T&I professionals to interact with questions and prompts about their work. Posts will range…
Landing your first gig as a freelance translator is easier when you understand yourself, your skills, and your strengths. Once you do, it’s all about conveying them effectively to potential clients through different avenues like social media, marketplaces, and agencies.
I have been teaching business classes for freelance translators for about 15 years, so I’ve seen “under the hood” of many freelancers’ businesses. The truth is, when we talk about goal-setting in our freelance businesses, many freelancers have amorphous goals (“earn more money,” “find better clients”) or no goals at all, because their business management strategy consists of two steps:…
Emotions in More than One Language
This post originally appeared on Psychology Today on August 18, 2011, and it is republished with permission. The language(s) of emotions in bilinguals There is a myth that bilinguals express their emotions in their first language (when they haven’t acquired both languages simultaneously), usually the language of their parents. Like all myths, there are instances when it is true. Thus,…
As translators, the first draft of our translation is only a starting point. We need to verify the quality of our work before we send it off for publication. The following list is not comprehensive, but it will help us find most of the problems we have to solve. Check for completeness Go through every unit of meaning and make…
This post originally appeared on The minimalist translator blog and it is republished with permission. What makes a really good translator? Maybe you’ve always wondered what a translator actually does and has to be good at. Maybe you are looking for a good translator. Or maybe you are a translator and perhaps, as you’re reading this post, find yourself nodding in…
This post originally appeared on The ATA Chronicle and it is republished with permission. Because of the nature of our work, we translators are fated to work with clients who may not always understand what we do and often push our skills and resilience to the limit. But while some may think that difficult clients top the list of challenges…
This post originally appeared on The ATA Chronicle and it is republished with permission. Companies are looking for someone who is more than just a great translator and writer. They’re looking for someone who can translate, provide cultural and background expertise, and who is in tune with the company’s vision. Finding and contacting potential direct clients can be perplexing for…