Our team leader Helen has been a busy bee compiling a list of resources to help translators interested in taking the ATA certification exam. Even if you are not seeking certification, we felt there are many useful resources here we would like to share with you—from exam guidelines & translation tips to English & Spanish language, technology and copyediting resources. Use them to hone your craft and please let us know if you found them useful.

This list was reblogged with permission from Gaucha Translations blog.

From the ATA Certification program

• Framework for Standardized Error Marking of Translations
• Flowchart for error point decisions (PDF)
• ATA Style Guide for Translation Exams (Into-English Grading Standards)
• ATA Certification Exam Overview
• ATA Certification Registration Form
• Practice Test for the ATA Certification Exam
• Online Ethics course – required for ATA certified translators within the first year of certification

From the WA DSHS Certification program

• Professional Language Certification Examination Manual – State of Washington Department of Social and Health Services. Full details on the certification program are on this page.

ATA Computerized exam

• Guidelines
• Online resource list
• Upcoming Changes to ATA’s Certification Program – from Sept-Oct 2016 ATA Chronicle

What is translation?

• Translator and Interpreter Descriptions – 2016-03-05
• ILR SKILL LEVEL DESCRIPTIONS FOR TRANSLATION PERFORMANCE
• Canadian definitions of the professions by the Canadian Translators, Terminologists and Interpreters Council

Articles on how to approach translation

• Death by 1000 Cuts – how to pass the exam
• Analyzing the Message – a book review on Eugene Nida
• Take the Message and Jump! by Christiane Nord, posted on ATA Savvy Newcomer

English resources

• Corpus of contemporary English – COCA. Please note that you can’t register with a .com website. You are also highly encouraged to pay a $25 annual donation for individual use for unlimited access.
• Chicago Manual of Style – one month free trial, subscription after that.
• CMOS Shop Talk for Students
• Chicago Manual of Style proofreaders’ marks
• AP Stylebook – for purchase, has online access tools
• Copy-Editors’ Knowledge Base, by Katherine O’Moore-Klopf
• Daily writing tips
• Grant writing resources – in case you ever have to translate a grant.

Bilingual references

• Word Reference
• Linguee
• Word Magic
• Google Translate and Proz are not approved resources for the ATA computerized exam. No interactive resource (where you can ask a live question on a forum) is approved. The resources listed above are OK.
• Click here to see the official ATA guidelines for computerized exams.

Plain Language

• 5 Steps to Plain Language, from the Center for Plain Language
• NIH Plain Language training site
• Plain Language in the Sciences – from www.plainlanguage.gov

English copy editing training

• UC San Diego Extension – Copy editing certificate
• UC Berkeley Extension – Professional Sequence in Editing (Certificate program)
• Poynter News University Certificate in Editing – discount for ACES members

Canada copy editing (includes certification)

• Editors Canada: Definitions of Editorial Skills
• Copy editing certification – available from Editors Canada. Courses in the United States do not issue certification. They only issue Certificates of Successful Completion.
• Editing Certificate, from Simon Fraser University
• Plain Language Certificate, from Simon Fraser University – overlaps with Editing Certificate

Medical copy editing (AMWA has a certification program)

• How to become a medical editor – a blog post with links and steps to improve your medical editing skills, which will make you a better translator of medical texts.
• Johns Hopkins Masters or Certificate in Science Writing (Online with 7 to 10 day residency)
• Medical Writing and Editing Certificate – University of Chicago Graham School (online)
• American Medical Writers Association Certificates

Resources from other translation certification programs

• Translation Test State Dept sample questions
• How to prepare for the DipTrans test – with sample graded papers
• UN Practice translation tests
• See UN Careers page for more information
• Canadian Translators Certification page – see the links on the translation exam: The Candidate’s Guide and the Marker’s Guide.
• DipTrans Handbook

Copy editing tools to produce clean documents

• Words n Sync: a set of macros to clean documents.
• PerfectIt: a set of macros by Intelligent Editing
• Grammar Checker comparison, by Serenity Software (another grammar checker)

Other training on translation, technology and other

• Rafa Lombardino teaches on translation technology and other issues.
• Intralingo online courses on Spanish to English literary translation
• Fundamentals for Translation English/Español, by Eta Trabing
• See the ATA Member-to-Member services for additional help.
• See the Education-Courses heading on the Resources page of the ATA Savvy Newcomer website
• New York University Masters in Translation and Diploma programs (online)
• There is a listing of college programs on the NAJIT resources page

Readers, would you add anything to this list of resources? Have you used any of these resources and found them useful?

Header image credit: tookapic