Technical Writing for ‘Into English’ Translators

Superb writing skills are not the first thing that comes to mind when talking about a technical translator’s skill set. The focus is usually on subject-matter expertise or methods for terminology research. Those are crucial, but good technical writing is a third skill that can be developed—one that improves translation quality quickly.

This webinar covers techniques needed to produce quality texts which convey information effectively, precisely, clearly, and briefly. The speaker provides practical tips for ‘into English’ technical translator. Useful resources and style guides are discussed.

Attendees Will Learn

• What technical writing is
• Methods for producing effective technical writing
• Problems specific to translation (e.g., retaining ambiguity)
• Some common errors in common scientific style
• Field-specific style guides

About the Presenter

Karen McMillan Tkaczyk works as a French-into-English freelance translator (MITI- and ATA-certified). Her translation work is highly specialized, being entirely focused on chemistry and its industrial applications.

Karen holds an MChem in Chemistry with French (University of Manchester, UK), a Diploma in French, and a PhD in Organic Chemistry (University of Cambridge, UK). She worked in the pharmaceutical industry in Europe before relocating in 1999 to the U.S., where she has worked in both pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

Since becoming a translator, Karen has taken several technical writing and editing courses. She developed this presentation to share some of what she has learned.