Newsbriefs: February 28, 2022
How Did ATA Serve Its Members in 2021?
We want to thank you for your membership during the past year. Your support has not been taken for granted—we’ve worked harder than ever to increase the value of your membershipFrom Division communities and advocacy to professional development and business advice for tough times, ATA and its volunteers pulled together to make things happen for members in 2021.
- Negotiated a 35% discount for members with five major CAT tool vendors
- Joined effort to successfully fight a 50% pay cut for Pennsylvania court interpreters
- Began virtual brainstorm networking sessions to provide connections and community
- Increased the number of ATA webinar presentations from 19 in 2020 to 55 in 2021
- Conducted a compensation survey to assist members in marketplace decisions
- Redesigned ATA’s website with double the resources and easier navigation
- Published the Guide to Starting Out as a Translator to assist beginners
- Lobbied the CDC for early vaccination of health care interpreters and translators
- Launched the Inside Specialization podcast to examine T&I specialties
- Added a Mastermind Program to guide members with business development
- Started the Next Level blog in support of established translators and interpreters
- Hosted the Annual Conference virtually and in person to ensure availability of continuing education to as many translators and interpreters as possible
- … and so much more!
Forgot to renew? It’s not too late. Click here and renew today before you lose access to the best marketing and networking in the business!
Already Renewed?
Don’t forget to grab your membership card! Click View/Print Your Membership Card and log in to download it now.
Questions? Need additional information?
Your satisfaction is important to us! If you have questions or concerns about your ATA member benefits or services, email ata@atanet.org or call +1 (703) 683-6100, extension 3001.
Industry News
Reporter Impresses Viewers by Sharing News in Six Languages
New York Post (NY) (02/22/22) Ibrahim, Samantha
A video montage of an Associated Press reporter delivering the news from Kyiv in six languages has gone viral after it appeared on Twitter.
In the video, Philip Crowther, a political reporter, is seen posting reports on the Ukraine-Russia conflict to different TV news outlets in English, Luxembourgish, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German. The video has amassed over 122,000 likes and 20,000 retweets.
According to Crowther’s website, he was born in Luxembourg to a British father and German mother and is a native speaker of English, German, and Luxembourgish, and a fluent speaker of French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Crowther has a bachelor’s degree in Hispanic studies from King’s College London as well as a postgraduate diploma in broadcast journalism from the London College of Communication. Before moving to the U.S. in 2011, he was an anchor at France 24 in Paris, covering events in Ghana, Angola, South Africa, Germany, the U.K., and Libya.
Washington State Senate to Consider Language Access Equity Bill
NBC (NY) (02/21/22) Van De Venter, Karlee
The Washington State House of Representatives passed House Bill 1153, first introduced by Representative Tina Orwall to establish a language access program designed to engage parents in a culturally responsive way and close equity gaps. It now heads to the state senate.
“This bill is about welcoming and engaging families and supporting students across the state,” Orwall said. “All parents have the right to information about their child and their child’s education in a language they can understand. This is current federal and state law, and it’s a civil rights issue to give schools the resources to make them places where everyone can thrive.”
The bill would allow the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Washington State School Directors Association to determine the best practices to serve families with greater language access needs. Based on those needs, credentialing processes and training protocols would be implemented for interpreters working in the schools.
The bill would require school districts to have language access plans. One important aspect stressed in the bill is adequate interpreting options at high-stake meetings, such as Individual Education Plan meetings. So, schools with many English Language Learners and a high percentage of languages spoken would have language access navigators.
“The bottom line is we need this bill because all Washington parents can and should play an active role in their children’s academic lives,” Orwall said.
Albemarle County Public Schools in Virginia Need Interpreters to Accommodate Rise in Afghan Students
NBC (NY) (02/09/22) Murray, Dominga
After fleeing the Taliban in Afghanistan, many Afghan families are calling central Virginia home. The resulting influx of Afghan students in Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS) has created an increased need for interpreters to address the language barrier in the classroom.
ACPS has access to a program where interpreters help students over the phone, but there is a shortage of interpreters for Dari or Pashto.
“We’re seeing an increase in the number of Afghan families who are enrolling in the program only to find that there are often long wait times for someone who speaks Dari or Pashto,” said Lauren MacLean, assistant director of English for Speakers of Other Languages and World Language and Homeschool for Virginia Public Schools.
“ACPS is always looking for people who can provide this kind of interpreting, and particularly with our growing Pashto- and Dari-speaking populations, it’s difficult to fill those needs,” ACPS Spokesperson Helen Dunn said.
“We just need people available to maybe support making a few phone calls and communicating with parents or talking to students about things like how their day is going and how we can better support them.” MacLean said.
ACPS has stated it will train potential hires for free. “It’s a relatively quick process done by family and students support liaisons. But there’s also the opportunity to participate in additional free trainings during the year if you are looking to grow yourself as an interpreter,” MacLean said.
Interpreter Skills Enhancement Project to Teach ASL in Rural Areas
Fox21News.com (CO) (02/14/22) Birzer, Dani
The Colorado Department of Human Services has launched the Colorado Rural Interpreter Skills Enhancement (RISE) Project to recruit and train American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters in rural areas.
The RISE Project is a partnership between the Colorado Commission for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind, and the University of Northern Colorado ASL and Interpreting Studies Department. Participants will be trained to serve deaf and hearing-impaired individuals with little to no access to quality interpreting services for medical appointments, legal or work environments, and school events. Sign language interpreting services will be provided for free.
RISE will select 12 hearing applicants who want to become certified ASL interpreters, who either reside in or are willing to work in rural community settings. Beginning in June, participants will complete eight courses followed by a 40-hour apprenticeship.
Interpreting specialists will lead online learning while deaf language specialists supply distance mentoring. Participants will be encouraged to perform community-engaged learning and service activities with members of the local deaf community.
“Rural communities often lack access to ASL interpreting for necessary services such as doctor’s appointments and job interviews,” said Trish Leakey, auxiliary services manager for the Colorado Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. “The RISE Project will increase accessibility to interpreting services, getting us closer to our goal of creating a barrier-free Colorado for all.”
New Georgia Bookstore Hopes to Offer Literacy in Every Language
WXIA (GA) (02/18/22) Suro, Paola
The owner of a new bookstore in Gwinnett County, Georgia, is hoping to offer literacy in every language. The Little Book Spot, which will open in April, will stock books from around the world to increase literacy in the community.
Owner Nury Castillo-Crawford has asked the community to donate books in every language to help achieve her vision. Eventually, she would also like to host authors from other countries to come and speak.
“We can empower our parents and help them see the importance of bilingual literature. You can give your kids other gifts, but the gift of literacy is going to be unmatched and unparalleled,” Castillo-Crawford said.
She has seen the need for more access to literacy and books in different languages first-hand as an administrator in Gwinnett County Public Schools. According to the school district website, Hispanic/Latino students made up 33% of the student population from the 2020-2021 school year.
Castillo-Crawford hopes the bookstore will have books for people of all ages and backgrounds. “We need to increase the diversity of our literature so that every single child feels seen, and every single child feels like their journey is important,” Castillo-Crawford said.
ATA News
Last Call for ATA63 Annual Conference Proposals
Time is running out to submit a proposal for ATA’s 63rd ATA Annual Conference in Los Angeles, California (October 12-15, 2022). The deadline to submit is March 1, 2022.Why Present at an ATA Annual Conference?
The ATA63 Annual Conference will attract 1,500 attendees, bringing together translators, interpreters, educators, project managers, and company owners. Making a presentation to such a diverse audience is an excellent way to build your reputation and résumé, widen your networking circle, and position yourself as an expert in your field!
Speaking at an ATA Annual Conference is also a great way to open doors to new career paths you hadn’t considered. It’s an opportunity to show what you can do and meet the people who can help you do it!
How to Prepare and Submit a Proposal
Watch How to Submit a Successful ATA Annual Conference Proposal to learn more about developing and submitting a presentation proposal for ATA’s Annual Conference.
Submissions are invited from all areas of translation and interpreting, including finance, law, medicine, literature, media, science and technology, terminology, independent contracting, business management, and training/pedagogy. Sessions may be language specific or general.
If you know someone who could make a great presentation, please encourage them to submit a proposal. You do not need to be an ATA member to present at the conference.
Proposals must be received by March 1, 2022.
Call for Nominations Deadline
The Nominating and Leadership Development Committee is currently accepting nominations to fill the following positions:- Director (three positions open), three-year term
- Director (one position open), one-year term
ATA’s success depends on the leadership of its officers and directors. That leadership begins with nominations like yours. Click here to learn more.
Questions? Need More Information
Contact nominations@atanet.org.
From Written to Spoken: How to Break into Interpreting
Presenter: Elena LangdonDate: March 2, 2022
Time: 12:00 noon U.S. ET
Duration: 45 minutes
Language: English
Level: All
CE Point(s): None
Another ATA Back to Business Basics webinar!
While it’s not for everyone, interpreting is often a welcome addition to a language career. In fact, many successful interpreters started out as translators. So how can you add interpreting to the services you already offer?
Join this webinar to find out what you should consider before making this career move to translation’s “talkative cousin”!
You will learn how to:
- Identify the basic skills needed and knowledge of professional interpreters
- Understand the types of interpreting work for beginners
- Start thinking about specialties to consider and training programs for each
- Consider marketing/promotion options that work well when you are getting started
- Navigate the options for available interpreter certifications
Free to ATA members, but you must sign up by 10:00 a.m. ET on March 2. Click here to register.
If you have already registered, check your inbox for no-reply@zoom.us to find your invitation to join. Email zoom@atanet.org if you cannot find it.
ATA Mastermind Program Applications due Today
Translators and interpreters often go into business understanding that finding and retaining clients will be hard work. What many fail to see, however, is the difficulty in running a business alone and not always knowing what to do next. This is where ATA can help!ATA’s Mastermind Program offers mentoring designed to help you learn and develop professionally. You will work together in small peer groups to share knowledge on specific topics and work collaboratively to achieve your learning goals.
What can you expect?
- Peer-based mentoring through brainstorming, education, and support
- Self-directed activities chosen by the members of each group
- Challenges to set goals and be accountable
- Meeting regularly to learn from each other
Read What are ATA’s Mastermind Groups? in the Next Level blog and watch the Introducing ATA’s Mastermind Program webinar.
One Last Note
If you would prefer a one-to-one coaching relationship with someone who has more experience, ATA’s Mentoring Program will be a better fit. Click to check it out!
And finally …
Both the ATA Mentoring and ATA Mastermind Programs require two years of experience for participation. If you’re not there yet, we recommend following The ATA Savvy Newcomer for everything you need to know—from getting started to finding clients and more. There’s something here for everyone!
ATA Webinar: Emoji and Emoticons and Stickers, Oh My!
Presenter: Holly SilvestriDate: March 17, 2022
Time: 12:00 noon U.S. ET
Duration: 1 hour
Language: English
Level: All
CE Point(s): 1 ATA-approved; 0.1 IMIA/NBCMI-approved; 1.0 CCHI-approved
What’s an interpreter to do? Studies show that emoji, emoticons, smileys, stickers, and other graphicons are being used more frequently in high-stakes medical and legal interpreting assignments, including telemedicine. Their multiple meanings are not always easily understood, leaving the interpreter at a loss for words.
Attend this webinar to understand the difficulties and learn best practices proposed by a research group of U.S. professional interpreters.
You will learn how to:
- Identify the multiple factors that go into interpreting graphicons
- Comprehend the difficulties of interpreting graphicons both intraculturally and cross culturally
- Recognize the frequency of these images in high-stakes medical and legal encounters
- Handle graphicons when doing sight translations in legal or medical settings
How to watch the webinar recording later!
Register now and watch this webinar on demand at your convenience! The link to the recording will automatically be added to the ATA Education section in your member record following the live event. Click here to learn how to watch purchased ATA webinars on demand!
Go Virtual or In Person for ATA’s 2022 School Outreach Contest
The ATA School Outreach Contest is on, and the prize is a free registration to ATA’s 63rd Annual Conference!How to Enter the Contest
Share your career story with any educational-level or age group of students, then submit a summary of your experience along with a photo of your presentation—a screenshot works just fine if you presented virtually.
How to Prepare a Presentation
ATA volunteers have created resources, handouts, and presentations for you to use, covering elementary school to graduate-level students. It’s all on ATA’s website, ready for you to download and revise to make the presentation your own. Check out ATA School Presentation Materials.
Want to See How It’s Done?
We’ve put a virtual presentation together for you to give you a few ideas. Watch ATA Presents Careers in Translation and Interpreting and get inspired!
And don’t miss Episode 53 of The ATA Podcast to hear first-hand how ATA members have shared their passion for language with students!
ATA Webinar: What Do Project Managers Do?
Presenter: Diana RhudickDate: March 23, 2022
Time: 12:00 noon U.S. ET
Duration: 1 hour
Language: English
Level: All
CE Point(s): 1 ATA-approved
Are you looking to learn additional skills and diversify your business? Becoming a freelance translation and interpreting project manager is a great option to consider.
Begin by attending this webinar to get insight into a project manager’s skill set! You’ll examine some of the most common tasks performed by PMs, what skills and interests they need for the job, and how labor laws apply to freelance PMs.
Bonus! This webinar will not only show you how you can add project management services to your business but also how understanding the job can improve your working relationship with agency clients.
You will learn how to:
- Recognize the tasks that make up a PM’s job
- Understand the skills needed to manage translation and interpreting projects
- Assess the tools and software PMs use
- Analyze what project management skills also apply to your own business
- Use the PM’s skill set when subcontracting on large jobs and working for agencies
How to watch the webinar recording later!
Register now and watch this webinar on demand at your convenience! The link to the recording will automatically be added to the ATA Education section in your member record following the live event. Click here to learn how to watch purchased ATA webinars on demand!
In the January/February Issue of The ATA Chronicle
Call for Nominations: ATA DirectorsDo you know someone who would make a good potential candidate for ATA’s Board of Directors? If so, ATA’s Nominating and Leadership Development Committee would like to hear from you. Any ATA member may make a nomination. Here’s your chance to help shape the future of the Association!
Treasurer’s Report
This annual report reviews ATA’s financial performance and provides a good indication of current trends. (John Milan)
The Orange County Department of Education Multilingual Consortium: A Clearinghouse for Educational Interpreters
California’s Orange County Department of Education has spearheaded efforts to provide continuous professional learning opportunities for bilingual staff in educational settings nationwide. Learn how a robust language services program strategically addressed the challenges and effectively capitalized on the opportunities presented by the pandemic. (Natalia Abarca)
Subtly Sexist Sources: What’s a Woke Translator to Do? 10 Practical Pointers for into-English Translators
Amidst far-reaching societal change, language is evolving. Unfortunately, not all our clients are keeping pace, and their source texts sometimes smack of sexism in the form of worn-out stereotypes, passè gender roles, and problematic language. Translators should feel empowered to stray from the source when necessary and draw on their expertise to educate their clients. Here are 10 takeaways on incorporating gender-neutral writing into your English translations. (Rachel Pierce)
Reflections on Running a Micro-Internship: Making a Difference by Starting Small
Given how few translation training programs exist in the U.S., internships can be a great way for freelance translators to contribute to the next generation of our profession while also getting something in return. (Mary McKee, Jamie Hartz)
Profile of ATA’s 2021 School Outreach Contest Winner: Majlinda Mulla-Everett
When Majlinda Mulla-Everett taught a summer class on interpreting skills to high school students in Portland, Maine, her objective was to make sure they understood the value of being bilingual and that they can turn that skill into something to help the community where they live. (Molly Yurick)
2021 Honors and Awards Recipients
ATA and the American Foundation for Translation and Interpretation present annual and biennial awards to encourage, reward, and publicize outstanding work done by both seasoned professionals and students of our craft. This year’s recipients are…
Access to The ATA Chronicle’s searchable archives is available online! And don’t forget to check out the latest issue of the Chronicle Online.
| News summaries © copyright 2022 Smithbucklin |
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February 28, 2022
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Previous Poll Results
Have you referred a colleague to:33% = Join ATA
6% = Attend the Annual Conference
0% = Make a conference presentation
6% = Volunteer
56% = All the Above
In This Issue
Serving Members in 2021Last Call ATA63
ATA63 Call for Speakers
ATA Elections Deadline
Break into Interpreting
ATA Mastermind Deadline
Emoji, Emoticons, Stickers
School Outreach Contest
Project Managers Webinar
The ATA Chronicle
ATA Webinars
Emoji and Emoticons and Stickers, Oh My!Mar 17 @ 12 noon. ET
Registration open
What Do Project Managers Do?
Mar 23 @ 12 noon. ET
Registration open
Back to Business Basics
From Written to Spoken: How to Break into InterpretingMar 2 @ 12 noon ET
Free to members!
Registration open
Calendar of Events
ATA Mastermind ProgramDeadline: Feb 28, 2022
Learn more!
ATA63 Call for Speakers
Deadline: Mar 1, 2022
Learn more!
ATA Call for Nominations
Deadline: Mar 1, 2022
Learn more!
ATA Mentoring Program
Deadline: Mar 31, 2022
Learn more!
ATA Board of Directors Meeting
Apr 9-10, 2022
Alexandria, Virginia
FIT World Congress
Jun 1-3, 2022
Varadero, Cuba
Learn more!
ATA63 Annual Conference
Oct 12-15, 2022
Los Angeles, California
Preview!
