The ATA Compass: Your guide to translation and interpreting in the global market

Want to reach more customers, grow your business, and improve your bottom line? The ATA Compass publishes articles and provides resources to show you how language professionals can help you achieve these goals.  

Shohei Ohtani’s Japanese interpreter under the microscope

By ATA Compass | April 19, 2024

Interpreting, ethics, and the importance of professionalism in language access By: Ben Karl, James Kirchner, Christina Guerrero-Harmon, and Jamie Hartz Given that language professionals often work behind the scenes, it’s…

How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Free Online Translation Tools

How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Free Online Translation Tools

By ATA Compass | April 21, 2022

Ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Chinese authorities conducted a city-wide correction campaign to fix embarrassing translation gaffes. The mistranslations included signs labeling people with disabilities as “deformed”…

The Power of Social Media

Top Six Reasons You Should Caption Your Social Media Video Content

By ATA Compass | December 3, 2020

No matter what industry you’re in, video content is likely part of your marketing strategy. And if it’s not, it should be. According to a report by Cisco, online videos…

How to Avoid Misinformation: Cross-Border Strategies PR Pros Should be Thinking About

By ATA Compass | November 17, 2020

At a time when misinformation and fake news are running rampant, communication, and more specifically the written word, is arguably more important than ever. The last thing public relations (PR)…

25 Million Americans Don’t Speak English: Translators and Interpreters Essential in Pandemic

By ATA Compass | May 22, 2020

At the time of this writing, millions of Americans are have been ordered to stay home, instructions that are hard enough to grasp if you speak English—even harder still for…

Content Marketers: Time to Call in the Language Professionals?

By ATA Compass | January 6, 2020

The U.S. is the largest consumer market on earth, but did you know that 96% of the world’s consumers reside beyond the country’s borders (according to the U.S. Small Business…

Hiring an Interpreter? 9 Dos and Don’ts to Get the Most Out of Your Partnership

By ATA Compass | November 21, 2019

From Mari Kondo to the tiny house movement, the concept of “less is more” is undergoing a resurgence of sorts. Yet, in one area at least, the practice of “more…

How to Win at Customer Service: 3 Strategies for Converting Customers into Brand Devotees

By ATA Compass | September 25, 2019

When Scarlett hung up the phone, she was close to tears. Even more unexpectedly, so was the customer service representative on the other end. How did a seemingly simple inquiry…

5 Website Features That May Be Working Against You

By ATA Compass | February 8, 2019

Contrary to popular belief, your website is not about the products you sell, the services you provide, or the information you share. It’s actually about the people who visit it…

From Blunder to Wonder: How Companies Successfully Bounce Back from Mistakes

By ATA Compass | January 2, 2019

1993 was a terrible year for a particular major national fast food chain. It was an even worse year for four families who suffered unimaginable losses after their children ate…

What Your Signage Says about You

By ATA Compass | September 17, 2018

Ben could hardly wait to set up his own business after years of working for a large company. Knowing the demographics of his market area, Ben wanted to market to…

The Bots Are Coming! Automated and AI-Driven Programs for Business

By ATA Compass | June 18, 2018

Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are all the rage these days, and for good reason. The technology behind once too-good-to-be-true tools like facial recognition and 3D printing has advanced by…

How to Establish a Real “Worldwide” Web Presence

By ATA Compass | April 19, 2018

It’s a well-known fact that people prefer to shop in their native language. Naturally, they feel more comfortable when they completely understand what they’re reading. The same goes for searching…

(Bilingual) Help Wanted

By ATA Compass | April 10, 2018

Janet, a personnel manager at a fast-growing start-up, hoped to give her company a competitive edge in an international field by recruiting bilingual employees. She got some unexpected results. Her…

Customs Clearance for Your Content Marketing: How to Get Your Message Across the Border

By ATA Compass | December 8, 2017

The U.S. may be the largest consumer market in the world, but did you know that 96% of the planet’s consumers don’t live here? With purchasing power on the rise…

When It Comes to Communication, More Is More

By ATA Compass | November 9, 2017

In our world of information overload, less is often more. This old adage still applies in the world of communications—think website or marketing copy that is best short and sweet.…

Not Connecting with Consumers? Maybe You’re Not Speaking Their Language

By ATA Compass | August 1, 2017

You may think your company’s products and services speak for themselves, but building a brand beyond borders takes more. If you don’t speak your customer’s language and understand their culture,…

Going International from the Inside Out: Making the Most of Multilingual and Multicultural Staff

By ATA Compass | May 25, 2017

Last year, a mid-sized manufacturer took their brand international with a multilingual campaign that opened the company to orders from rapidly growing markets in Asia. In the process, their accounting…

Arriving at the Right Type of Language Professional

By ATA Compass | March 13, 2017

Business people don’t have to communicate with extraterrestrials (yet), but they can still learn a few things from the sci-fi thriller Arrival. The blockbuster film put a language professional in…

The Importance of Hiring Qualified Technical Translators

By ATA Compass | January 24, 2017

Occasionally, an enterprise client comes to our firm for post-translation help. The scenario usually looks like this: they needed a technical text translated, they had someone in the company fluent…

To Translate or Not to Translate? 5 Tips for Knowing When You Need Professional Translation

By ATA Compass | November 28, 2016

“A little knowledge goes a long way.” That’s what Michael, the owner of a fast-growing company, said to his business partner when discussing the process of taking their U.S. success…