May 1st, 2007 | ATA, Conferences, NCTA Info, Reports | No Comments
By Shayesteh Zarrabi
Volunteering for the ATA booth at the National Association for Bilingual Education conference brought with it a fresh look at the translation business. The exhibit hall of the NABE 2007 conference was all about innovation, culture, and networking, as well as teaching and learning. You could not stop by a booth without instantly getting a private ‘tutor’ to explain everything that that organization offered.
Publishers, school district representatives, teaching aid companies, language and academic institutions, and of course ATA created a vibrant atmosphere in McEnery Convention Center in San Jose. As a translator, you could see how nicely you would fit in to all activities. This notion worked in reverse, too, and was remarked upon by a number of conference participants and exhibitors. Whether they visited the ATA booth, or we went to them, they would relate that they were doing translations for years without realizing they could join an association, or were already using translation services for their companies, or were suddenly able to consult an online directory of translators and interpreters when they needed translation services.
At the ATA booth, next to ATA brochures and The Chronicle, NCTA materials proudly showcased the activeness of our association and called for participants for the November ATA conference in San Francisco. “It will be a dynamic conference with various activities,” I told a vendor of handmade comfortable clothing—perfect for home-office settings.
Needless to say it was thrilling for me and fellow NCTA-er Farah Arjang to get a chance to talk to Marian Greenfield, president of ATA. Listening to Marian sharing her life story in Spanish with a teacher from Spain is a memory to be cherished. All in a day’s work at NABE! 3
Feb 1st, 2007 | ATA, Conferences, Reports | No Comments
By Luis-Salvago-Toledo
As New Orleans continues to rebuild in the now-distant wake of Hurricane Katrina, translators from around the country gathered there in November to show their support for this multicultural city, so important in the American landscape—and to the American psyche. A former resident—but a first time attendee—reports on the ATA Convention.
There are characterizations that, no matter how hard their detractors try to reduce them to simple clichés, survive unscathed. “Southern Hospitality” is one of them. In my merchant marine years (the ‘60s), New Orleans was for a while my homeport. During that time, I enjoyed the warmth and friendliness of the locals. And so I did again during the 47th annual ATA Conference, held Nov. 1-4, 2006. But that was only the beginning.
The Sheraton Hotel, across the French Quarter and a stone’s throw from the Mississippi, provided a convincing setting: big but cozy. Its cathedral-ceiling lobby had many corners with comfortable seating in which to enjoy a conversation with like-minded attendees, or just to close one’s eyes and recharge the batteries between sessions.
Making a plan
Early planning is key to getting the most out of the event. The October ATA Chronicle includes the Conference’s preliminary program, and since it already describes the bulk of what the final program will be, this is the time to start selecting—provisionally, at least—the seminars, sessions, and activities you’d like to attend. Different languages and different areas of specialization are identified with different colors. Yet, avoid the tendency (I didn’t) to concentrate on events pertaining to one’s divisions of choice and become color blind to others. Fine as far as the former goes, but also take a look at everything else.
Two of the sessions I now declare as “must go” were not in my original list. Luckily, the ATA staff suggested them in its informative early gathering. So, to them I went. They were Business Setup and Success: The Basics and Ensuring Payment Before, During, and After the Project. Although both were recommended for beginners, a number of the attendees who weren’t, especially freelancers, beamed afterwards the same never-too-late expression in their faces as love-struck folks of any age do. I’m confident both sessions will also be offered in 2007.
On the go
Registration time was hectic, even for those of us already registered but in need to pick up our packages. The area was bursting with attendees in a hurry to get going. ATA staff, typified by member Roshan Pokharet, was energetic, resourceful, and of a helpful disposition.
The continental breakfasts (included in the package) offered good networking opportunities (there were many others). People were in a fresh, early-in-the day mood willing to exchange experiences.
Following the Thursday, November 2nd breakfast, the Opening Session got underway, big and delightfully noisy. The Storyville Stompers quintet provided a local, creative touch in the best Dixie tradition, entertaining us through a couple of sets.
Later that day, voting for three directors and two Bylaws Changes took place. The elected directors were Gabe Bokor, Claudia Angelelli and Virginia Pérez-Santalla.
Both of the proposed Bylaws Changes passed: 1) No need for chapter elected officials (other than chapter presidents and vice-presidents) to be ATA members; and 2) [abridged] Condemnation of torture in any form, requiring of translators and interpreters who become aware of it to report it to those capable of taking preventive or corrective action; expects governments to refrain from retribution against interpreters and translators when they refuse to participate in or cooperate with; urges translator and interpreter schools to include in their curricula training in ethical behavior.
A nod to ATA
It didn’t take me too long after witnessing the ATA at work to sum up in one word my opinion of the Association: maturity. Evidence for this was threefold: the organization of the event, the smooth running of it (or most of it, anyway; more on this later) and the Association’s readiness to tackle suggested improvements. Therefore, I tip my hat to the members of the board. These selfless men and women devote many years of their lives to the Association. The least they deserve to hear from us is that, once again, their experience and maturity shows.
The educational sessions were included in the price of the conference, while the pre-conference seminars weren’t (there was one free exception, with the rest costing $50 per seminar). After attending at least two of each, my conclusion was that the extra cost was not an indication of the seminars being superior in any sense, merely that they were longer. For the most part, I enjoyed both types of presentations equally well, and my only two disappointments were one of each. In the case of the seminars, not much could be done: a $50 waste. The sessions, however, presented a more promising picture. When attending one, it’s a good idea to have an alternate in mind. Try to get an aisle seat. If after the first ten minutes the what-am-I-doing-here feeling sets in, it’s time to move to the second choice.
Of satisfaction, and room for improvement
I want to emphasize that my positive check marks were in the overwhelming majority. That is, given the opportunity to have my money back in exchange for not keeping a trace of what I experienced, my reply would simply be, “thanks, but no thanks.” At the same time, some of the so-so areas didn’t require a lot to present a better face. I’ll mention a couple:
- Lack of session/seminar handouts. Being a below average note-taker, I may be more sensitive than most to this issue. Yet, I doubt that, given the choice, the majority of attendees wouldn’t have preferred to have from the very start a copy of the material to be presented. Why, then, is this the exception rather than the rule? Because, I presume, not enough people exert enough pressure on the issue.
- The Spanish Language Division became the victim of its own size. Its Appetizer Reception ($30 extra, no drinks) attracted huge numbers. The buffet line turned very long and slow moving (when moving at all). Impatience and complaints surfaced. I felt that by simply setting up two buffet areas instead of one the problem would have gone away. Additionally, there were very few tables and chairs in the room. Munching vertically is not my idea of enjoying a meal. Would I attend it again? A resounding yes, for the atmosphere was contagiously festive. No music was needed for the air to vibrate with Caribbean flair and accents.
The NCTA presence
As for the NCTA presence at the conference, we had some nice touches of our own. Tuomas Kostiainen and/or Yves Avérous were the usual occupants of our table. In the two evenings I replaced them, I received compliments from a number of onlookers from a variety of places, ranging from Argentina to Turkey. Three touches elicited their praises:
- The document holder displaying conspicuously the NCTA readers and topics for the day.
- The magnetic refrigerator cards, available to all, announcing the site (San Francisco, of course) and dates (Oct. 31 – Nov. 3, 2007) of the 48th ATA Conference.
- The centrally located bowl overflowing with Chinese fortune cookies, the bearers of good tidings this Conference to the next.
Concerning the latter, it surprised me to realize that many had not seen fortune cookies before. All seemed to enjoy them, however. Hence Tuomas’ insistence on making the cookies generously available at all times. Since then, I haven’t been able to disassociate his identity from the one of that lovable character of Sesame Street fame.
Yves portrayed an equally unforgettable image. The evening I replaced him at the NCTA table I found him by himself, but not alone. His Mac filled the vacuum. He showed me a couple of things he could do with it. His ample knowledge aside, I was even more impressed with the interaction: a man/machine dialogue carried out with merriment and intimacy. To my eyes, he handled his Mac as a sculptor handles his chisel. Blessed are those who love the worthy things they do … and the tools of their trade!
The Golden State was well represented. According to the final figures California topped the list with 130 attendees, followed by Texas (100), and New York (98). Canada led the international presence with 49 participants; Argentina sent 22, and Mexico 19. The total number of attendees was 1,261.
On to San Francisco!
By the time these lines are part of the Translorial, fewer than nine months will separate us from the 48th Conference. Little doubt exists in my mind of what an event it’ll be. Reasons, some already expressed, abound, not the least its location: The City That Knows How.
And that’s not a cliché, either.
Dec 1st, 2006 | ATA, Medical Translation, NCTA Info, NCTA Meetings, Reports, Translation | No Comments
By Raffaella Bushiazzo
This year our fall general meeting was a very special event, as translators and want-to-be translators were able to dedicate an entire weekend to increasing their professional knowledge and exchanging business cards and tips with fellow translators and agencies in an elegant environment.
To coordinate with ATA’s Medical Translation Seminar and our own NCTA MultiTerm Workshop for Trados users, we moved our quarterly meeting to Sunday, September 17th at the Embassy Suites Hotel in South San Francisco. The NCTA general meeting started with the traditional New Member Orientation, to help those who have recently joined NCTA learn more about the association.
Trials and questionnaires
Since the ATA seminar was on medical translation we chose to present on a connected topic. We invited David Himmelberger from Health Outcomes Group in San Francisco (http://www.healthoutcomesgroup.com/) to explain how clinical trials and health care questionnaires are designed and translated for multinational use; the translators role in this process; and what is expected from translators. Dr. Himmelberger’s presentation was rich in practical examples, detailed guidelines, and, not least, hilarious anecdotes.
Since the mid-1970s, Mr. Himmelberger has been involved in analyzing the results of medical treatments in terms of cost and quality of life. After many years as a biostatistician at Stanford University and experience in the pharmaceutical industry in strategic planning, international marketing research, and outcomes evaluation, Mr. Himmelberger founded Health Outcomes Group in 1987.
Today, there are no medical tests to prove that a treatment for a disease is working. For this reason, questionnaires are needed, to calibrate medical procedures to a common standard. But often these questionnaires need to be translated before they can completed by patients in different environments.
The translated documents must be absolutely true to the source, but at the same time in readable, natural-sounding language. Typical projects involve twenty countries at a time, where English is almost always the source language translated into other target languages, and adapted to each culture. The translation process is usually lengthy, involves a number of people, and presents difficult challenges to be solved.
The person who writes the original questionnaire, the source author, has an interest in staying involved at each step of the translation process—both to ensure accuracy and to make sure he or she shares in any additional fees. Two translators will then translate the text, working independently of each other. The resulting translations are sent to a linguist living in Italy who combines the two versions into one. This version is then back-translated back into English. At this point the translation is reviewed by the author, as well as by doctors and experts for a linguistic validation.
They take a small sample of users and conduct a dialogue with the patients to see if they fully understand the questionnaire and all of its nuances.
To be effective, a translation of this kind needs to meet two nearly paradoxical requirements, which is what makes the task so challenging. First, the source text is fixed and unalterable; since the developer doesn’t want to change the questionnaire in the original language, the linguist has to work around that to come up with solutions. Second, the translation also needs to sound natural in all the target communities and cultures!
How do we know what patients understand when they answer a questionnaire? Several techniques are used, often involving putting the patient at ease, listening to the vocabulary he or she uses, watching for visual cues, having questions prepared that address issues identified in the translation process, and the use of different interview techniques. Lastly, the translation is sent back to the target language linguist for a final approval.
Networking and goodies
Dr. Himmelberger’s fascinating talk was followed by a treat—a buffet of delicious cheeses and exotic fruit, elegantly served on the hotels fine china. It was a landmark weekend for NCTA, because we were able to offer our members so many professional enrichment events in such a short time. I was pleased to see the enthusiasm shown, as well as the number of first-time NCTA attendees and attendees from outside Northern California who joined us for this first-class event and presentation.
Feb 1st, 2005 | ATA, Conferences, Interpretation, NCTA Info, NCTA Meetings, Reports, Translation | No Comments
By Naomi Baer
It’s been a busy fall for NCTA, and several presentations on various members’ activities were given at the General Meeting in December. Tetu Hirai, Merav Rozenblum, and Celine Detraz all reported on their experiences at the ATA Conference held in Toronto in October, passing along highlights from presentations they attended and describing how they focused their time at the conference.
Tetu found that networking with other translators and agencies was especially useful to him, as was as a talk entitled “Digital Voice Recorder-Assisted Consecutive Interpretation,” in which a new technology was introduced that uses interpreter-controlled recording and playback devices to allow interpreters to free themselves from note-taking, and thus interpret simultaneously from their recording.
Céline had also attended this talk, and told us that she found it helpful to be exposed to new technologies in the industry. As a second-time attendee at the conference, she felt that she was better able to focus on the events that would be specific to her current needs. A highlight for her was being able to connect with colleagues and re-connect with the translation community after having been less involved after the birth of her child. She was particularly happy to have increased contact with NCTA, through other members attending the conference, and found that the conference was motivational for her both in her work and in her desire to be more active in the translation community.
A couple of other sessions as well stood out for Celine: “Internet Privacy for the Small or Home Office Environment,” where resources for addressing spam and spyware were discussed (see http://www.jill-sommer.com/en/presentation2.htm for details), and the session, “Self-Assessment and Quality in Simultaneous Interpreting.”
Merav, as a third-time conference attendee, also found it easier to focus her participation on those sessions of specific interest to her, and particularly enjoyed meeting colleagues and giving her own workshop on the Hebrew language. Other highlights for her were Peter Less’s talk on his experiences as an interpreter at the Nuremberg trials after WWII (read more in the ATA Chronicle’s September issue), the Literary Translation Division Café, and a talk by the first publisher of a Spanglish dictionary.
In local news, Michael Metzger reported on NCTA’s recent participation in the Localization World Conference in San Francisco, where workshops were given by Tuomas Kostiainen and Jost Zetzsche, and a panel presentation included participation by Sabine Hathaway and Christopher Niedermair. An NCTA table was maintained throughout the conference, where potential translation clients could stop by to learn about our organization and referral database, as well as pick up material from the ATA on how to go about getting high quality translations.
One of the biggest changes for NCTA this year has been our new website, and Laura Blijleven-Bergmans showed us how to use some of the site’s main features, including online renewals, updates of translator profiles, workshop registration, translator searches, and accessing the Translorial archive.
The meeting wrapped up with a chance to network as everyone helped with the end-of-year mailing, including ballots and candidate statements for the February 2005 election, along with renewal notices.
Feb 1st, 2005 | ATA, Interpretation, Outreach, Reports, Translation | No Comments
By Amanda Ennis and Lillian Clementi
In schools all over the United States, teachers are actively discouraging their students from studying foreign languages because “there aren’t any jobs besides teaching”- and this at a time when language capabilities are more critical to our national security and economic success than ever before. Some educators are so unfamiliar with our profession that they don’t even know the difference between translation and interpreting.
ATA is already working actively to change that. Along with the flashy press coverage the Public Relations Committee has garnered in its efforts to educate the public about translation and interpreting, there is another equally important side to the campaign – one that hums along quietly, often under the radar and away from the glare of the cameras. In 2003, ATA added a school outreach resource center to its website and began urging individual translators and interpreters to use the ready-made, age-appropriate materials now available online at http://www.atanet.org/ata_school/welcome.htm.
In the ten weeks following its debut, the school outreach page had over 8,000 hits. And in 2004, some 6,000 unique visitors have come to the site. From Surrey, UK to Sacramento, CA, translators and interpreters just like you are educating the next generation of language professionals – and the next generation of clients – in classrooms from grade school to graduate school. ATA is now actively recruiting volunteers to speak at schools in your area and to help coordinate the school outreach effort through a national speakers bureau.
And that’s not all. To encourage you to get your feet wet and see how much fun school outreach can be, ATA has launched a school outreach contest, with free registration for the 2005 ATA Annual Conference in Seattle, Washington, going to the winner. To enter, just have someone take a picture of you making a school outreach presentation at your local school or university and send it to the ATA Public Relations Committee at khendzel@asetquality.com (subject line: School Outreach Contest) or at 225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 590, Alexandria, VA 22314. Please include your name and contact information, the date, the school’s name and location, and a brief description of the class. The best photograph will win free registration to the 2005 Annual Conference in Seattle. The deadline for submissions is July 15, 2005, and the winner will be contacted by August 15, 2005. Any member of ATA or of any ATA-affiliated organization is eligible to enter.
We have made enormous strides, but there’s an enormous amount of work still to be done. It’s high time we got serious about this. The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is right now. Join us.
How To
Preparing and delivering an effective school outreach presentation can take as little as three or four hours, and one presentation a year is plenty.
Speakers bureau coordinators will essentially serve as relay points for requests from headquarters and need to commit only an hour or two per month. If you’re interested in volunteering or would like more information, please contact Lillian Clementi (lillian@lingualegal.com) or Amanda Ennis (germantoenglish@earthlink.net).
Dec 1st, 2004 | ATA, Continuing Ed. | No Comments
By Tetu Hirai
I took the recent ATA Certification exam and would like to pass on some advice in the hopes that it will benefit people who take the exam in the future. Most of this advice was offered by Tuomas Kostiainen during the workshop described below.
First and foremost, attend a certification exam workshop. I found this workshop to be invaluable in preparing for the actual exam. It is organized by the NCTA and offered twice a year, a few weeks before the exam itself. The workshop provides information on the structure and subject matter of the exam, as well as on the scoring system used to determine whether a person passes. It also allows attendees to “grade” a few sample sentences to help them get into the mindset of the grader.
Next, order practice translation passages. I strongly suggest that the exam taker order at least one practice exam and use that to prepare for the actual exam. These practice exams are corrected by the same people that grade the actual exams, and detailed feedback is given on what errors were found, as well as the total error points that are used to determine if someone passes or fails. To feel more confident during the actual exam, I ordered two passages and completed both in one sitting while timing myself for three hours. For more information, including ordering practice exams, visit http://tinyurl.com/5v2rp.
Buy a few mechanical pencils with rubber grips. I found the rubber grips reduced writer’s cramp because the pencil didn’t slip between my fingers as much, and helped me focus more on translating. Also, bring extra sticks of lead in case one breaks or you run out.
Bring a lot of dictionaries—you never know when they’ll come in handy.
If you finish early, close your eyes and rest for a few minutes. After this, you can go back and proofread your translations with a “fresh” set of eyes.
Taking advantage of some or all of these tips—and devising techniques of your own—can go a long way toward helping boost your confidence while taking the exam. Good luck!
Dec 1st, 2004 | ATA, Conferences | No Comments
Wth its cosmopolitan atmosphere and lively downtown nightlife, Toronto was a great fit for this year’s ATA Annual Conference. If the inaugural session started with the controversial report from an embedded journalist in the Iraq war, the conference went on smoothly with its traditional morning breakfast (1) and plethorra of workshops where you could find familiar people sharing their knowledge: members Andre Moskowitz (2) and Merav Rozenblum (3) & (4—with author Ilan Stavans signing his essay on Spanglish), and our very own Jost Zetzsche (5 & 6). At the NCTA table, Céline Détraz and Martin Hoffman (7) at my side, helped Tuomas and I promote the association. Special thanks also to Nuria Juhera for her collaboration. For more details on this year’s event, do not miss the next General Meeting on December 11, where a panel of attendees will relate their experiences in Toronto.
—Yves Avérous
What’s a nice gal like me doing in Las Vegas? That’s what I asked myself as I drove down “The Strip” to the Alexis Park Resort. Sin city. Tastelessly garish. But though much of Las Vegas is faux (Caesar’s Palace, the Venetian, et al.), there was nothing faux about the ALTA (www.literarytranslators.org) Conference, whose theme this year was “Art Both Ways: Translation Restoration Re-Creation.”
I began on Thursday with “Translating Dialect Literature,” in which panelists discussed the seemingly irresolvable issues involved in translating embedded or suggested dialect. Possible solutions included retaining the dialect word and contextualizing it; inserting a phrase stating that the character is speaking “x” dialect; inventing a dialect; and listening to how a speaker of the specific dialect speaks English and trying to reproduce how it sounds.
From there I went on to “The World in Language is Half Someone Else’s: the Translator as the ‘Other’ Author in Russian Literature.” Comments included references to the translator as resurrector, creator, and co-author, and the notion of literary ventriloquism in which the original author is presumably the dummy through whom the translator-ventriloquist speaks.
I resisted the post-lunch offering of “Some Sex Please… Eros in Translation” in favor of “Translating Italian Literature,” which explored the idea of translation—identified by one author as the act of molting, shedding the old skin while trying to retain the inner luminosity—into a translator’s second language (English), referred to as a traduzione inversa.
Thursday night’s Keynote address made reference to Jacques Derrida’s presumed deconstruction of the Tower of Babel myth: God didn’t destroy the tower because it was arrogantly trying to touch heaven, but because it represented an attempt at dominance by one language. The question is how to make the dominant language (English) enable without disabling.
On Saturday I participated in Alexis Levitin’s Bilingual Readings, and attended a program called: “Spreading the Word: The Art and Importance of Reviewing Literature in Translation” with Peter Filkins as moderator. This was of particular interest to me since I have been writing an article on the subject for some months now. The day concluded with an early evening program, “Looking Forward: Publishers on Literary Translation,” featuring editors from well-known presses.
No gamble here in Vegas: just a good bet for translators.
—Anne Milano Appel
May 1st, 2004 | ATA, Continuing Ed., Opinion | No Comments
The purpose of this letter is to reflect the main concerns expressed by many ATA members about the new hours-of-credit system underlying the Continuing Education Requirements now applicable to formerly accredited members.
We respectfully ask the Board and the Certification Committee to consider the following points:
1) These requirements do not apply to all, since those who will be 60 plus in 2007 are exempt, and they seem therefore discriminatory and unfair for the younger members of our community.
2) Some members work in very specific cutting edge domains and cannot learn much from the programs approved by the ATA. They have to rely on specialized publications and/or seminars to stay abreast of the changes occurring in their discipline.
3) Considering the current economic situation of the translation industry in this country, many members cannot afford to travel to the places where seminars and conferences are held. Some members also have family, health or other kinds of problems that prevent them from attending ATA approved events.
4) Assuming that the proposed hours of credit are accessible to every member, they still raise questions. Why limit them to 10 points per year? Continuous education is not always evenly distributed in a translator’s life. Also, many certifying bodies test their members regularly to verify that they have actually learned something new. How can the ATA be sure that its certified members have become better professionals after attending approved conferences, courses and/or seminars?
5) Members who comply with the prerequisite conditions and pass a difficult, rigorously graded exam, deserve this credential. There should be simpler ways of insuring they are still worthy of it over time. If they are still ATA members, employed full time years after passing the exam, chances are they are competent enough to stay certified. Besides, many members have attended classes or followed courses to improve their training before taking the exam; are they supposed to do it again to obtain the necessary points?
Sincerely,
—Michèle F. Landis, Language Chair for the English>French examinations.
May 1st, 2004 | ATA, Continuing Ed., NCTA Info, NCTA Meetings, Opinion | No Comments
By Tuomas Kostiainen
As you probably know by now, ATA’s continuing education requirement took effect at the beginning of this year. All ATA-certified translators need to accrue 20 Continuing Education (CE) points during each three-year period, with a maximum of 10 points per year, in order to maintain their certification. For further information, see ATA’s website at http://www.atanet.org/certification_change.htm.
This new requirement provides NCTA with an opportunity to organize more workshops, since more people are likely to participate in them, but it also means that we’ll have an even greater obligation to organize workshops and other educational events so that our members have as many different options as possible available to fulfill the requirement. Naturally, this wider selection of offerings will also benefit all the non-certified members. You don’t have to be a certified translator in order to enjoy the increasing selection of our workshops. After all, the point of CE points is not to collect points for points’ sake but to learn and become a better translator.
Obviously, the easiest way to fulfill the CE requirement is to attend the ATA Annual Conference two out of three years. You can earn 10 points with each annual conference, which means that two conferences in three years would be enough. Unfortunately, the cost can be relatively high, particularly if the conference locations happen to be far away.
However, the CE requirement doesn’t have to break your bank, since the credit grid also offers many other, less costly options. As an example, I wanted to show you a low-cost way to collect your required CE points with the help of NCTA. Our General Meetings, workshops and other educational events are the key to a versatile, affordable and local way to accomplish this. The table below gives an example where the only additional cost (in addition to your ATA membership fee) is the cost of one workshop in three years (generally only about $40!).
Naturally, you can mix & match various items depending on your preferences. If you can’t come to every General Meeting, take a workshop or two each year. Two 4-hour workshops each year already give you more than enough points at less than $100 a year—all tax-deductible.
Also, remember that local colleges and other organizations offer many interesting and useful courses that will give you CE points. However, if you feel that you can’t find suitable courses or workshops anywhere, let us know what you would like to learn. We are constantly looking for new workshop ideas.
As you can see from the table above, fulfilling your CE requirements does not necessarily mean long trips, expensive hotels and high conference fees. You can do it all here locally and affordably.
ATA membership – 2 points - Maximum allowed per 3 years is 2 points.
NCTA General Meetings - 1 point - Maximum allowed per 3 years is 12 points.
Published article on translation/interpreting (e.g. in Translorial) – 2 points – Maximum allowed per 3 years is 4 points.
NCTA workshop - 4 or more points – Maximum allowed per year is 10 points.
May 1st, 2000 | ATA, Reports | No Comments
Whether members of the American Translators Association should be able to sit for its accreditation exams outside the United States has been a contentious issue for more than a year. The following e-mail to Association members from ATA President Ann Macfarlane represents the latest development.
March 24, 2000
Dear ATA member:
The Board of Directors of the American Translators Association has received some communications about the recent Survey on international accreditation examination sittings and the subsequent Board decision on this subject. The Board has asked me to pass the following comments and clarifications to our ATA members.
1 ) A SURVEY, NOT A VOTE.
As was explained in the initial e-mail message that was sent out on February 14, this survey was not a referendum or a vote. The ATA Bylaws do not provide for the type of vote known as a referendum. Rather, it was an undertaking by the Board to learn the views of a substantial portion of the membership, in order to make a decision on the question of international examination sittings. For further information on voting, see Item #7 below.
2 ) TIMING OF THE SURVEY.
The Board believed that it was important to have the Survey results in time for the March 4-5 Board meeting. As you may know this issue was first raised a year ago, in March 1999. In July 1999 the scheduling of all international examination sittings was suspended in order to study the issue. Because the Forum held at the Annual Conference did not produce a decisive opinion one way or the other, the suspension was continued until March. At the March 2000 meeting this issue had been “on the table” for a year, and the Board felt that a year was sufficient time to reach a decision.
3 ) DISTRIBUTION OF THE SURVEY.
The ATA conferred with Industry Insights, Inc., a professional polling firm that had conducted the Compensation Survey last year, in order to decide how to do the survey. Industry Insights advised that since 83% of our members had an e-mail address, an e-mail poll would have the best chance of success. We also arranged to distribute the poll by fax and postal mail to members who had not provided the ATA with an e-mail address.
4 ) MISSED MEMBERS.
The Board apologizes to any member who did not receive the Survey. However, a very substantial number of members did receive the Survey and did fill it out. The survey was sent to every member for whom we had an e-mail address (6299 members). It was faxed to every U.S. resident for whom we had a fax number but no e-mail address (550 members) and it was mailed to every remaining member (584 members). Over 25% of ATA members -1875 people-returned their forms, which is an unusually high rate of response for any such survey. Industry Insights has confirmed that the results are statistically valid. This response rate means that the Survey does give a fair picture of the Association’s views.
5 ) DIVIDED OPINIONS.
The Survey results (now posted on the ATA Website) confirm the Board’s anecdotal impression that the membership is divided on this issue. At the Forum in November, equal numbers spoke on both sides of the issue. Messages the Board has received have been passionate on both sides of the issue. The comments submitted with the Survey were very strong, on both sides of the issue. Late entries also have been received on both sides of the issue. There is not a clear consensus on one side or the other.
6 ) RIGHTS OF MEMBERSHIP.
The only ATA examination sittings offered by the Association itself are those given at the Annual Conference. Under the Bylaws all members-active, associate, or corresponding-have the right to take accreditation examinations. By prohibiting members from organizing examination sittings in certain geographic locations and not in others, we would be restricting the rights of ATA members. The ATA is an Association governed by the laws of the State of New York and by our own Bylaws. Given this situation, the Board saw no alternative but to lift the temporary suspension on international examination sittings. In the Board’s view the clear preference expressed by the membership that all members be treated equally was further reinforcement for this decision.
7 ) PROVISIONS FOR CHANGE.
Members of the ATA who do not agree with the provisions of Section III of the Bylaws on the rights and privileges of members have the right, now or at any time to propose an amendment to those Bylaws. Article XIV of the Bylaws gives the appropriate procedure. Such an amendment, if proposed according to the proper procedure would be voted on by the membership at the Annual Meeting in September. This right, like other membership rights, will be supported by the Association in the usual way (publication of information and opinions in the Chronicle and inclusion on the ballot for the Annual Meeting).
8 ) FUTURE COURSE OF ACTTON.
The Board of the ATA is made up of a diverse group of volunteers, who serve without pay. Board members are translators, interpreters, freelancers, company owners, and educators -the colleagues and peers you elected to make decisions like this one-who have struggled with this issue for a year now. We have taken this issue seriously and have not made our decision lightly. We recognize that there are several difficult issues clustered around the question of whether to prohibit International accreditation examination sittings. We continue to study the responses that were submitted with the Survey and to consider the points that were made very seriously. The decision to commission a policy review of the Accreditation Program, and the study on International Certification that is now being conducted, are part of the Board’s response to these concerns.
We ask your understanding that these are not easy issues, and people of good will can have different views. The Board will continue to try to direct the Association in ways that best serve all members in their areas of concern, in accord with the purposes of our Bylaws.
I hope that this letter has clarified some of the issues pertaining to the Survey and the Board decision. Thank you to those of you who have taken the time to share your views.
Sincerely yours,
Ann G- Macfarlane
President
Feb 1st, 2000 | ATA, Conferences, NCTA Meetings, Reports | No Comments
by Amy Russell
The General Meeting held on December 4 featured presentations by NCTA members who attended the annual ATA conference in St. Louis. Three NCTA members gave short talks on a session they found especially useful or intriguing. They also provided handouts from the session so that members could use the material for reference or find out more information.
Alan Gleason described “National Geographic’s International Editions: Around the World in (At Least) Nine Languages Every Month.” He explained the procedures National Geographic uses to ensure consistency and accuracy in translations that occur simultaneously around the world for every monthly issue.
Michele Morainvilllers attended a session titled “Stumped? The Answer May be on the Net ,.. Somewhere,” which she found very helpful for doing research to find terminology on the Internet. Michele provided handouts showing sample search engine results and how to contact the presenters of this session.
Juliet Viola reported on a session that combined the extremely practical topic of SI units with the symbol of St. Louis, the Gateway Arch. [SI is the international standard for metric system units. -ed.] The seminar “Units of Weight and Measurement in Translation” included authoritative information on how to present SI units correctly. The detailed handouts included an exercise called “Converting the Gateway Arch to SI Units,” which showed how the English and American units used by the engineers to construct the arch would be converted to SI units.
If you are interested in obtaining a copy of the handouts for the December meeting, please contact the NCTIA administrator at 510/845-8712. Audio cassette tapes of the 1999 ATA conference are also available for purchase from Network Communications. Contact the NCTA administrator for an order form.
