Dec 1st, 2007 | ATA, Conferences, Reports, Russian, Translation | No Comments
By Nina Bogdan
How are changes in a language over the years noted and measured? One little-considered way is to identify the presentations made on it at successive ATA conferences.
One role of ATA in our modern world is to follow certain trends in the evolution of language use. These trends are linked to the commercial need for translators and interpreters in certain language pairs. The evolution of language in general is a fascinating topic, but love of language alone is not enough to ensure a language professional’s economic survival. The varied selection of Russian language workshops at the ATA conference this year covered many of its “flavors,” from “1001 Ways of Translating Children’s Poetry from Russian into English” to “Chemistry 1: Basic Nomenclature of Organic and Inorganic Compounds.” The latter workshop was, unfortunately, cancelled, but deserves mention as it represented the far end of the specialty spectrum.
The last twenty years have been significant for the Russian language. The breakup of the Soviet Union has actually caused a decrease in the use of Russian, as many former republics have moved to revive use of their own native, and neglected, languages and to discourage the use of Russian as the primary means of communication. In fact, according to Nicholas Ostler, in his book Empires of the Word, A Language History of the World, Russian is the only current top ten language which is “…set to lose speakers in the twenty-first century.”
The rejection of Russian is not difficult to understand if one is at all cognizant of the role of the Soviet Union on the stage of world politics in the 20th century. Nevertheless, it was during Soviet rule that literacy rose to unprecedented levels in Russia and its republics, and the success of this policy was due to the standardization of Russian in the schoolroom and beyond.
The ironclad control of the Soviet government over every facet of its citizens’ lives is no more, and the evolution of Russian continues as Russian society itself and its institutions continue to evolve. One of the workshops offered at the conference, “Translation and Corporate Governance in Russia,” would not have been offered twenty years ago, simply because there were no corporations in Russia—as the Western world knows them—until relatively recently. With the vocabulary of the commercial and financial worlds having become an integral part of the Russian language, terms such as “Joint-Stock Company” and “Limited Liability Company” are now commonly used and known. Nevertheless, the word “business,” which is directly transliterated into Russian, still does not have positive connotations for most Russians.
A workshop that delved into the vocabulary of the world of law was titled “Translating Court Forms: Lessons Learned.” Legal terminology in general is another evolving branch of the Russian language. The main idea of this particular workshop was that, to better serve the Russian émigré community in the U.S., the Russian language must be manipulated and massaged to encompass American legal terms and concepts—no easy task, to be sure.
Workshops on grammar are, by necessity, ubiquitous, and this year was no exception, with the offering of “Aid for the Imperfectly Articulate: Tips on English Article Usage.” The Russian language does not have articles such as “the” and “an”, which can make translations into English rather challenging. This is unlikely to change no matter how much Russian evolves.
Finally, a workshop at the conference titled “The Susanne Greiss Lecture: Lost in Translation—the Verbal Content of Visual Art,” discussed the concept that works of art are deeply rooted in verbal culture. This particular topic had a specific interest for language professionals but the topics of Russian art and literature in general are of endless and timeless interest. Interestingly, even during the Soviet era, when the Russian language was undergoing what might be termed forced or unnatural change (the language of political repression or the penchant for acronyms to disguise real meaning, for example), there was never any real attempt to negate the contributions to language by Russia’s greatest 18th and 19th century writers and artists, specifically, of course, Alexander Pushkin, who is generally acknowledged to be the creator of modern Russian.
Of course, “modern” Russian is a relative concept like anything else, since the Russian of Eugene Onegin, one of Pushkin’s most famous works, is not the Russian of today’s high-tech, computer-driven world. The opening of Russia to the West by Peter the Great gave impetus to the introduction of many “foreign” (that is, Western European) words which unquestionably changed the language but also made it richer. And today, few, if any, people will say “электронно-вычислительная машина” (electronic calculating machine) rather than the English import “компьютер” (computer). Some may argue that this is a pollution of “real” Russian by imported words, but what is Russian, if not the culmination of centuries of linguistic imports and infusions, adopted and adapted, that have served to create the multi-faceted, complex and uniquely beautiful language that we speak today?
As we move forward in the 21st century, we wonder with interest what new presentations will be offered on the language at upcoming ATA conferences.
Dec 1st, 2007 | ATA, Conferences, Reports | No Comments
By Sarah Llewellyn
For most NCTA members, getting to the conference meant a bus or BART ride, or a car or ferry in from the burbs. One attendee, however, had a slightly longer commute.
More than a million miles were traveled by delegates to attend this year’s ATA conference in San Francisco. A record-setting 1,850 translation professionals journeyed to California from at least five continents.
But who traveled the farthest?
Certainly one of the contenders would be Danish translator Charlotte Brasler, who came all the way from Sydney, Australia. A keen and active member of ATA who recently moved to Australia from Philadelphia, Charlotte was not going to let a mere 7,500 mile plane trip get in the way of attending the conference.
“There is nothing else like it in the industry,” she explained. “There are a lot of good lectures and knowledge to be had in just a few days, and it is the best way to network in this business. Plus, I love meeting up with my ‘cyber colleagues’ and supporting my small-language group.”
Charlotte’s small-language group would be Danish, although she takes a strong interest in all the Nordic languages, as well as anything to do with software.
“Translation is a great job,” she said, “but I was surprised at how important it is to know technology. You get nowhere if you are afraid of learning software and embracing new technology.”
After graduating from Copenhagen Business School with a Masters’ degree in Translation and Interpreting, Charlotte settled in Philadelphia, where she initially worked for a software company, taking on interpretation assignments on a part-time basis. After five years in a “corporate job,” she moved full time into what she calls her “true passion”—translation—and now specializes in medical and software texts. After a further five years in Philadelphia, in January 2007 Charlotte moved permanently to Sydney.
With projects coming to her from all over the world, being based in Australia has not diluted Charlotte’s business in any way. On the contrary, she has added a few Australian agencies to her client base. “The business is all global anyway, so it is less and less important where you are actually located.”
So how was Charlotte’s week at the conference? Did it live up to expectations? The answer to the latter was a resounding “yes.”
“Every day I went to a session that was eye-opening. I got something out of the conference that I can and will use every day.”
As for next year’s conference in Orlando (9,371 miles from Sydney), will Charlotte be attending? “Probably not,” she said. But it won’t be because of the extra flight. “I’m saving my money for the big 50th birthday bash in New York in 2009.”
Dec 1st, 2007 | ATA, Conferences, Reports | No Comments
By Sylvia Korwek
Ten years ago in San Francisco, during ATA’s 38th Annual Conference, the Spanish Language Division was born. A Happy Birthday is in order.
This year’s reunion and reception was marked by the usual exuberance, music, dancing, foodstuffs, and raffle prizes brought by members from lands near and far. There were flag labels to wear on our name badges and warm embraces for virtual friends—those unseen colleagues who keep in touch through the listserv and who are always ready to solve a translation dilemma and offer congrats or condolences. The listserv, Espalista, has proved an incredible translators’ home companion: a virtual community where you find friendship, support, and information—and woe befall you if you commit a mistranslation! You’ll be the object of funny but well-aimed criticism in the form of a virtual tomato. (One woman once received so many tomatoes she made virtual gazpacho.)
But it wasn’t always so. In the mid-nineties, and for several years in a row, the Board of Directors of ATA kept turning down the request for a Spanish Language Division. The reason they offered was that ATA already had too many divisions, and that they did not want to see the Association “fragmented.” It was a very hard excuse to accept, especially when your language group is the most numerous in ATA, and languages of much more limited diffusion, particularly those spoken in far fewer countries, had their own divisions to promote their interests and influence the quality of the offerings at ATA conferences.
At the conferences, the Spanish contingent—despite being the largest present, and the one that most heavily contributed to the financial well-being of the Association—saw its presentations suffer from a lack of appropriately sized rooms. Chairs were insufficient and we often spilled out into the hallways. Without an elected governing body and a mechanism, it was impossible to make the needs of the group heard and met. We refused to give up, however, feeling we were being consigned to second-class status. The solution, of course, was to vote new blood into the ATA Board.
The winds of change really blew in fresh, fast, and innovative when Anne MacFarlane became president. Attitudes turned 180 degrees, and all at once multiple divisions-in-the-making were started, nurtured for a year, and launched. Today every member is urged to “find his or her home within the association” by joining a special-interest division—or to join many or even all divisions. Furthermore, the $15 fee has been waived. And no mass defections or fragmentation have taken place.
Today, with ATA membership having reached the ten-thousand mark, room assignments for large contingents at the conferences have improved noticeably!
Dec 1st, 2007 | ATA, Conferences, NCTA Members, Reports | No Comments
By Ayano Hattori
It’s easy to sit back and let the national organization do everything when its annual conference comes to your city. But then, that’s not NCTA’s style.
Since the ATA national conference last came to San Francisco in 1997, the city has held the record for the largest number of attendees at the annual event. And naturally so—with our fine attractions, diverse culture, and, of course, our committed local translator community that makes the Bay Area language environment so special.
NCTA as a group proved this true as an enthusiastic host chapter to another record-breaking number of attendees—1,850 in all—by more than simply offering directions to nearby eateries. The goals as a host chapter were twofold. One was to play host to the attendees: to provide simple maps to the sights, tastes, and fun in and around town. The second goal was to promote the visibility of the chapter. NCTA is one of the largest and most active groups of ATA, so it was an opportunity to showcase the strengths of the organization and present the advantages of being a member.
These daunting tasks were tackled head on collaboratively by a volunteer team. Preparations began early in the year using the latest technology to communicate needs and ideas. NCTA veteran Sylvia Korwek said that the “contrast (to 10 years ago) is mainly technical.” Instead of calling each and every member, as was the case years ago, much of the communications was done electronically—a wiki, as well as a sign-up sheet for staffing the table, were set up online. Although recruiting volunteers proved a bit difficult in the beginning—perhaps because of the impersonal nature of the ubiquitous technology?—the NCTA table turned out to be well-staffed during the course of the conference.
Those who did volunteer did so with a terrific spirit. A couple of our colleagues even went so far as to personally show visitors around: neighborhood walking tours were coordinated by Naomi Baer, as was chantey singing on a boat, arranged by Maria Luisa Boden. Though hired per diem ATA staff could possibly fill the void, nothing beats the atmosphere created by both newbies with fresh feedback and seasoned veterans actively engaging with fellow industry members and offering knowhow and advice.
While the camaraderie was confirmed by the hubbub at the table, further, indirect PR efforts came from our many NCTA colleagues who were speakers at the event. Information on their sessions were on display at the table, not only reinforcing the strength of content that our chapter offers through periodic workshops throughout the year, but also demonstrating that the organization’s membership itself includes a fine set of experts on many topics. NCTA vice president Yves Avérous, speaking on the latest on wikis and blogs, even had mentions in his session of the latest online NCTA presence stemming from our host role. Truly, hosting the conference was a display of professional credibility and welcoming pride that comes with being an NCTA member.
Dec 1st, 2007 | ATA, Conferences, Outreach, Related organizations, Reports | No Comments
By Ines Swaney
Put a bunch of fifth-graders into a bilingual immersion school, introduce them to poetry, and then teach them to translate it, and what do you get? The sky’s the limit.
Shortly before the start of the ATA Conference in San Francisco, I was asked by Kirk Anderson of ATA to be part of a unique presentation sponsored in part by the San Francisco-based Center for the Art of Translation (CAT). I was to be part of a two-person team scheduled to speak about languages and the translation profession in general to a fifth-grade class at Monroe Elementary School in San Francisco, which has a K-5 Spanish/English immersion program. My partner in the presentation was Tony Beckwith, an ATA colleague from Austin whom I had never met.
Our presentation would take place during a special class period known as “PIO”—Poetry Inside Out, the innovative program developed by NCTA member and CAT President Olivia Sears. In PIO, kids of various backgrounds—many Hispanic, but also Asian, African-American, and Caucasian—are taught poetry, which they learn to translate before beginning to write poems of their own.
Originally the plan was for Tony and me to speak for about five minutes each, followed by questions and answers. Then, if time remained, we would have the opportunity to listen to and enjoy some of the poetry the students had been translating. To begin, Tony pointed to various geographical regions on a world map. Although Tony was born in Argentina, at a young age he moved with his parents to Uruguay. When my turn came, I also used the map to explain that I had been born in Venezuela to parents who had arrived from Hungary.
By a show of hands, we learned that many of the children in this class came from families where a language other than English is spoken at home. Tony and I each commented that our respective home situations while growing up had been similar to theirs, because English was the language predominantly spoken at home by Tony’s family in Argentina and Uruguay, and Hungarian was the language spoken at my home in Venezuela.
Throughout our presentation the children often raised their hands and asked questions, sometimes thoughtful and intelligent, sometimes funny. Tony and I explained the differences between translating and interpreting, the subtleties involved in accurately conveying meaning in another language, how much we enjoy working between English and Spanish and the variety of situations we find ourselves in professionally. For a few minutes we also demonstrated to the students the skill of simultaneous interpreting.
Simultaneous excitement
As Tony proceeded to explain some details about the profession, I interpreted his comments simultaneously into Spanish while noticing the kids’ undivided attention. Most, of course, understood the two languages that could be heard at virtually the same time. We pointed out that speaking more than one language is a definite asset that will undoubtedly enrich any field, occupation or career these kids were to pursue in the future. “Baseball player,” said one kid; “veterinarian” said another, when asked what they’d like to be when they grew up. I then went on to explain how being bilingual would make them more valuable as individuals and employees, and how knowing a second language would enrich their professional prospects in the specific careers they had mentioned.
An audible “Ooooh!,” conveying admiration, could be heard in the classroom when Tony mentioned that he had recently served as Spanish interpreter in Miami for the Democratic presidential candidates’ debate hosted by Univisión. Likewise, the children appeared to be impressed when I confessed to being the Spanish-language recorded voice of the California Lottery. Just by calling the toll-free number 1-800-LOTTERY from any phone from within California they would be able to hear me.
Perhaps that explains why we were made to feel like celebrities at the end of the presentation. Inspired by one student, most of them asked both of us for our autographs. At least one of the boys said to Tony, “when I grow up, I want to do what you do!” From looking at the faces of the rest of the students, we could see that new horizons had been opened to them.
The presentation that we had planned for just five minutes each lasted over an hour, thanks to the enthusiasm and interest on the part of the students. For both Tony and me, being part of this year’s pro-bono activity on behalf of the American Translators Association was one of the highlights of the Conference.
Dec 1st, 2007 | Conferences, Court Interpretation, Related organizations, Reports | No Comments
By Luba Chernov
The California Federation of Interpreters met this year in San Francisco to discuss vital issues in interpreting.
Court interpreters are a special breed. They live and work in real time, just like hardcore financial investors. And like those professionals, they have to keep their unique, essential skills honed at all times.
To help court interpreters do that, CFI has made it a San Francisco tradition to host a series of annual Continued Education Conferences. This year’s conference was held October 5th through 7th at the newly renovated Cathedral Hill Hotel.
The conference started on a somewhat heroic note, as it ran concurrently with the strike of our comrades-in-arms: the court interpreters in Region 1 (Los Angeles and Santa Barbara). Mary Lou Aranguren, chief spokesperson for the union, was our “embedded reporter,” sending her passionate email dispatches twice a day from the LA trenches to the Bay Area court interpreters’ community. Her general message was, “even the staunchest among us are no more driven than striking interpreters.”
I attended the conference on Friday, October 5. The soundtrack for it was provided by the roaring Blue Angels practicing their deft maneuvers in the blue expanse of the San Francisco skies. The conference started at 6:30 p.m. sharp. The agenda of that day included two hands-on expert-led presentations by a former public defender and a supervising attorney of the family violence law center.
Public defense
James McWilliams, former public defender of the Alameda County, was the first presenter. He kept the audience under a continuous spell reminiscing in a lively manner and drawing on his vast, eventful experience. Early in his presentation Mr. McWilliams pointed out that the role of a court interpreter has substantially evolved. When he started his career in the early 1970s, there was only one Spanish interpreter in Alameda County. Nowadays, of course, you cannot get by with one Spanish-language interpreter; you need many, and in many languages. Indeed, as Mr. McWilliams pointed out, the public defender’s office strives to secure competent and vigorous representation for its clients.
Further, technical innovation in the form of PDAs, Blackberries, laptops, cell phones, and listening devices has reached the realm of courtrooms and law offices, allowing interpreters, lawyers, judges, and support staff to have their business offices on the go, without missing a beat.
Mr. McWilliams also spoke about the evolution of the trial system, including jury trials. Unlike in the early 1970s, when a jury was likely to be composed of only white males, a jury in the courtroom of the 21st century is represented by speakers of Chinese, Singh, Russian—in a word, by every ethnic group of in diverse, present-day society.
Domestic violence
After a short break, Tara Flanigan, a veteran in domestic violence and civil litigation and a supervising attorney in the Family Violence Law Center in Berkeley, took the rostrum as the second presenter.
She shared her knowledge and expertise of such ubiquitous topics as civil domestic violence restraining orders, domestic violence court, child custody and visitation, and legal options for survivors. “Without you, stoical court interpreters,” she emphasized a number of times, “my job would be impossible!”
Ms. Flanagan gave a broad definition of domestic violence, which included physical, sexual, verbal, and psychological attacks, as well as economic coercion used against intimate partners for the purpose of obtaining power and control.
Both presentations were followed by lively Q&A sessions. The three hours of the Friday evening seemed to fly like a nanosecond. Saturday and Sunday promised to be even more enticing. After the conference, walking to the BART station with my colleague, I thought to myself, “Like a prudent money manager, I invested wisely: I saw the CFI community at its finest, its best.”
Dec 1st, 2007 | ATA, Conferences, NCTA Meetings, Reports | No Comments
By Sarah Llewellyn
With the 2007 ATA Conference taking place in San Francisco for the first time in 10 years, the event was an obvious choice for the theme of the September 15th General Meeting. Take a panel of past convention-goers sharing experiences and advice, throw in a free conference pass as a door prize, and you’ve got all the makings of a lively and informative get-together.
Before Yves Avérous called the meeting to order at 1:45 PM, board director Naomi Baer sat down with a small group of new NCTA members to conduct a half-hour orientation session. When it came time for association business, the focus, needless to say, was on the conference. Yves Avérous requested resources for print material, Paula Dieli asked for contributions to NCTA’s conference “wiki site,” and Naomi Baer solicited volunteers to sign up for shifts at NCTA’s conference table.
The General Meeting began at 2 PM. Yves welcomed the panel—Renate Chestnut, Robert Killingsworth, Paula Dieli and Karen Tkaczyk—and introduced each member with a summary of their respective biographies.
The veterans’ perspective
First to share her conference experiences was Renate Chestnut, the panel’s self-confessed “conference veteran.” Renate is a German freelance translator who attended her first ATA conference in 1988 and has been attending alternate years ever since.
A specialist in medical/pharmaceutical translations, Renate now enjoys most of all the social aspect. However, she was keen to stress the opportunity for making industry contacts. And she should know: one of the first contacts she made outside her freelance business was at an early ATA conference, and ultimately led to a position at the esteemed Monterey Institute of International Studies. Renate recommended attending as many sessions as possible and also praised the Job Exchange, which she said was a good way to see other people’s resumés and pick up tips.
Next to offer conference advice was Robert Kllingsworth, a freelance French-to-English translator who specializes in financial and business texts, and who will be presenting a session on “Getting the Terminology Right in Financial Translations” at this year’s conference. Another regular conference attendee, Bob attended his first ATA conference in 1996 and has missed only two since.
While little direct business has come Bob’s way from the conferences, he has found them enormously beneficial in terms of getting to know fellow translators. Of the contacts he has made over the years, many have been translators he had interacted with only in online forums. Bob also reminded audience members who are ATA certified that the conference is a valuable way of accumulating continuing education points.
For Paula Dieli, this year’s conference will be her fourth. Paula’s background is in IT, and at the time of her first ATA conference she was considering leaving her job as a software engineer to become a full-time translator. She therefore viewed the conference as a chance to explore the field of translation before deciding whether to go into it permanently.
By her third conference, Paula was working full-time in translation. Her advice to first-time delegates: be prepared for some serious networking, have plenty of business cards and resumés, practice a 30-second self-introduction in front of the mirror, and introduce yourself to as many people as possible. She also recommended sitting in on sessions that are “different.”
Thoughts of a newbie
Last to share her thoughts on attending the conference was Karen Tkaczyk, who translates from French into English in the highly specialized field of chemistry and its industrial applications, and whose experi¬ence comes from last year’s event in New Orleans.
The New Orleans conference met some of Karen’s expectations, failed to meet others, and exceeded some she didn’t know she had! The orientation and general business advice sessions were particularly helpful, she found, and the opportunity to network with colleagues was an excellent way to build relationships. Like the other panel members, Karen enthused about some of the sessions she had attended that were outside her area of interest.
Q&A—and a winner!
Before beginning the Q&A session, a ticket was drawn for the door prize of a free conference pass. The lucky winner was Norma Kaminsky.
The Q&A session turned out to be an opportunity for audience members to share their own tips, such as checking to make sure publicized sessions are still going ahead (cancellations and substitutions are not uncommon) and not being afraid to walk out of a session if it does not live up to expectations.
Before the meeting wrapped up and Naomi reminded everyone of the events NCTA would be organizing during the conference, each panel member was presented with a fancy box of Joseph Schmidt chocolates. The ATA conference: how sweet it can be.
Sep 1st, 2007 | ATA, Conferences, Reports | No Comments
By Jacki Noh
It was almost 20 years ago when I attended my first ATA conference, held in Washington, D.C.; it was also my first trip to the nation’s capital. What a treat it was to see the unforgettable colors of autumn with its changing leaves. It had been nearly a decade since I had left Korea and last tasted an autumn such as that.
Although I started working as a part time translator and interpreter three-and-a-half years prior to this conference, financial and time commitments—more financial than time, for sure—made it difficult for me to attend. But after finding a place to stay with an ex-coworker and securing a cheap airfare, I eventually found myself at a welcome reception for first-time attendees on the conference’s first day. I felt nervous, and engaged in awkward small talk with other translators who looked equally lost and bewildered. It didn’t take very long to realize that I was not just the only Korean translator/interpreter at the welcoming reception, but also the only Korean translator/interpreter at the entire three-day conference!
Obviously, it was difficult to find any educational sessions during the conference that were directed towards Korean interpretation and translation. I envied translators going to sessions specifically designed for their language combinations. So instead I started making friends from all over the United States, England, France, Japan, and Germany, to name just a few of the countries represented; friends who would become future roommates and friends at the numerous subsequent ATA conferences I would attend.
As very little interest in my work was expressed among potential users and translation company representatives, I honestly didn’t think my trip to Washington was successful in terms of my business, despite the fact that I had made many new friends. However, those friends turned out to mean more than I would have ever thought, as—upon my return to San Francisco on what turned out to be the day of the Loma Prieta earthquake—they immediately tried to contact me, expressing concern for my safety. I was immensely touched and moved.
Not only did my professional career get a boost but more importantly, precious friendships developed during the conference. If I, the sole Korean translator, experienced those unexpected benefits, just imagine all the more numerous educational and networking opportunities you will have if your working language happens to be French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, or Arabic. Now I am a strong believer that there’s something for everyone at the ATA conference. Please come and experience it!
May 1st, 2007 | Conferences, Medical Interpretation, Reports | No Comments
By Judit Marin
On March 2 and 3, the California Healthcare Interpreters Association celebrated its seventh Annual Conference in San Jose. With a wide range of presentations, events, vendors, and networking opportunities, this dynamic organization continues to make a difference.
The theme of this year’s conference, Competency or Complacency? Let’s Stand Up for Quality, offered a wealth of activities for anyone working in the healthcare interpreting field or concerned with overcoming language barriers to quality healthcare.
Some of the conference highlights included training sessions for interpreters on consecutive interpreting skills, mental health interpreting, creating effective resumés, telephonic interpreting, and standards of practice. Other sessions were specifically tailored to trainers and managers, addressing bilingual employee skill development, language access tools, performance measures, and web-based training. Two highly informative panel discussions about certification and recent legislative developments relating to healthcare interpreting were well attended and sparked lively conversations. This year’s conference presenters, vendors, and attendees came from all over the United States and represented key stakeholders in many disciplines within our budding profession.
Certification and Awards
The issue of a certification test for healthcare interpreters took center stage. The panel on certification issues helped attendees to explore the highly complex nature of a nationwide certification process, one with legitimacy and credibility. In what represents a significant step forward, the National Council on Interpreting in Healthcare and the telephonic interpreting company Language Line Services, Inc., reported on separate initiatives that are under way to bring stakeholders together in a series of meetings to start planning for a certification process, the details of which are still being worked out. The field sorely lacks any formal mechanism for measuring competency and skill. These announcements are the first concrete step toward filling that gap.
One of the most exciting events of this year’s conference was the presentation of the first annual CHIA Trainer and CHIA Interpreter of the Year Award. Nora Goodfriend Koven, MPH, coordinator and lead instructor for the Healthcare Interpreter Program within the department of Health and Community Health Studies at City College of San Francisco, was honored for her hard work and dedication as a healthcare interpreter trainer, educator, and curriculum author. A five-member interpreting team from Stanford Medical Center, including NCTA member Charo Valesquez, received the Interpreter of the Year Award. It is particularly fitting that this award go to a team of interpreters, who, with their combined efforts, help ensure equal access to healthcare services for a wide variety of community members from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
Another highlight of the conference was the Friend of CHIA Award, which was presented to Freek Lankhof, founder and owner of Intrans Book Service, a primary source for monolingual, bilingual, and multilingual dictionaries, language and translation study materials, and related publications for professional translators and interpreters. Freek was honored for his deep professional and personal commitment to helping interpreters acquire the professional tools they need to better perform the complex work they do.
The Competency or Complacency conference theme could not have been more timely. As the healthcare interpreting profession moves forward, the issue of ensuring accessible and quality services has never been more urgent. This year’s conference succeeded in providing continuing training, education, and networking opportunities for those who work hard to eliminate the barriers that prevent access to quality medical care for limited-English-proficient communities.3
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
