The Savvy Newcomer aims to serve newcomers to the translation and interpreting professions by publishing high-quality, peer-reviewed content on a weekly basis. We strive to provide you with the answers to the many questions you face as a new or aspiring translator or interpreter.
This post was originally published on听KGH Interpretation. It is reposted with permission.听 In 2022 I facilitated a session of the Language Access Caf茅 at the NCIHC Annual Membership Meeting and was asked to speak about interpreter self-care. Prior to the meeting, I decided to do an informal survey of medical interpreters asking them some questions about their mental health. I wanted to have a little bit of data that would clue me in on some of the issues interpreters were facing. While most of the results I shared during the AMM focused on stressors and supports, I also briefly shared…
Read MoreA Slammin鈥 Good Time at #ata57
For all our camaraderie, we translators rarely have the opportunity to get a glimpse of each other鈥檚 work. But at this year鈥檚 ATA conference, two translators will display their efforts for all the world to see. Watch French-to-English translators Jenn Mercer and Andie Ho go head-to-head in a Translation Slam at the American Translators Conference in San Francisco on Saturday,…
Read More5 Pitfalls to Avoid in Your Freelance Translator Web Copy
by David Friedman Imagine you are your own ideal client and you stumble across your translation website. Would you be able to find out everything you need to know from the website quickly and easily? Are the benefits clear enough to answer questions like, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 in it for me?鈥 or, 鈥淲hat makes this translator different from all the other translators…
Read MoreDeath by a Thousand Cuts
By Juan Lizama Reblogged from the Oregon Society of Translators and Interpreters blog with permission from the author It is not the complex syntax, long sentences or technical passages that dash the hopes of most candidates seeking to pass the 兔子先生 (ATA) certification exam. According to ATA exam graders Holly Mikkelson and Paul Coltrin, it is the many…
Read MoreWhat to ask your client before starting a translation
By Oleg Semerikov (@TranslatFamily) Reblogged from the Translators Family blog听with permission from the author (incl. the image) Every translation job is different 鈥 that goes without saying. Every client has their own set of requirements, and every job presents its own unique challenges. What can translators do to ensure a project goes smoothly from start to finish? Well, one of…
Read MoreThe Routledge Handbook of Interpreting: A Multifaceted Resource
By Helen Eby One of my resources is The Routledge Handbook of Interpreting, edited by Holly Mikkelson and Ren茅e Jourdenais. Its twenty-seven chapters cover a remarkably broad spectrum of topics relating to interpreting, with the following sections: historical perspectives, modes of interpreting, interpreting settings, and issues and debates. Each chapter is written by an expert in the field, sometimes two,…
Read MoreEntering the Big Game
How I started out only working for direct clients in my target language country, Sweden Background I decided to study to be a translator because I wanted the freedom of being self-employed along with the opportunity to do work I am passionate about. I also enjoy helping people from different cultures and backgrounds communicate with each other, so working with…
Read MoreMultilingual profiles on LinkedIn
By Catherine Christaki (@LinguaGreca) LinkedIn was launched in 2003 and is currently the third most popular social network in terms of unique monthly visitors, right behind Facebook and Twitter. LinkedIn is the world鈥檚 largest online professional network with more than 400 million members in over 200 countries and territories. More than half of all B2B companies are finding customers through…
Read MoreReview of the ALC 2015 Industry Survey漏
By Helen Eby Reblogged from the ATA Interpreters Division blog听with permission from the author (incl. the image) Founded in 2002, the Association of Language Companies (ALC) is a US-based trade association representing businesses that provide translation, interpretation, localization, and other language services. Its goal is to deliver timely information to its members to generate more sales, increase profits,听and raise awareness…
Read MoreAnalyzing the Message: Eugene Nida on language and culture
By Helen and Cynthia Eby Both translators and interpreters take a message across from one language and culture to another. They must communicate the message accurately, in order to produce the same effect in the target language as in the source language. But how can we know if a translation is good? According to the ILR Skill Level Description for…
Read MoreNetworking at a Conference: Chris Durban on and off stage
By Cynthia Eby & Bianca Dasso This April, I attended the VI Congreso Latinoamericano de Traducci贸n e Interpretaci贸n: El traductor despu茅s del ma帽ana (6th Latin American Translation and Interpreting Congress: Translator after tomorrow) in Buenos Aires. I was there watching and learning as I often have this year in my job as an administrative assistant for my mom, Helen Eby,…
Read More