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…
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This post was originally published on Madalena S谩nchez Zampaulo’s blog. It is reposted with permission. More and more translators are seeing the need to diversify their freelance businesses these days. Entrepreneur defines diversification as 鈥渁 risk-reduction strategy that involves adding product, services, location, customers and markets to your company’s portfolio.鈥 For many translators, the idea of diversifying their business may…
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This post originally appeared on New Statesman, and it is republished with permission. I once met a French translator of Shakespeare. My immediate reaction on being introduced to him was odd: I felt a stab of envy. This French translator, I felt, could get really close to Shakespeare; I myself, being neither an actor nor a producer, could only read…
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The Savvy Newcomer team has been taking stock of the past year and finding that one key priority for many freelance translators and interpreters has been diversification. Offering multiple services in different sectors or to different clients can help steady us when storms come. Diversification can help us hedge against hard times. With this in mind, we鈥檝e invited a series…
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This post originally appeared on High Income Business Writing, and it is republished with permission. Many writers dread having discovery calls with new prospects. Discovery calls are those first conversations you have with prospects where you discuss their need, their specific project 鈥 and hopefully, your fee. Writers dread these conversations for two big reasons: First, they don鈥檛 know what…
Read MoreInclusive Language Resources
As professional translators, we are often called upon to produce content that transcends linguistic and cultural barriers. Clients may look to us as key resources in getting their products, messages, and ideas into new markets. Upsetting target audiences by using language that is offensive or perpetuates stereotypes can be very problematic in most contexts. Whether you鈥檙e a newcomer or veteran…
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The hybrid format of this year鈥檚 Annual Conference brings with it new opportunities and challenges alike, for all attendees. Are you ready for the ins and outs of next week鈥檚 events, whether you are attending in person or virtually? Here are The Savvy Newcomer鈥檚 top ten tips for a successful hybrid conference: Attend Buddies Welcome Newbies Both the virtual and…
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We鈥檙e calling all members, followers, translators, interpreters, and students to participate in ATA鈥檚 interactive social media campaign to celebrate International Translation Day 2021. From September 27鈥揙ctober 1, 2021, ATA will release one to three interactive posts per day on each of its social media channels, inviting T&I professionals to interact with questions and prompts about their work. Posts will range…
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Landing your first gig as a freelance translator is easier when you understand yourself, your skills, and your strengths. Once you do, it鈥檚 all about conveying them effectively to potential clients through different avenues like social media, marketplaces, and agencies.
Read MoreEmotions in More than One Language
This post originally appeared on Psychology Today on August 18, 2011, and it is republished with permission. The language(s) of emotions in bilinguals There is a myth that bilinguals express their emotions in their first language (when they haven’t acquired both languages simultaneously), usually the language of their parents. Like all myths, there are instances when it is true. Thus,…
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As translators, the first draft of our translation is only a starting point. We need to verify the quality of our work before we send it off for publication. The following list is not comprehensive, but it will help us find most of the problems we have to solve. Check for completeness Go through every unit of meaning and make…
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