by the Blog Team This past August, the Interpreters Division (ID) of the American Translators Association (ATA) sent out a survey seeking insight into the financial impact on our members of the COVID-19 pandemic and possible relief provided by the government assistance programs. A little over 10% of our membership responded, representing 41 states and territories. We also … [Read more...]
Report from California – AB 5
By Lorena Ortiz Schneider What is AB 5 and why does it exist? Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5) was authored by Assembly member Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego and enacted on January 1, 2020. This bill sought to codify, even as it expanded, the State Supreme Court Dynamex decision of 2018, a wage order claims decision. In Dynamex, the State Supreme Court changed California’s … [Read more...]
Request for pro bono interpreters in NYC
Dear interpreter colleagues, This request was forwarded to the ataTalk mailing list and we thought it could be of interest to anyone willing to volunteer in the NYC metro area. Additionally, with input from several colleagues, we compiled a list of organizations that are looking for pro bono interpreters and/or translators. Please help us make this list as comprehensive and up … [Read more...]
What a Speaker’s PowerPoint Won’t Tell—And the Interpreter Needs to Find Out
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The more skillful and/or experienced a speaker, the more likely the content of his talk will be in his head rather than on his slide deck. Some speakers will stuff each of their slides with text and simply read them out to the audience, and if the interpreters are able to get hold of the PPT presentation beforehand, they just need to study the text and terminology carefully in … [Read more...]
New Code of Conduct for Washington State Judiciary Interpreters
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FROM THE EDITOR Along the path of our skilled professions and amongst the passing of time we take our hats off and thank those individuals who work so hard advocating for our daily presence either translating or interpreting in a breadth of settings throughout the world. It is through their baby steps and consistent moving forward do they achieve what you are about to … [Read more...]
Interpreting Silicon Valley: A Work in Progress
By Juan Pino-Silva All interpreters have stories to tell: The changes in their lives; the adjustments they make. In this post, Juan Pino-Silva explores the case of the interpreter who relocates within the US, his hopes and frustrations. His new network and equipment. The post is one of many narrative pieces the author is collecting for a larger project called … [Read more...]
Why provide a forensic transcription translation?
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By Helen Eby, in consultation with Teresa Salazar Recently, I was asked if I could be an expert witness regarding whether the interpreting provided in an interview that was recorded on video was accurate. I would go to the attorney’s office, watch the video and be deposed regarding the accuracy of the interpreting in this video, and later be ready to testify in court. … [Read more...]
Washington State: Leading the Way for Professional Interpreters
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Washington State has long been a beacon for software development and language access. Traditionally, the state has paid interpreters through language companies. To cover their costs, companies would retain about 40% of the money the state pays for interpreting services. A bill in 2010 granted freelance interpreters unionization rights for appointments paid by two Washington … [Read more...]