ATA Interpreters Division

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When training options are limited: Stepping into the gap

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By Sandra Dejeux and Marco Hanson Houston Sandra Dejeux: For years, I had thought that court interpreter training to prepare for state and federal exams was essential, but not enough. We needed more. Texas was in dire need of a comprehensive course that went beyond the six-hour orientation required by the state to qualify candidates for testing. The goal would be to help … [Read more...]

Interpreting in the face of a pandemic

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By Carol Shaw On January 21, 2020, the state of Washington reported the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States; on February 29, it announced the country’s first COVID-19-related death. The virus has since spread across the country, just as it has around the globe. And as the world hunkers down against COVID-19, those of us who work in language access services … [Read more...]

Vicarious trauma and interpreters

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By Cristina Helmerichs The first time I heard of interpreters experiencing vicarious trauma was in 2000. First it was mentioned in relation to the interpreters working during a trial related to the Balkan Wars at the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague. But the idea was quickly expanded to include all interpreters working directly with victims of crime and/or … [Read more...]

Conference or court interpretation: Combining specializations

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By Esther M. Hermida This article is written from the perspective of a Spanish<>English interpreter, for US court and conference interpreters who, while comfortable in their respective niches, might be curious, or even actively looking into combining the two. There are many interpreters who have successfully done so. There is an undeniable appeal to conferences: the … [Read more...]

Report: Compensation of Court Interpreters in the State of New York

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The knowledge, skills and abilities needed to perform the job of court interpreting are grueling. Staff and freelance interpreters nationwide have been struggling to improve their pay, benefits and working conditions without much success. Therefore, our colleagues Sandro Tomasi, Mary Lou Aranguren, Milena Calderari-Waldron and Robert Joe Lee took a new approach. They wrote a … [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...]

NAJIT Annual Conference 2017: Call for papers

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The National Association of Judiciary Interpreters & Translators (NAJIT)'s 38th Annual Conference will be held in the greater Washington DC, during May 19-21, 2017. Call for papers Interpreters and translators are invited to submit proposals on a variety of topics: Ethics, Medical Interpreting, Skills Development, and Situation Management to name only a few. Deadline to … [Read more...]