Slavic Languages Division (American Translators Association)
Long-time SLD member and Russian translator Galina Korovina passed away unexpectedly earlier this month. She left no family behind, and her friends have organized a GoFundMe, which can be found here, to help cover her funeral expenses. We can help by donating or sharing the link to spread the word.
If anyone has any memories of Galina, please feel free to share in the comments.
Steven McGrath, SLD Administrator
At long last, I am reaching out to you in the first administrator’s column on the SLD Blog. I acknowledge that it would have been ideal to update you on events in the division sooner, especially since this has been an eventful year for the ATA and SLD, but, as is fitting at the year’s end, I can now report to you a summary of challenges overcome and successes for our membership.
The first success I’d like to mention is the SLD website and blog where you are reading this column, which is now our division’s primary organ. After some technical difficulties earlier in the year, website administrator and blog editor Eugenia Tietz-Sokolskaya has started to right the ship. Starting in May, she oversaw the first member-submitted articles on the blog, a series on translation quality by Mikhail Yashchuk and a guide to generative AI by Viktoryia Baum. The blog is now publishing the post-conference staples of session reviews and newcomer first impressions, as well as administrative updates, announcements, and job opportunities. Kudos to Eugenia and to all SLD Blog contributors!
In speaking of the conference, it was a pleasure seeing many of you at ATA65 in Portland. Special thanks to Eugenia, John Riedl, Olga Bogatova and Shelley Fairweather-Vega for presenting under the Slavic Languages topic category. Thank you as well to SLD members who presented under other topics – I tried to attend them all when the schedule would allow.
Preparations for ATA66 in Boston are already well underway, so I encourage you all to consider presenting sessions. The call for proposals typically goes out in January, so start brainstorming now! SLD’s leadership council has already decided on a nominee to be the Susan Greiss Lecturer in Boston: British literary translator Robert Chandler, who has made an incredible mark on the profession over the course of his distinguished career – including his highly praised translations of the works of Vasily Grossman, to name only one of many authors. He has been on the SLD’s short list of speakers for several years now, and both Paul Gallagher and Nora Favorov, respectively our incoming and emerita Greiss Lecture sherpas, endorsed him in a competitive process.
The past year was quite productive for SLD volunteers. Halla Bearden has been steadily recording interviews for the Slovo podcast, notably with Viktoryia Baum concerning, among other things, her experience with NASA, and also with the Language Technology Division administrative team Daniel Sebesta and Bridget Hylak. An interview with Polish>English literary translator Phillip Boehm has been ready for some time and the link should go out to SLD members shortly. SLD’s social media moderators – Mikhail Yashchuk for the LinkedIn group, Anna Livermore for the Facebook group, and Julia Thornton for the Google listserv – helped spread the word on various opportunities and requests made known to the division.
Moving the administrator’s column to the SLD Blog seems a bit like the start of a new era, and in some ways this reflects changes in the ATA and in the profession as a whole. The sustaining force for any organization in times of change is the energy of its members. Next year, the columns will become regular again, we will have our own Greiss Lecturer at the conference, and there will be new initiatives in new formats. In 2024, a year of transition marked by staff turnover and technological changes at ATA headquarters, we were fortunate to have an enthusiastic body of volunteers who helped us connect with each other and stay abreast of the industry. Thank you all! I look forward to working with you again in 2025!
by Stephen Rifkind
Originally published on Stephen’s blog, Tip of the Tongue. Reposted with permission.
I had the pleasure of attending the American Translators Association conference in Portland, Oregon and have even recovered from the jet lag (more or less). As with all packed events, it takes some time to absorb all the impressions and information, especially when more than 1500 people attend and share their perspectives. Looking back, the conference was remarkable for the matters people discussed and no less for what they did not discuss, producing great food for thought on the future of the profession.
This large national conference featured, as always, a great variety of lectures, amazing networking opportunities and a national, if not global, view of the profession. The presentations, with a choice of 9 different topics in each time slot over 3 days, varied widely, with topics ranging from approaches to technological matters and specific markets to directed advice for experienced and new translators alike. The two most striking features were the quantity of presentations for interpreters, which indicates the vivacity of this field, and the emphasis on specific markets and issues for translators. I confess that while I gave two presentations (project-based quotes and how to make a presentation), I failed to attend a lecture not because I was not interested but because the conversations in the hallways were far more tempting, relevant and important. I had learned from my previous ATA conference 5 years ago (BC – before Corona) in Palm Springs that it is impossible to talk to each to each and every person at a conference with more than 1,000 people. Therefore, this time I strived to have longer and more impactful conversations with fewer people. This approach was less stressful and more effective in building contacts, the most important purpose of an industry conference. From these conversations, I gained a feel for the spectrum of the language specialist industry, the business trends, and the hopes and fears of translators and interpreters in all fields. This conference provided much information on the state of the industry.
Of no less importance were the topics and statements I did not hear. First, nobody expressed the thought that AI was the death of the industry. As in all technological innovations, some language specialists were more enthusiastic about ChatGPT than others. However, I did not hear any extreme forecast of the imminent disappearance of AI or it replacing human translators. In the same vein, I did not hear about people wishing to leave the industry due to the changes in the market and translation technology, only the search for how to adapt to and effectively adopt them. Finally, I did not hear complaints about low rates. To clarify, people mentioned irrelevant and/or ridiculous rates proposed by certain agencies. However, the translators stated them as facts that are a part but not the whole of the industry. In short, I heard no prognosis of the impending death of the human translation industry.
Between the said and unsaid, I understand, perhaps incorrectly, that the future of the translation industry depends on adapting to the everchanging landscape of technology and markets and providing support to new translators to help them navigate it. AI, just as machine and neural translation, is changing the manner in which translation providers and buyers operate. This process began decades ago with the major difference today being the pace of development. This rapid evolution creates a “future shock” syndrome even for younger professionals. Yet, each person has the freedom to leverage technology depending on their individual niche, willingness and skill. It is not an all or nothing matter but a much more subtle evolution. Concurrently, markets are changing. Some 20 years ago, local or national agencies dominated the industry, handling all types of texts. Today, multinational agencies rely on volume, causing freelancers to specialize and reach out directly to customers in order to achieve rates that allow them to earn a living. Moreover, customers no longer need to pay a human translator to handle a simple text for personal use as ChatGPT or even Google Translate handles them quite satisfactorily. As in many industries, translators must specialize, such as in the fields of medicine, law and marketing. Finally, while it was never easy, new translators find establishing a translation business quite complicated and confusing. The relevance of national translator organizations has thus only increased as they can and do provide vital information that allow newcomers to quickly find and establish themselves in this complex market. The road alone is more difficult than ever. The world of translation and interpreting is not disappearing but constantly evolving, requiring language providers to adapt accordingly.
One of the purposes of national conferences is to provide a wide-angle picture of the industry, similar to the image produced by the multiple eyes of a fly. ATA65 presented an industry in transition but healthy and vibrant, not to mention ambivalent about the changes that are occurring but facing them at the same time. Attending it was an intense but rewarding experience for me personally. I strongly recommend any translator or interpreter, whether experienced or new to the profession, to attend such events and join your national or regional organization. To paraphrase John Donne, no translator must or should be an island. Each is part of a larger and inspiring industry as I rediscovered this month. Translators, interpreters and conferences do matter.
Stephen Rifkind has been a translator for 20 years (Hebrew, Russian, and French into English) and an English lecturer for some 30 years. He specializes in legal and financial translation as well as official documents.
This year’s SLD Dinner was held on October 31, 2024, at Kachka, an Eastern European restaurant not far from the Oregon Convention Center. Over 30 people attended and enjoyed delicious food, unique decor, and excellent conversation. The photo above shows those remaining at the end of the evening – we were too busy enjoying ourselves to remember to document the event earlier!
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing reviews of sessions and the conference as a whole. If you attended and would like to share your impressions or a session review (even if unrelated to Slavic languages), shoot me an email at eugenia@sokolskayatranslations.com. Stay tuned!
Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Slavic Languages Division
of the American Translators Association
September 29, 2024, 2:00 EDT
Held online via Zoom
Steven McGrath, Administrator; Natalia Postrigan, Assistant Administrator
Just one month until the 65th ATA Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon (October 30 – November 2, 2024)! Early bird registration rates have been extended until October 7, so if you haven’t already, register now to lock in that good deal. Standard registration will be available October 7-14, and late registration rates apply after October 14.
Already registered? Wondering what to do on Thursday evening? Join SLD at our annual dinner at 8 PM at the Eastern European restaurant Kachka. Seats are limited and they’re filling up! Check your inbox for information from ATA HQ, or contact Natalia Postrigan to reserve your spot.
The Slavic Language Division’s annual meeting is on Sunday, September 29, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM (ET).
Don’t miss out on the chance to share your common interests and shape upcoming division initiatives! Find out what the division has been up to in the past year, provide input, and welcome newcomers to the division and our profession.
How to attend:
The Zoom link was sent out in a broadcast from ATA Headquarters to SLD members on Friday, September 6. Check your ATA member email inbox and join us!
Conference registration is not required. All members are welcome!
Glenn Carstens via Unsplash
The Language Services Section with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services currently has a job announcement for an intermittent (as-needed/project-based) language specialist for several languages, including Ukrainian.
Language Specialist, GS-11/12
Office: Public Services Division, Language Services Section
Closing Date: Friday September 6, 2024
Note: This job will close when we have received 200 applications which may be sooner than the closing date.
Area of Consideration: U.S. Citizens – Any position utilizing this announcement will be filled through Direct Hire Authority.
Languages: Dari, Pashto, Farsi, Ukrainian
Work Schedule: Intermittent
Location: Remote
Job Opportunity Announcement: USAJOBS – Job Announcement
What should I include on my resume?
Announcement shared by:
Steven A. Miller | Language Specialist / Trainer
DHS | USCIS | EXA | OAIS | Language Services Section
The latest episode of Slovo, the SLD’s podcast, digs into probably the hottest and most contentious topic in T&I right now, AI, with guests Daniel Sebesta and Bridget Hylak. Whether you think you love it or hate it, you can’t escape it, so let’s talk about it!
In case you missed it, check out the previous episode profiling SLD member Viktoryia Baum, tracing her route through the language industry from starting a Bachelor’s in teaching ESL to finishing a Master’s of Conference Interpreting, adventures interpreting in the aerospace sector, and helping implement New York’s language access law.
You can find these and past episodes on the Slovo page on SoundCloud, or through Google Play, Apple Podcast, and Spotify. Follow Slovo on SoundCloud or subscribe through a podcast platform so you never miss an episode!
By Viktoryia Baum
Over the past year and a half, the world has been thrown into the hype (or pain?) of artificial intelligence, with the advancement of many products, and the race between the companies to create their own, unique and individual intelligent chatbots capable of many ordinary human tasks. I have been hearing from many colleagues of different ages how this is becoming an existential threat to the profession as a whole, for both translators and interpreters alike. But the real question remains: is it?
I’m a firm believer that if there’s a will, there’s a way. Meaning that I don’t think any of these “robots” will eliminate the need for the profession and the professionals, or somehow bring about our total and ultimate demise. If anything, they can be trained to help us in any imaginative way or method possible. Such opinions of mine have been met with frustration and disbelief by many of my colleagues, yet welcomed and shared by another many.
Recently, Eugenia Tietz-Sokolskaya invited and encouraged me to consider writing for the SLD blog on any subject and anything at all (thank you, Eugenia!), and although I don’t do much writing in any capacity, I figured I might as well give it a try. I usually have a lot to say about things, so why not do it here? Hopefully, the readers will not have a plate of rotten tomatoes handy to smash against the monitor as they read these lines. Maybe, just by sharing some of my experiences I may help alleviate some technology fears, or help someone learn something new. I will probably anger some colleagues and make them reach for their plate of rotten tomatoes, but that’s where technology is in my favor—unlike 200 years ago, I don’t have to deliver this speech in front of you (thank you, industrial civilization!), and I can hide behind the screen.
Let’s start with some basics and try to break down the concept of generative AI, its purpose, and what it can do. Basically, generative AI refers to artificial intelligence systems capable of generating new data and producing content. It can create not just text, but also images or even audio and video files. Here are some examples of generative AI:
The capability behind generative AI is machine learning models, especially large neural networks. They can analyze thousands of datasets and learn the patterns and representations within that data. Having learned and captured those patterns, the models are then capable of generating new content that is similar to the training data statistically, yet differs from it in a new way. One type of machine learning model is large language models (a phrase everyone in the industry has been hearing more and more); those are built on neural architecture, and they are referred to as large because they use huge datasets. There has been a boost and a rapid increase in research and development of large language models in big tech, with any major player buckling up and racing to develop their own models and tools. The now very infamous ChatGPT is a large language model, or LLM. In simple terms, this is a computer program that has received and analyzed enough data that it is now capable of generating its own responses. The quality of the responses always depends on the quality of the datasets the LLM has been fed. The more they know, the better they are at producing content.
I’ve been experimenting with AI chatbots for quite some time now. When I said they can be trained to help us in any imaginative way or method possible, that’s because I’ve tried and largely succeeded on some level, achieving the objective I set out for myself. A few months ago, for example, I chatted with one of the publicly available chatbots (not ChatGPT) about building up a glossary specifically for use in interpretation, and I’d like to share the outcome.
The background for this experiment was fairly simple. I wear both hats of being a translator and an interpreter. In my state, I am a certified per diem court interpreter, but I live in an area with not a lot of need for court interpreting in my language combination. If anything, it’s approximately 4-5 calls a year plus a few depositions. This means that enough time passes between court appearances that my skills and language databanks typically grow rusty and need a solid refreshment before assignments. Preparing for any court appearances can be daunting due to lack of information and/or materials. If all I know is that tomorrow I am heading over to family court, how should I prepare? What should I look for?
I started with a relatively easy prompt, asking my new AI friend (let’s call him Sam) to help me put together a Russian to English legal glossary to use for interpreting purposes. In a few seconds, the system produced a glossary with some common legal terms, roughly 20 to 25, including terms like lawsuit/claim, indictment, defendant, and court order. The chatbot then asked me if I wanted to know any other specifics to be added “for my translation purposes,” to which I happily said yes, also requesting a set of legal terms in Latin, giving an example prompt of “amicus curiae.” The result was a compilation of another 25-30 terms including bona fide, nolo contendere, ex parte, pro se, inter alia, etc.
For the third part of the conversation, I congratulated Sam on providing me with the definitions of Latin legal terms in the English language, then asking if he could take these same Latin terms and give me their Russian equivalents. He obliged. It is important to note here that the glossary was provided to me in the LATIN to RUSSIAN variant, although for some reason I expected Sam to use the English translations he pulled for the Latin and only then give me the Russian equivalents. I was wrong. Sam was smart, even if my prompt was quite poorly written.
Next, I asked for more terminology, the more advanced, the better. The resulting table included terms like defamation, pre-trial agreement, acquittal, and statute of limitations. I felt that it could have been a bit more advanced, but ok. The next query asked for terms used in family and traffic courts. Then I made another query, and another, and another. But I think I made my point already. Perhaps the best glossary (in my humble opinion) was produced when I asked for terminology specifically used in an arraignment hearing. This turned up terms like request for leniency, motion to suppress evidence, own recognizance release, and recusal motion.
The entire encounter and the prompts along with their results took me approximately 5-7 minutes. The end of the conversation was quite comical, since I asked for all of the terms to be exported to Excel and sent to me via email. Sam happily agreed, took down my email address, and nothing happened. When told that no email had come, he apologized profusely for letting me down and leading me to believe he had the capability of exporting and sending emails. He said that by design he actually did not have that capability, but in his inherent desire to please me, he misrepresented his abilities. The apologetics went on for a few more rounds, much to my amusement and comic relief. It was clear that I wasn’t speaking with a human, but I got amused as if I really were.
Overall, I found the quality of the glossaries produced by AI very high. I did not find any incorrect translations, nor did I find any inconsistencies (some terms were repeated with each of the prompts, and the output was the same). If you ask me personally, I believe that for a real assignment, this approach would have saved me hours of googling terminology and trying to think about all the possible terms I could encounter. Of course, if I were unfamiliar with any of the terms or translations produced, I would have double-checked everything and cross-referenced items using regular old-fashioned dictionaries. For example, if I were to go and interpret at a mining conference, or any other completely foreign subject, like rare and valuable gemstones, I would follow up on what the AI told me.
I forgot to mention that I went into this experiment with very low expectations. I can’t say that I wanted the AI to give me erroneous translations of the terms, to prove that humans and only humans are capable of creating a glossary, but I did think there would be errors. AI proved me wrong, at least for that exercise. I intend to keep practicing and conversing with it regarding my needs in the profession. If you are given the tool, why not use it? And if you are skeptical, I would invite you to try for yourself. Or you can reach for that plate of rotten tomatoes……just kidding. In short, you don’t have to love it or hate it, endorse it or promote it. It’s just a tool. If it can help you save time and do a better job, why not. If anything, you will definitely get some comic relief from experimenting.
If you have any comments or feedback regarding this blog post, I invite you to reach out directly to me via email at vbaum00@gmail.com. In the meantime, I’ll work on Part II of this series over the next weeks. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned!
Viktoryia Baum is an avid technology buff and skilled researcher who spends at least part of her spare time studying new and existing language tools. Having started as an aerospace interpreter many years ago, she discovered she was equally good at translation, so she does both, working with Eastern European languages and specializing in technical, legal, and medical translation and interpreting. She lives in upstate New York and can be contacted at vbaum00@gmail.com.