The SLD Podcast, Slovo, brings in guests to talk about topic of interest to the SLD’s membership, from SLD initiatives to continuous professional development to building your translation or interpreting business. Veronika Demichelis hosted the podcast from its inception through late 2019, along with her co-host, then-Administrator of the SLD, Ekaterina Howard. Maria Guzenko hosted the podcast 2020-2021, and Halla Goins took over in 2022.
You can listen to episodes on Soundcloud or search for the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or Spotify. To make sure you don’t miss any episodes, subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or Spotify, or sign up for the Soundcloud RSS feed. Episodes are also announced on various SLD social media channels and on the blog.
Recent Episodes
Episode 35
Host Halla Goins chats with playwright, director, and literary translator Philip Boehm about how his various literary identities shape each other, capturing the original voice of a work in translation, and some of his most memorable Polish-to-English translation projects.
Episode 34
Host Halla Goins chats with Daniel Sebesta and Bridget Hylak about probably the hottest and most contentious topic in T&I right now – AI. Whether you think you love it or hate it, you can’t escape it, so let’s talk about it!
Episode 33
Host Halla Goins chats with Russian linguist Viktoryia Baum about transitioning 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.
Episode 32
Host Halla Bearden chats with SlavFile poetry editor Martha Kosir about the possibilities and limitations of poetry translation, the recreation of meaning through translation, and bringing the voices of lesser-known Slovenian poets to a wider audience.
Episode 31
Host Halla Bearden chats with ATA’s President-Elect Veronika Demichelis about her journey to a translation career, teaching translation and localization, podcasting, and volunteering in the T&I community. Veronika also shares a behind-the-scenes look at organizing last year’s conference, ATA63, as well as what ATA64 has in store for attendees this year in Miami.
Episode 30
Guest host Eugenia Tietz-Sokolskaya talks to EastView Press editor-in-chief Larry Bogoslaw about the press’s publication Current Digest of the Russian Press, a weekly journal that publishes English translations of Russian-language press materials. Larry offers a behind-the-scenes look at the journal’s purpose and history, approach to selecting articles, and process for preparing translations for publication.
Episode 29
Host Halla Bearden chats with Russian medical interpreter Svetlana Ruth about her path into the field, memorable stories from her career thus far, and her training courses and workshops for community interpreters. Svetlana also gives us a preview of the session she’ll be presenting (in Russian!) at ATA63 on the use of Americanisms in interpreting.
Episode 28
New host Halla Bearden talks to Dmitry Buzadzhi, visiting professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey and the Slavic Language Division Distinguished Speaker at the upcoming ATA Annual Conference in LA (ATA63). Dmitry looks back on his pathway into T&I and teaching, shares some of his favorite jobs and courses, and offers a sneak peek at his two sessions at ATA63.
Episode 27
Host Eugenia Tietz-Sokolskaya chats with Russian-to-English literary translator Marian Schwartz, who has translated a wide range of Russian literature, from classics (Anna Karenina, Oblomov) to modern authors (Shishkin, Slavnikova, Yuzefovich). Marian discusses her journey into the world of translation and publishing, as well as her latest published translation, Brisbane by Eugene Vodolazkin, with its joys and challenges.
Episode 26
Host Maria Guzenko talks to Yulia Tsybysheva, a Russian marketing translator based in Bristol, UK. Yulia works with fashion, beauty, jewelry, and lifestyle brands, as well as clients in the tourism and hospitality industries, providing translation, localization, and transcreation services. Yulia has recently also started a new role as a Russian Language Lead at the Flo Health app.
Episode 25
Host Maria Guzenko talks to Andrei Falaleyev, a conference interpreter with more than 30 years of experience and a seasoned interpreter trainer. Andrei shares tips on becoming a sought-after interpreter, specializing, and training interpreters.
Episode 24
Host Maria Guzenko talks to Altynay Linstrum about her training, career in localization, and the opportunities for language professionals in the tech industry.
Altynay is a Localization Producer at Riot Games, a video game developer based in LA. She is a graduate from the Translation Studies program at Kent State University. Her professional interests include product management, game development, and agile methodologies. This episode was removed at the guest’s request.
Episode 23
Host Maria Guzenko talks to presenters in the Slavic Languages track at the upcoming ATA Annual Conference (ATA61). In the first part, she talks to two literary translators, Evgeny Terekhin and Shelley Fairweather-Vega. In the second part, you can hear from Nora Seligman Favorov, Veronika Demichelis, and Eugenia Tietz-Sokolskaya, whose presentations deal with negotiating differences in translation.
Episode 22
Paula Arturo, a lawyer-linguist and Associate Professor of Law, talks about the challenges of legal translation and shares tips for translators who would like to specialize in it. In the second half of the interview, she and Maria discuss how language professionals can negotiate a fair contract with their clients.
Episode 21
In this episode, Maria talks to ATA-certified English>Polish translator and certified medical interpreter Katarzyna “Kasia” Hoerner, who shares how she came to specialize in the medical field. Katarzyna also touches on her work as a staff translator and interpreter, the demand for Polish language services in the US, and the changes and opportunities brought about by the current health crisis.
Episode 20
Esther Hermida, a certified Spanish interpreter in California and Federal courts, talks about starting her interpreting career, getting certified, and her experience with television simulcast interpreting and dialect coaching. The episode also covers AB-5, the newly adopted California law that affects independent contractors, including translators and interpreters, and Esther’s involvement with CoPTIC, a group that is pushing for an exemption for translators and interpreters.
Episode 19
The newest season of the SLD Podcast kicks off with a new name, Slovo, and a new host, Maria Guzenko. This episode features Shelley Fairweather-Vega, who translates from Russian and Uzbek. Shelley talks about learning these languages, her transition from commercial to literary translation, and the books she has translated recently.
Episode 18
This episode wraps up the “Business Matters” season as the podcast takes a break for the ATA conference and co-hosts Veronika and Ekaterina step down. This closing episode is a short chat with incoming SLD Admin Eugenia Tietz-Sokolskaya and Assistant Admin Steven McGrath.
Episode 17
In this episode, Dagmar and Judy Jenner talk about the changing professional landscape in translation and interpreting, thinking like a customer, overcoming impostor syndrome, and making marketing your services easier.
Episode 16
This episode features the members of Black Squirrel Translator Collective (BSTC)! In 2016, Victoria Chavez-Kruse, Mary McKee, Jamie Hartz, and Elizabeth Nelsen established Black Squirrel Translator Collective, a working group that provides many tangible and intangible benefits. Tune in to learn how they did it, what working together means to them, and how you can partner up with your colleagues to take your business to the next level!
Episode 15
This episode features a special guest, Chris Durban, a French>English translator based in Paris, specializing in finance and corporate communications. She is an active member of the translation community (despite her low profile on social media), the co-author of The Prosperous Translator, and a contributor to “101 Things a Translator Needs to Know.” In this interview, she talks about the importance of embracing risk and standing out.
Episode 14
In this episode guest Julia Poger, a conference interpreter and interpreter trainer, shares her thoughts on running a translation and interpreting business like a business, marketing and negotiating, communicating with clients, and standing out from the competition. Julia has been a member of ATA and AIIC since the beginning of her career. She runs a popular seminar “Know Your Worth: Understanding Marketing and Negotiating for Interpreters.”
Episode 13
Ekaterina and Veronika chat with Alaina Brandt, Localization Project Manager & Spanish to English Translator, CEO, Founder & Data Security Officer of Afterwords Translations, LLC, and Assistant Professor of Translation and Localization Management at MIIS. The the role of localization project managers, their interaction with translators, and the need for more education in localization project management.
Episode 12
This episode launches the 2019 podcast season, centered around “Business Matters,” with an interview with Sara Maria Hasbun, a linguist, entrepreneur, and Managing Director of Meridian Linguistics.
Episode 11
The third episode in a three-episode series previewing ATA59 in New Orleans. This episode covers presentations on Saturday, October 27.
Episode 10
The second episode in a three-episode series previewing ATA59 in New Orleans. This episode covers presentations on Friday, October 26.
Episode 9
The first episode in a three-episode series previewing ATA59 in New Orleans. This episode covers presentations on Wednesday, October 24, and Thursday, October 25.
Episode 8
Alyssa Yorgan-Nosova shares her experience in the localization certificate program at University of Washington-Seattle.
Episode 7
An interview with Evgeniy Bartov, a well-known Russian translator, copywriter, and owner of the Alliance PRO translation agency and a translation school.
Episode 6
Elana Pick and Yuliya Tsaplina discuss the importance of professional training for interpreters and the future of this profession.
Episode 5
ATA-certified translators Eugenia Tietz-Sokolskaya (RU>EN) and Julia Thornton (EN>RU) talk about tips and strategies that helped them prepare for the ATA certification exam.
Episode 4
Elena Bogdanovich Werner, Ph.D., an ATA certified English>Russian translator, a certified court interpreter, and an instructor with more than 30 years of experience in the language services industry, discusses how this industry has changed over the years, what makes a great translator, and what areas of professional development are most important for translators and interpreters.
Episode 3
The administrators of the SLD’s ATA Certification Exam Practice Group, Maria Guzenko and Eugenia Tietz-Sokolskaya, discuss how the group helps participants to prepare for the ATA Certification Exam, their experience managing the group, and volunteering opportunities.
Episode 2
Madalena Zampaulo, Owner and Chief Executive Officer of Accessible Translation Solutions, answers questions from ATA SLD members and shares tips about websites for translators and interpreters.
Episode 1
Elizabeth Adams and Eugenia Tietz-Sokolskaya face off in the podcast’s first virtual RU>EN translation slam.
About the Host
Halla Goins is a German <> English conference interpreter, ATA-certified German>English translator, and ATA exam grader with an M.A. in Translation and Interpreting from the University of Vienna, Austria. She specializes in technology and intellectual property and works primarily with the United Nations World Intellectual Property Organisation. She is also working toward passing the Russian>English ATA exam. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.
Past Hosts
Eugenia Tietz-Sokolskaya is an ATA-certified Russian>English translator, ATA exam grader, and SLD Administrator (2019-2023). She holds an MA in Translation from Kent State University and specializes in legal translation. More information can be found on her website at www.sokolskayatranslations.com.
Maria Guzenko is an ATA-certified English<>Russian translator and a certified medical interpreter (CMI-Russian). She holds an MA in Translation from Kent State University and specializes in healthcare translation. Maria is a co-founder of the SLD certification exam practice group and hosted Slovo 2020-2021. More information can be found on her website at https://intorussian.net.
Veronika Demichelis is an ATA certified English to Russian translator and a certified healthcare interpreter. She has an MA in linguistics, an MBA, and 18 years of experience in oil & gas, human resources, communication, and risk management. She is an instructor in the Translation and Interpretation Program at Houston Community College. In addition to being active in the ATA, she serves as the director of professional development for the Houston Interpreters and Translators Association (an ATA-affiliated group).
You can connect with her on LinkedIn.
Ekaterina Howard is an English to Russian marketing translator and copywriter.
In addition to serving as SLD’s Administrator (2015-2019), she blogs for translators and interpreters trying to make their websites more persuasive and go beyond “passion for languages” to find the right clients.
You can connect with her on LinkedIn, catch up with her posts here, or find out more about copywriting and translation services here.