Notice
T/I Summer Master Classes hosted by UMD
5/13/2013
The University of Maryland Office of Extended Studies will be offering two master classes this summer as part of their new Translation and Interpretation program. Choose from a 3-day course in conference terminology and procedures with Lynn Visson, a Harvard Ph.D. graduate and expert in Russian culture, or 3 days exploring technology solutions for translators with Jost Zetsche, author of A Translator's Tool Box for the 21st Century and numerous other technology- and translation-related publications.
Course descriptions are available on the UMD website, here. Consider enrolling today!
Found In Translation An Evening of Discourse and Networking at the French Embassy
Join the Harvard Business School Club of Washington for a stimulating discourse at La Maison Française, at the French Embassy, with renowned author, Huffington Post contributor, and Fulbright scholar in sociolinguistics, Nataly Kelly, as she discusses her new book Found in Translation. Ms. Kelly was the keynote speaker at NCATA's October 2012 conference.
When: Tuesday, April 16th, 2013 6:30PM – 8:00PM
Where: La Maison Francaise, French Embassy,4101 Reservoir Rd NW, Washington, DC 20007
Cost:$20.00 Members and guests of La Maison Francaise (price includes a copy of Found in Translation)
For more information, visit http://www.hbsclubwdc.net/article.html?aid=579.
[Note: This event conflicts with NCATA's April meet-up, Getting the Most out of ProZ.]
NCATA to represent T/I field at the Georgetown University language and communication career expo
3/26/13
National Capital Area Translators Association Board members Marjon van den Bosch and Carolyn Yohn will represent NCATA and the translation/interpreting field at Georgetown University's M.A. in Language and Communication (MLC) Career Exploration Expo from 6:00pm to 7:30pm on Tuesday, April 2, 2013.
The MLC is a professionally-oriented program within the Linguistics Department at Georgetown University. This program cultivates strong research and analytical abilities in sociolinguistics, specifically discourse analysis (i.e. narrative analysis and cross cultural communication), ethnography, and pragmatics. The program is designed to link these theories to practice in a range of professional fields.
The Career Exploration Expo gathers professional participants to talk to students about their organizations and their work. Undergraduate and graduate students at all stages of their educational and professional development will attend to learn about the opportunities and possible career paths for people with skills and training in linguistics.
[Update on 4/10/13: Check out our Photo Gallery for photos from this event!]
Washington, DC, Get Your Business Online!
3/11/13
Mayor Gray and Google have recently partnered to help get DC-based small businesses online. Owners of small businesses—such as translation and interpreting professionals—can create a 3-page website for free by visiting http://www.gybo.com/washington-dc.
Interactive video lessons help you create your website and attract local customers.
The free site includes 3 free pages, 25MG of disk space and 5GB of bandwidth (monthly transfer). Email and ecommerce are not included, but there are options to pay for small upgrades should you need them. Hosting through Intuit will cost less than $10 per month after your one year is up—a small investment to bring your business into the 21st century!
[Update on 4/21/13: Google has extended this offer to residents of Virginia and Maryland, too! Translators and interpreters, get your business online today!]
ATA 54th Annual Conference registration and call for proposals
Each year, the ATA Annual Conference offers language professionals the best opportunity to network with their peers and enhance their skills with beyond-the-book education and training.
This year, the conference will be held in San Antonio, Texas, on November 6–9. Learn more about the events and sessions offered, hotel details, and more at http://atanet.org/conf/2013/index.htm.
Organizers are also looking for translators and interpreters willing to speak on an industry-related topic. For more information about becoming an ATA Conference speaker, visit https://www.atanet.org/conferencesandseminars/proposal.php.
Congratulations to the new board members!
12/18/12
Congratulations to the new officers elected to the NCATA Board of Directors!
Vice President: Victor Foster
Secretary: Carolyn Yohn
Certification Chair: Glenn Bryant
Their terms run for two years, through December 31, 2014.
We will welcome them to their new roles at the Annual Meeting on January 13, 2013. Come meet them and share your hopes for the coming year!
Presentations from 2012 NCATA Regional Conference available for free download
NCATA Elections: Dec. 3-14
11/5/12
NCATA's annual elections period is approaching! This year members will vote in new volunteers for the Board positions of Vice President, Secretary, and Accreditation Chair. Interested candidates please contact the Nominating Committee at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by November 16, 2012.
Upcoming ATA certification exam: March 16 at American University
11/4/12
The next ATA certification examination will be held at American University on March 16, 2013. Details will be sent to NCATA members by email and will be posted on the NCATA and ATA websites.
Free resource book: “Almost Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Translation” by Lola Bendana and Alan Melby
6/20/12
Whether you have been in the translation business for some time or are just getting started, this free 115 page e-book is a worthwhile read! You can download it at http://goo.gl/qgk0K.
About the Authors:
Lola Bendana has been involved in the translation and interpreting field for over 20 years; since 1997, she has been the Director of Multi-Languages Corporation.
She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Language Industry Association of Canada (AILIA), is the Vice-Chair of the Association and a member of the Translation and Interpreting Committee. Lola is a member of the Canadian Advisory Committee to ISO TC37 where she participates as an expert delegate to create international standards for translation and interpreting. She is a current member of the ASTM F43 Committee on Language Services. Lola currently serves as the President of the IMIA.
Dr. Alan Melby is Professor of Linguistics at Brigham Young University. He is an ATA-certified French-to-English translator and a member of the ATA board of directors. Since the early 1980s, he has worked on the practical problem of developing technology to assist human translators be more effective. He designed one of the first PC-based terminology management systems and was co-editor of the first version of the TMX standard for exchanging translation memories. He is now the editor of the TBX standard for exchanging term base information. He was part of the team that developed the ASTM translation quality assurance standard (ASTM F2575) and is a member of the US delegation to ISO Technical Committee 37, where most ISO language-related standards, including translation standards, are developed.
Contributed by Marjon van den Bosch
A really "big" translation error
6/7/12
Making a mistake when speaking a foreign language can be embarrassing, but especially so for a celebrity whose gaffe is broadcast in front of a huge audience. German Olympic skating star Katarina Witt was recently the recipient of much criticism following comments she made as a judge on the British television show Dancing On Ice.
Witt unintentionally offended British skier Chemmy Alcott by describing her as a "big woman" on the television show. She didn't immediately realize the error in her choice of words, intending only to compliment Alcott on her height.
The English tabloid press took Witt to task for her remark, and the German tabloid Bild commented "Poor Kati! A translation error turned into a disaster for her!"
Contributed by Michele Essman
NCATA's own Lillian Clementi named ATA Honorary Member
6/2/12
The ATA Board of Directors conferred Honorary Membership on Nicholas Hartmann and Lillian Clementi at their April meeting. ATA Honorary Membership is a unique category of membership recognizing individuals who have given outstanding service to the translation and interpreting professions, as well as to the association. The total number of living Honorary Members cannot exceed fifteen at any one time, and no more than two may be elected in any one year.
Currently, there are nine Honorary members: Alison Bertsche, Celia Bohannon, Marilyn Gaddis Rose, Muriel Jérôme-O'Keeffe, Peter Krawutschke, Ann Macfarlane, Rosemary Malia, Patricia Newman, and Glenn Nordin.
Lillian Clementi has been very active with ATA's public relations efforts for many years. Among her contributions, Lillian established the successful ATA Student Outreach program and coordinated the creation of the Client Outreach materials to assist members in marketing their services including writing, designing, and presenting them. In addition, she served as a spokesperson for print and broadcast interviews. Being a commensurate team player, Lillian has never sought any kind of official standing for her projects. However, the cumulative effects of the projects she favors have had an enormous impact on the industry and have resulted in far greater recognition of our profession and credential.
Lillian also contributed greatly to NCATA as president of our chapter in the 1990s, as had Muriel Jérôme-O'Keeffe before her. Congratulations to both!
Source: ATA website (edited)