Medical translation is a large umbrella, and it’s important to not overlook the many specialized, unique fields that stem from it! One of them is the important type of medical translation that deals not with human patients, but with our beloved small and large animals: veterinary translation.   In this episode of Inside Specialization, we hear from Veronica Leibaschoff, who started out as a veterinarian and then changed her career through her love of language and culture by becoming a...

Without a mentor, how do you expect to change and grow as a professional? That's where ATA's Mastermind Program comes in! Translators and interpreters often go into business understanding that finding and retaining clients will be hard work. What many fail to see, however, is the difficulty in running a business alone and not always knowing what to do next. ATA’s Mastermind Program offers peer-based mentoring designed to help you learn and develop professionally by working together in small...

Sports recreation and entertainment remains a field that unites the world, and the emergence of new video technology and streaming has only made people more able to follow and enjoy the sports they love. With increased access comes an increased need for sports interpreting to allow more audiences to connect and understand what they are watching. Hear from one of those sports interpreters on this episode of Inside Specialization!   Interviewed by Maria Baker with the Professional...

Join ATA Podcast co-host Andie Ho as she interviews Tony Guerra, chair of the ATA Membership Committee, about all the benefits that can come from ATA membership! Whether you're a veteran linguist or just starting out in the field, this episode covers the major impact that ATA can have on your career, your sense of community, and how you grow as a T&I professional.   We know joining a professional association can be daunting, especially when there is so much to explore. Listen in to...

Do you know the difference between moisturizing and hydrating? In this Inside Specialization interview, we hear from Berenice Font, who has specialized in the beauty and cosmetic industry for more than 15 years as a translator, transcreator, copywriter, editor, and consultant. She tells us about what makes this line of specialization exciting, fun, and interesting; what kind of opportunities are out there for aspiring beauty and cosmetic linguists; and the importance of understanding the...

In this episode of the ATA Podcast, we talk to new ATA President Veronika Demichelis and revisit this year of transition for ATA. Listen in as Host Matt Baird asks Veronika about changes in ATA--like membership, the work of our volunteers, the ATA Board, our committees, ATA headquarters, and where ATA currently stands.   Among other things overviewing 2023, you'll also hear about ATA financially, the impact of our advocacy efforts, and the recent statement on artificial intelligence. As we...

Where do linguists fit in the current era of artificial intelligence? In this ATA Podcast episode of Inside Specialization, Daniel Sebesta, ATA's Language Technology Division (LTD) administrator, and Bridget Hylak, LTD assistant administrator, interview Konstantin Dranch, co-founder of Custom.MT, on a variety of topics surrounding machine translation and AI. What are the added value of generative AI and large language models? How can human language skills be future-proofed and marketed today?...

This year for International Translation Day, Matt Baird and Andie Ho co-host the podcast for the first time to spotlight the importance of joining professional translation and interpreting associations. This episode's guests, Céline Browning and Marco Díaz, are great examples! Why? Although Céline and Marco have followed completely different career paths, they both have one thing in common: They joined ATA and became active members fairly early in their careers, and they both agree that it...

ATA will hold its regularly scheduled elections at the upcoming ATA 64th Annual Conference in Miami, Florida (October 25-28, 2023) to elect a president-elect, secretary, and treasurer for a two-year term, as well as three directors for a three-year term.   In this podcast, each candidate gets a chance to introduce themselves. Listen to learn: Where they are based and what kind of translation/interpreting do they do. When they joined ATA and why. Why they are running for ATA office....

ATA will hold its regularly scheduled elections at the upcoming ATA 64th Annual Conference in Miami, Florida (October 25-28, 2023) to elect a president-elect, secretary, and treasurer for a two-year term, as well as three directors for a three-year term.   In this podcast, each candidate gets a chance to introduce themselves. Listen to learn: Where they are based and what kind of translation/interpreting do they do. When they joined ATA and why. Why they are running for ATA office....

Are you at a crossroads in your career as a linguist? Are you thinking about postgraduate education in translation? Do you thrive on learning the ins and outs of a craft from experts in the field? These are all questions to consider as you strive to build a stronger professional profile and expertise as a translator.   In this episode, we interview ATA member Angélica Ramírez, a PhD alumna of the University of Alicante's translation and interpreting program. She began translating in the...

It’s that time of year again – ATA’s Annual Conference (October 25-28) is right around the corner! Whether you work as a professional translator or interpreter, or inspire to be one, this event is made for you! And if you run a translation business or develop language-related software, you won’t want to miss one of the industry’s biggest events.   There are a lot of new and interesting things happening at the conference this year, and ATA Podcast Host Matt Baird and President-Elect and...

Planning for a vacation or special occasion? Want a break from making dinner? Or maybe you're trying to cook a great meal at home? Eating and drinking makes up the rhythm of our days no matter where we are, and there are plenty of written descriptions across industries to help us eat and drink better and happier. In this episode, we interview ATA member and food and wine translator Adam Sachs about the ins and outs of culinary translation. You’ll hear about his lengthy career as a food and...

In this episode, ATA Podcast Co-host Andie Ho speaks with ATA President Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo and President-Elect Veronika Demichelis about ATA's accomplishments so far this year and what they're looking forward to in the rest of 2023. For a great overview of all things ATA and all things to come within the Association, be sure to give this episode a listen!   Show Notes: The ATA Chronicle: https://www.atanet.org/news/the-ata-chronicle/ Refer Friends to Join ATA:...

In this episode, ATA Podcast Host Matt Baird speaks with Carola F. Berger, PhD, CT about scam types and what scammers are after, such as your information or your money. Carola has helped ATA and language professionals stay knowledgeable and aware regarding scams over the years as they've evolved. Scamming is an ever-present concern for freelance translators and interpreters. Make it your business to learn how scams work and how to avoid them.   Show Notes: Professional Partnerships for...

The American Foundation for Translation and Interpretation (AFTI) offers a limited number of $500 scholarships to students/recent graduates of translation or interpreting studies programs or related fields to help defray the cost of attending ATA’s Annual Conference.   In this episode, ATA Podcast Co-Host Andie Ho speaks with Halla Bearden, 2022 AFTI First-Time ATA Conference Attendance Scholarship recipient. Halla overviews the reasons why she applied for the scholarship, what it looked...

Advocacy for T&I professions is one of the main reasons that ATA exists and a main benefit for our members. The Advocacy Committee was established to advise the Board of Directors on policy and legislative issues affecting translation, interpreting, and related fields.   In this episode, ATA Podcast Co-Host Andie Ho speaks with Ben Karl, Chair of ATA’s Advocacy Committee. Ben covers all facets of the Advocacy Committee and the work they do, as many laws affecting T&I professionals...

Thinking about taking the ATA Certification Exam? Failed the practice text and wondering what to do now? Then this podcast is for you!   In this episode, ATA Podcast Host Matt Baird speaks with David Stephenson, Chair of ATA’s Certification Committee. David shares insights into the practice test, explains what you should do with the results, and provides a long list of ways to prepare for the exam.   Show Notes:   “I failed the Practice Test. Now What?” by David Stephenson: ...

Do machine translation and artificial intelligence have you feeling like your "system" needs an upgrade? Up your game by attending ATA’s one-day virtual conference "Translating and Interpreting the Future: Empowering Professionals to Innovate and Thrive" on Saturday, May 20.  In this episode, ATA Podcast Co-Host Andie Ho speaks with conference organizers, Robert Sette and Andy Benzo, to find out more about this educational and energizing look into how machine translation (MT) and artificial...

How can ATA help you improve your business practices? Grow your income? Expand into a new specialization? Market to direct clients? It’s called the ATA Mentoring Program, and it’s a fantastic benefit of your ATA membership! Take a minute to listen in and learn more as The ATA Podcast Co-Host Andie Ho sits down with the program’s co-chair Tony Guerra. From how to apply and who can apply to what the matching process is all about and why the program is “mentee-driven”—you’ll get the full rundown...

If helping other people is important to your job satisfaction, then medical translation should be at the top of your list of potential specializations. But wait…don’t you have to be a medical professional to enter this field? No, not necessarily, says ATA member and medical translator Danielle Maxson. Danielle recently sat down with ATA member and podcast host María Baker for Episode 82 of Inside Specialization. Listen in as she explains how her personal story led to a career in medical...

Ninety days after her introduction at ATA63, ATA’s new executive director, Kelli Baxter, sat down with Podcast Host Matt Baird for a quick check on how it’s going. Listen in to Episode 81 for Kelli’s first impressions of ATA and its members, a snapshot of where she’s been in her career, and why she thinks the future is about making the T&I industry more visible. Listeners will also learn about plans for the Association going forward and the possibilities Kelli sees in the inevitability of...

It’s time to talk about the future of machine translation (MT) and post-editing. No doubt we’ve come a long way since rule-based and statistical MT. Where are we now, and is there a career to be had here? Listen in as Daniel Šebesta, assistant administrator of ATA’s Language Technology Division, talks to Arle Lommel, a senior analyst at CSA Research, about the good, the bad, and the ugly in MT, post-editing, and artificial intelligence (AI). The conversation covers the concern about MT being...

The pandemic years changed the business world—and the translation and interpreting industry—in ways we never imagined. As we head into 2023, it’s time to take stock of where ATA stands in support of members and the community at large in the new normal. Listen in as ATA President Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo sits down with Host Matt Baird to outline the work done by the ATA Board, committees, and volunteers in 2022. From the online certification exam to finances to a changing of the guard at ATA...