The https://www.lep.gov/ site is a go-to site for language access. The Federal Government has done an excellent job of providing very valuable resources here. Some of my favorite resources are on this page: Tip sheets for how to work with interpreters, translators and language companies. A resource page for interpreting and translation. However, when Milena Calderari-Waldron and I, Helen [...]
The factsheet for Section 1557 of the ACA, posted on the website of the Department of website of Health and Human Services, says: The page starts with a short summary of the rule: Section 1557 is the nondiscrimination provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The law prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, [...]
Human beings have many ways of doing things because many approaches work. In my calculus class at U. Mass Lowell, Mr. Kaplan taught us many ways to solve the same problem because, according to him, you never knew what way was going to help you work it out. As we connect with other cultures, we [...]
We completed another year of translation training! Daniela Guanipa joined me as co-trainer all year. Spanish writing: 10 sessions, September to November. Preparation for the ATA Spanish translation certification exam: 17 sessions, January to May. What do the students who finished the course say? They have become much better translators over the 17 weeks of [...]
My book on Spanish writing, in draft form Getting Spanish writing right involves spelling, grammar, syntax... and plain old writing skills, just like in any other language. Except that writing in Spanish is the same as doing so English. Each language has its own rhythm, its own cadence. Tenses have different meanings in each [...]
I am an ATA certified Spanish translator. The ATA certification exam counts errors. It allows 17 error points in a 300 word text, and on point 18... you are out. Why? Back in the ‘80s I was a secretary in Argentina. I worked with a typewriter. When I typed a bid, a business letter or a [...]
I am writing a book about Spanish writing. Why? As a translator, I write every day. We can’t translate anything we can’t express in writing. However, writing matters after we are done translating. We also write emails to our clients, Facebook posts, tweets, comments about the issues we find in the work we are doing, [...]
Geoff Koby ATA released a mission statement in the May 15, 2019 issue of Newsbriefs: ATA’s mission is to promote the recognition of professional translators and interpreters, to facilitate communication among its members, to establish standards of competence and ethics, to provide its members with professional development opportunities, and to advocate on behalf [...]
Geoff Koby Signature drive: If you are an ATA voting member, your signed form is due at ATA by May 29. Please read below. Geoff is interested in the President-Elect position. During the two years after being elected, the President-elect generally coordinates the ATA conference, and in the following two years, that person [...]
Many documents that are submitted to U.S. Government agencies must be submitted along with a statement indicating that the translator is skilled to perform their task. This can be called a translator’s statement, statement of accuracy, certification, translator’s declaration, etc. I’ll call it a “translator’s statement” here as I dive into the requirements that you [...]
