Blog
Translation Certification in the Pacific Northwest
In the Pacific Northwest, and specifically in Washington State, two translation certification programs are relevant. The American Translators Association is a professional association that certifies members who are translators. The Washington State Department of Social [...]
Interpreting Certification Compared (Spoken Language)
Interpreting Certification Compared (Spoken Language) Spoken Language Interpreting Certification in the United States: a comparison Competency-based assessments are the foundation of credentialing in many professions, one of which is interpreting. According to the National Commission [...]
Qualified Language Access: Essential and mandatory
On September 8, I visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I spoke with a woman who works there and told her I am a Spanish interpreter. She told me she wished her husband had been [...]
Travels with Helen
Today’s post is guest written by my husband, David. He has watched me in action over the years, and this is the story of some things he has learned. In 25 years of marriage to [...]
Checking for Quality in Translation: Teamwork
Airplane pilots have checklists and follow them carefully. One of them reads items off the list, according to popular belief, and the other one says “check”. This way, both pilot and copilot verify that everything [...]
The Translator Requests a Clarification: Tracking the conversation
Translators and interpreters face a common problem: lack of clarity in the source message. Interpreters have a standard formula for addressing this: “the interpreter requests clarification”. Although translators deal with the same issue, a standard [...]