The Savvy Newcomer aims to serve newcomers to the translation and interpreting professions by publishing high-quality, peer-reviewed content on a weekly basis. We strive to provide you with the answers to the many questions you face as a new or aspiring translator or interpreter.
Many language professionals start out doing their work 鈥渙n the side鈥 of whatever else they are doing in life. When people find out you are bilingual, you may be asked to do some volunteer interpreting to help out a friend, family member, or someone in need, or you may agree or be expected to do the occasional translation鈥攁nd maybe even get paid for it. Volunteering and doing small side jobs are great ways to gain experience and improve your skills as a translator or interpreter. But in order to be a professional鈥攚hether you plan on doing this work part-time or…
Read MoreLinguist in the Spotlight: An Interview with Maryam Abdi
In this second installment of our 鈥淟inguist in the Spotlight鈥 interview series, Maryam Abdi, Somali-English translator and interpreter specializing in law, reminisces about how and why she ultimately chose a career in translation and interpreting (T&I) over law school, the elements of successful entrepreneurship for translators and interpreters, why she encourages new translators to think beyond their passions when it…
Read MoreUsing SlideShare to Embed PowerPoints in a Website
SlideShare is a slide hosting service owned by LinkedIn that allows users to upload presentations, either privately or publicly, to a website. This tool can be used for a variety of applications, including to upload presentations of useful resources for sharing with the public or a select audience, as well as to share sales and advertising information with your target…
Read MoreAdvice for Beginners: Specialization
By Judy Jenner Post reblogged from听Translation Times听blog with permission by the author, incl. the image Many beginning interpreters oftentimes ask us about specialization and whether it’s essential that they specialize. We get many of these questions from Judy’s students at the Spanish/English translation certificate program at University of San Diego-Extension听and from Dagy’s mentees. We thought it might be helpful to…
Read MoreLocal Conferences: The Block Parties of the Language Industry
Are you a member of your local translators and interpreters association? Have you ever attended a local conference? There is no question that a large-scale conference like that of the ATA is worth attending at least once in your career, but conferences of its scope come with a price tag and can require significant travel. Luckily, you do not have…
Read MoreSo You Want to be a Freelance Translator or Interpreter: Starting from Scratch
Starting your freelance translation business from scratch can be a daunting task. Below are a few of the most fundamental questions to ask yourself as you begin to think about building your business. Do I need further training to become a translator? There is no one 鈥渞ight鈥 way to become a translator, but most professionals feel it is important to…
Read MoreLinguist in the Spotlight: An Interview with Rosario Charo Welle
There is much to be learned from our colleagues, but it can be intimidating to strike up a conversation with the 鈥減ros.鈥 For that reason, we at Savvy have done the work for you and are excited to announce our new interview series, 鈥淟inguist in the Spotlight,鈥 where we pick the brains of experienced translators and interpreters and bring their…
Read MoreBook Review: Deconstructing Traditional Notions in Translation Studies
Reblogged from the ATA’s Spanish Language Division blog with permission by the author, incl. the image In order to set the context of what translation is, I will quote the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) description of translation performance: Translation is the process of transferring text from one language into another.听It is a complex skill requiring several abilities. The term 鈥渢ranslation鈥…
Read MoreBuddies Welcome Newbies at ATA58
This year, Buddies Welcome Newbies celebrates its fifth anniversary, and as part of the celebrations, the team is introducing a few new surprises! After its debut in San Antonio in 2013, led by Helen Eby and Jamie Hartz, Buddies Welcome Newbies has grown to become a well-known event right before the Welcome Celebration of the ATA conference. Designed as an…
Read MoreThe Extraordinary Translator and Interpreter: A Mini-Survey from ATA57
In just one week, nearly 2,000 translators and interpreters will convene at ATA鈥檚 58th Annual Conference. Memories of last year鈥檚 event abound, and The Savvy Newcomer is pleased to present the results of a mini-survey we conducted at the 57th Annual Conference in San Francisco whose goal was to examine trends in the backgrounds of translators and interpreters, particularly those…
Read MorePreparing a Translation for Submission to the United States Government
Written by Helen Eby in collaboration with Jamie Hartz 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鈥檚 statement, statement of accuracy, certification, translator鈥檚 declaration, etc. I鈥檒l call it a 鈥渢ranslator鈥檚 statement鈥 here as I dive into…
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