The ATA Compass: Your guide to translation and interpreting in the global market

Want to reach more customers, grow your business, and improve your bottom line? The ATA Compass publishes articles and provides resources to show you how language professionals can help you achieve these goals. 听

From Roncando to the Record: Best Practices for Forensic Transcription/Translation (FTT)

By ATA Compass | February 17, 2026

At 2:09 p.m. on October 29, 2024, Damian Valdez-Galloso, a Cuban man living in Hialeah, Florida, was interrogated by a Miami homicide detective for allegedly killing Jose Manuel Carbajal Zaldivar,…

Your Four-Step Guide to Meeting the USCIS Certified Translation Requirements

By ATA Compass | June 7, 2023

The immigration process can be stressful and getting your documents translated into English should not add to that stress. This quick and easy guide will help. It explains the USCIS…

How Much Does a Translation Cost?

By ATA Compass | May 17, 2023

If you鈥檙e looking for translation services, you鈥檙e likely wondering how much translations cost. Whether you need a birth certificate or diploma translation, a translation of documents about your family history,…

How to Recognize and Implement Quality Interpreting (Hint: It Doesn鈥檛 Involve Your Bilingual Staff)

By ATA Compass | April 26, 2023

With a set of quality standards in place, it is possible to make healthcare accessible to limited English proficiency individuals without delaying patient care or interrupting your workflow. As many…

Machine Translation vs. Human Translation: Will Artificial Intelligence Replace the World鈥檚 Second Oldest Profession?

By ATA Compass | April 5, 2023

Translators pride themselves on being excellent communicators, and so they should. After all, it’s their job! But sometimes, even the best communicators can talk until they’re blue in the face…

Breaking Intercultural Communication Barriers in Business

By ATA Compass | March 15, 2023

Have you ever sensed that you offended someone in a work setting without understanding why? Or have you ever worked with someone from another culture and found their behavior confusing,…

7 Tips for Crushing an International Meeting Remotely, According to an Interpreter

By ATA Compass | February 22, 2023

As millions around the globe have moved their classes and even social gatherings online, international business and meetings between speakers of different languages look a lot different. In a pre-pandemic…

What’s the Difference Between a Translator and an Interpreter?

By ATA Compass | February 1, 2023

If you鈥檙e looking to hire a language professional, the first thing you need to ask yourself is whether you need a translator or an interpreter. Although the terms are often…

5 Steps for Translating Official Documents

By ATA Compass | January 11, 2023

If you鈥檙e starting the U.S. immigration process, applying to an American university, or considering a career opportunity in the United States, you will need certain legal or official documents translated…

How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Free Online Translation Tools

By ATA Compass | April 21, 2022

Ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Chinese authorities conducted a city-wide correction campaign to fix embarrassing translation gaffes. The mistranslations included signs labeling people with disabilities as 鈥渄eformed鈥…

6 Reasons to Subtitle Your Social Media Videos for Better Engagement

By ATA Compass | December 3, 2020

I鈥檝e been a subtitler and translator for well over a decade, working with streaming giants like Netflix and businesses of all sizes to help make their video content more engaging…

How to Avoid Misinformation: Cross-Border Strategies PR Pros Should be Thinking About

By ATA Compass | November 17, 2020

At a time when misinformation and fake news are running rampant, communication, and more specifically the written word, is arguably more important than ever. The last thing public relations (PR)…

25 Million Americans Don鈥檛 Speak English: Translators and Interpreters Essential in Pandemic

By ATA Compass | May 22, 2020

At the time of this writing, millions of Americans are have been ordered to stay home, instructions that are hard enough to grasp if you speak English鈥攅ven harder still for…

Content Marketers: Time to Call in the Language Professionals?

By ATA Compass | January 6, 2020

The U.S. is the largest consumer market on earth, but did you know that 96% of the world鈥檚 consumers reside beyond the country鈥檚 borders (according to the U.S. Small Business…

Hiring an Interpreter?听9 Dos and Don鈥檛s to Get the Most Out of Your Partnership

By ATA Compass | November 21, 2019

From Mari Kondo to the tiny house movement, the concept of 鈥渓ess is more鈥 is undergoing a resurgence of sorts. Yet, in one area at least, the practice of 鈥渕ore…

How to Win at Customer Service: 3 Strategies for Converting Customers into Brand Devotees

By ATA Compass | September 25, 2019

When Scarlett hung up the phone, she was close to tears. Even more unexpectedly, so was the customer service representative on the other end. How did a seemingly simple inquiry…

5 Website Features That May Be Working Against You

By ATA Compass | February 8, 2019

Contrary to popular belief, your website is not about the products you sell, the services you provide, or the information you share. It鈥檚 actually about the people who visit it…

From Blunder to Wonder: How Companies Successfully Bounce Back from Mistakes

By ATA Compass | January 2, 2019

1993 was a terrible year for a particular major national fast food chain. It was an even worse year for four families who suffered unimaginable losses after their children ate…

What Your Signage Says about You

By ATA Compass | September 17, 2018

Ben could hardly wait to set up his own business after years of working for a large company. Knowing the demographics of his market area, Ben wanted to market to…

The Bots Are Coming!听Automated and AI-Driven Programs for Business

By ATA Compass | June 18, 2018

Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are all the rage these days, and for good reason. The technology behind once too-good-to-be-true tools like facial recognition and 3D printing has advanced by…

How to Establish a Real 鈥淲orldwide鈥 Web Presence

By ATA Compass | April 19, 2018

It鈥檚 a well-known fact that people prefer to shop in their native language. Naturally, they feel more comfortable when they completely understand what they鈥檙e reading. The same goes for searching…

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Recent Posts

From Roncando to the Record: Best Practices for Forensic Transcription/Translation (FTT)
Best Practices for Virtual Interpreting: What Clients and Language Service Users Should Know
Guide to Buying Interpreting Services, Part V: Interpreting Terms to Know
Translation and Educational Publishing: Creating Language Access in Education
When AI Doesn鈥檛 Replace Jobs: The Case of Visual Dubbing in Watch the Skies
Guide to Buying Interpreting Services, Part IV: ATA鈥檚 Credentialed Interpreter (CI) Designation
Guide to Buying Interpreting Services, Part III: Working with an Interpreter
Using AI for Language Translation: Context is Everything
Guide to Buying Interpreting Services, Part II: Interpreting Modality and Modes
The Value of Human Translation

Client Assistance

Can I afford to hire a professional? You can’t afford NOT to. Poor translation and interpreting services can be disastrous for your business. See what’s at stake. Learn More What’s…

What is a Certified Translation?

What are the basics of a certified translation? In the United States, anyone can certify a translation. A translator does not need to be certified in order to provide a…

Machine Translation

What is machine translation? Machine translation (MT) is the use of automated software that translates text without human involvement. Adaptive MT is a technology that learns and adjusts in real-time…

The ATA Compass

Want to reach more customers, grow your business, and improve your bottom line? The ATA Compass publishes articles and provides resources to show you how language professionals can help you…

Exploring Translation and Interpreting Services

Why Are Language Services Essential in an Internationalized World? In a world where communication knows no bounds, effective language services are paramount. ATA helps you find professional translators and interpreters…

Why You Should Use a Certified Translator or Interpreter

Choosing a Certified Professional is the Smart Choice A certified translator or interpreter ensures effective, accurate, and culturally sensitive communication that truly bridges the gap between languages and cultures. Accuracy…