The American Translators Association has notified members that in the wake of the Haiti earthquake Translators Without Borders, which works for Doctors Without Borders/Medecins sans frontieres and Medecins du monde, currently has urgent needs for professional-level French-to-English and English-to-French volunteer translators and interpreters. Those working to and from Haitian Kreyol would also be especially valuable. Contact TWB Coordinator Yuliana Hernandez-Anfray for details.

The UN Secretariat will hold the following competitive examinations for translators, interpreters, and editors in 2010:

March: exam for Russian-language translators

April: examinations for French-language translators and interpreters

May: exams for Chinese-language translators and editors

June: exam for English-language interpreters

Check the UN website for information on exam dates and application requirements and procedures.

The translation industry is growing during these tough economic times, and will continue to do so due to the nature of the globalized economy, predicts Margarita Griggs, a member of the American Translators Association (ATA). Griggs, who recently received an international award for her work with high school and college students, says organizations in the United States will need to rely more on the global economy because the domestic economy is struggling. And organizations will need accurate translation when conducting business around the world, she says. The translation and interpreting services industry has grown at a rate of 10 to 15 percent annually over the past decade and is now an $11 billion industry. Parade Magazine recently ranked translation as the second hottest job, noting that the need for translators will grow by 26 percent over the next ten years.

From "Interpreters in High Demand"
KOLOTV.com (NV) (10/09/09) Wightman, Karoline
Quoted in ATA Newsbriefs

For those who won’t be attending the ATA’s 50th Anniversary conference in New York, the AATIA’s November 14 meeting is the next-best thing! Four Austin members will provide a debriefing on their experiences at this milestone event in the Big Apple.

Pat Bobeck, who translates French and Spanish into English and specializes in (among other things) geology, petroleum engineering, and environmental sciences will talk about her visit to New York.

Esther Diaz, Administrator of ATA’s Medical Division, will also share her perspective on the conference.

And literary translators Liliana Valenzuela and Tony Beckwith will discuss their conference presentation, “Two Heads are Better than One: A Literary Translation Story,” and explain how they jointly translated a book of 73 stories riddled with jokes, puns, plays on words, cultural references, and onomatopoeia.

Join us and get a first-hand report of what’s going on at the heart of our industry. As always, there’ll be refreshments and lots of good networking on Saturday, November 14, from 1 to 4 pm at our downtown space at the ICA premises (check www.aatia.net for the address, directions, and parking instructions.)

Watch this blog for more details!

Free parking is available at the Convention Center parking garage, which is on the west side of the building that houses our offices. Enter from Brazos Street, inform the attendant that you are attending an AATIA event, and sign a garage parking record sheet. There is no charge. 
 

Once again, the Austin Classical Guitar Society has been kind enough to offer AATIA members a special rate for a very special event.

The legendary Kazuhito Yamashita , Japan ’s most celebrated classical guitarist, will be making a rare appearance in the United States, on Saturday, October 10th at the Northwest Hills United Methodist Church at 8:00pm.

Interested members can call the ACGS office (512-300-2247), mention AATIA, and receive their discount. Discounted tickets can also be purchased at the door. Members’ families are also eligible for the discounted ticket price.

Kazuhito Yamashita
Saturday, October 10th, at 8PM
Northwest Hills United Methodist Church
7050 Village Center Drive
Special Ticket Offer to members and affiliates of AATIA
Tickets $25 (normally $45!)
512-300-ACGS or AustinClassicalGuitar.org

Yamashita rose to international prominence when he performed phenomenal feats on the solo classical guitar including Dvorak’s New World Symphony and Musorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. He has recorded and toured extensively with flute giant James Galway. His debut in Austin is one of ACGS’ proudest moments and is the ideal beginning to our 20th anniversary season.
  

The American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) will be meeting this year at the Pasadena Hilton Hotel in sunny Pasadena, California, November 11-14 (note the new dates!). Featured speakers will be John Nathan of UC Santa Barbara, Ilan Stavans of Amherst, and Michael Henry Heim of UCLA, whose work is associated with Japan, Latin America, and Europe, respectively. For information on panels, workshops, readings, special events, and registration, go to the ALTA website.

We have two great events on the calendar!

The next membership meeting – Saturday, September 12 – will feature a Web 2.0 Technology presentation by Jorge Ungo (*see below).

And there’ll be a special celebration for International Translators & Interpreters Day, scheduled for late September/early October.

Watch this blog for more details on both these excellent opportunities for translators and interpreters!

* Recognition for the healthcare interpreting profession is on the rise, as is the need for skilled interpreters. With training resources usually tailored for the more commonly encountered languages, some interpreters may feel isolated and lacking in language-specific training and resources. In the past decade, however, worldwide internet usage has grown by over 300%, and the new wave of Web 2.0 technology is providing interpreters with easy and cost-effective ways to create and share resources with colleagues all over the world. From wikis and blogs to social bookmarking – this presentation will demystify the world of 2.0 and will demonstrate how interpreters can use technology to connect with colleagues and share important tools and resources.

Jorge Ungo is the Southwest Region Manager for Pacific Interpreters – a nationwide leader in healthcare interpreting. In his regional manager role, Jorge consults with health and social service organizations throughout the Southwestern United States on how to design and implement cost-effective yet highly efficient language access programs. Prior to his work with Pacific Interpreters, Jorge was the director of an international interpreting program, responsible for business operations including sales and marketing, HR administration, operational logistics, and company-wide training. Jorge is President of the Texas Association of Healthcare Interpreters and Translators (TAHIT) and a board member and membership co-chair on the National Council on Interpreting in Healthcare (NCIHC). 
 

On Friday and Saturday evening, July 24th and 25th, at 7:30PM, the Austin Classical Guitar Society will present a concert featuring two of Austin’s favorite musicians Douglas Harvey (cellist, ASO) and Liz Cass (mezzo-soprano, ALO) alongside of a Naumburg prizewinning Peruvian virtuoso guitarist Jorge Caballero and New York City-based violinist Maria Conti. These fine musicians will collaborate to perform music ranging from Bach to Piazzolla at Austin ’s gorgeous Mexican American Cultural Center on Lady Bird Lake .

ACGS would like to offer AATIA members $15 tickets to the show! Normal ticket prices range from $25-$50. To redeem this offer, please call the ACGS office at 512-300-2247 by Thursday, July 23rd at 4PM. For a preview of Jorge Caballero’s masterful playing, please tune in to his live performance at 7:50AM on Fox 7 Morning News on Tuesday, July 21st.