Word Nerds Unite at the 54th Annual ATA Conference!

  • November 11, 2013
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  • Blog

This article was written by Molly MacPherson, a Senior Project Manager in LSA’s Translation and Localization division. Ms. MacPherson represented LSA at this year’s ATA Conference.

Every year, the American Translators Association (ATA) hosts the largest single gathering of translation professionals in the country. In 2013, the annual conference took place in San Antonio, Texas, over a span of four days. The highly-anticipated event was attended by more than a thousand people.

Not only does the annual ATA Conference bring together translators and interpreters, but it also brings together agency project managers, language service company owners, government officials in the language arena, translation and localization software vendors, recruiters and potential employers, translation educators and language leads from corporations, to name a few.

Each day is packed with hour-long sessions on topics that span all levels and aspects of the industry. Some are language specific while others focus on best practices in business or current hot topics.

Listed below are some highlights and key takeaways from the event:

  • A discussion about training linguists to post-edit machine-translated material, discussing the ways that it requires a completely different mindset from standard translation, and how it can be presented as one tool in the translator’s arsenal rather than being viewed as the monster under the bed. An excellent quote shared by one of the panelists was: “If computers become as intelligent as humans, in all respects, they will be able to translate like humans, but if that happens, being replaced by computers will be the least of our worries.”
  • A presentation by the Chief of Language Testing and Assessment at the FBI, who detailed the levels they have defined for ranking the performance of translators, interpreters and audio translators (those who produce a written translation directly from an audio source). These assessment criteria are available online at www.govtilr.org for anyone to consult.
  • An appreciation reception hosted by LSA to express its gratitude for the dedication, effort and excellent performance of the translators and interpreters in its network. Not only was the cocktail reception well attended by those who partner regularly with LSA, but many brought along colleagues to introduce to us and recommend their services. The event was a huge success from a networking, retention and recruitment standpoint but, more importantly, everyone had fun. Kudos to the Marriott hospitality team for helping LSA throw a great party!

While in San Antonio, conference attendees benefited from educational sessions and various training and networking opportunities, while also visiting  nearby attractions: the lovely restaurant-lined Riverwalk area, the historic Alamo, the native Tex-Mex cuisine and much more.

The annual ATA Conference allows translation professionals to grow in their knowledge of the industry, to keep up with current trends, to share ideas with fellow linguists, to build their networks and, most importantly, to meet and interact with colleagues face to face, a rare opportunity in today’s digital age.

Did you attend the 54th Annual ATA Conference? What are some of your key takeaways from the event? What’s the one thing you’d like to share with those who could not make it to San Antonio this year? We encourage you to share your feedback in the “comments” field below! And be sure to check out some of our event photos by clicking on the images below.