Upcoming Translation Events in November

Posted On October 22, 2013By TranspanishIn Tips for Translators/  No Comments

November will definitely be an interesting and busy month for translators. Have a look at all the translation related events that will take place everywhere in the world this month!

4th

Workshop on Translation Project Management (Loctimizen, Wiesbaden, Germany)

The workshop aims to enhance practical knowledge of translation and localization project management

5th

Predictions for the Localization Industry in 2014 and Beyond [Webinar]

Event organized by Net Translator. The web panel is intended for localization and globalization industry managers.

6th-8th

TCWorld2013 –Tekom (Wiesbaden, Germany)

The tcworld conference offers sessions that cover localization topics.

6th-9th

54th ATA Conference (San Antonio, Texas, US)

6th

Developing A Translation-Ready Source Copy [Webinar]

Event organized by The Localization Institute. The webinar will answer cover the going global dilemma of whether to translate or to re-write; a short case study to demonstrate transcreation; identifying 11 speed-bumps in the English copy that will slow down a project and puzzle a translator; and the best practices in writing translation-ready copy.

9th

Portsmouth Translation Conference: Translation and Crime (Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK)

The conference aims to bring the different facets of translation and crime together in an interdisciplinary one-day conference.

13th

Editing For Localization [Webinar]

Event organized by The Localization Institute. If an error costs $50 US to fix in the source, multiply that by the number of languages and the number of errors. This session will cover editing best practices, including style guides and templates, and provide practical tips for improving content.

14th, 21st, 28th

Spanish-English Legal Terminology [Webinar]

During this three-part online workshop, participants will learn common English translations for a variety of Spanish legal terms, enabling them to complete a comprehensive glossary.

15th-17th

Expolingua: 26th International Fair for Language and Cultures (Berlin, Germany).

The fair attracts school and university students, trainees and those wishing to pursue language-related further education, as well as teachers, professors, translators, interpreters and others with an interest in languages and culture.

15th

European Day of Multilingual Blogging

EMBD2013 gives bloggers a chance to highlight the multilingual dimension of the web. The basic idea is to feature one or more languages on your blog that you don’t usually use.

20th

The Convergence Era: Translation As An Utility [Webinar]

Event organized by The Content Wrangler, TAUS. It will deal with the challenges and opportunities for every content publishing company and every professional service supplier in this new environment of ubiquitously available translation

21st-22nd

Nordic Translation Industry Forum (Stockholm, Sweden)

The focus of the program will be around integration, inter-operability, implementations and opportunities thereof – taking the translation industry to the next level.

22nd

Think! India (Delhi, India)

The event will spotlight regional or sector-specific issues related to the language enterprise, and will focus on the rapidly expanding Indian language services market.

22nd-24th

2013 Annual Convention and World Language Expo. (Orlando, Florida, US)

23rd

Annual Conference on Translation and Interpreting Quality (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

28th-29th-30th

GLoCALL 2013 (De Nang, Vietnam)

The Globalization and Localization in Computer-Assisted Language Learning (GLoCALL) conference aims to share knowledge, research and experience on how to use computer technology to make language learning more effective.

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Translation Myths and the Reality

Posted On October 18, 2013By TranspanishIn Tips for Translators, Translation Buyers/  No Comments

Translators often have to deal with many misconceptions regarding their profession. Non-translators who have little or no contact with the translation business often assume things about translation that are not true. What matters is not what other people think but how happy you are with your profession. However, we can’t help but care, at least a little, how others see us and it is nice to be recognized for our skills and the work we do. Our intention is to recognize and dispel some of the myths and misconceptions about translation.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Myth: Computers can translate

Reality: Now that nearly everyone has easy access to instantaneous translation pages, such as Google Translate and the many other translation resources available on the internet, some people think that translation is simply a matter of copying, pasting and hitting click. As any legal, medical, literary or technical translator knows, there is a lot more to it than that! Computers can assist with basic and even more complex translation. However, no computer program, no matter how sophisticated it is, can replace a skilled human translator. Many words or word combinations can be translated in a number of different ways. A translator has to make decisions so that the translated text conveys the meaning of the original, and that it makes sense and flows well in the target language.

Myth: Anyone who speaks more than one language can translate

Reality: Obviously, in order to translate between two languages, one must have an in-depth understanding of both of them. If you understand and can communicate fluently in more than one language, you are certainly capable of becoming a translator, just as anyone with a good understanding of one language is capable of writing. But translating is a skill which must be learned through experience and studying. Like any skilled professional, a translator will grow and develop over time.

Myth: With so many bilingual people, there isn’t much demand for translation

Reality: Globalization and increasing international business, that is often multilingual, has actually increased the need for quality translations. There is definite need for quality, professional linguistic services. The business of translating is evolving and will continue to do so, but the need is not going away.

Myth: Only an expert in a field is capable of producing a translation in the field

Reality: In order to produce a quality translation, it is important to have a thorough understanding, not only of the source and target languages, but also of the language of the subject. For example, if you are going to translate a legal text, you need to have a solid understanding of legal language in both the source and target languages. Translators write. You need to understand the subject on which you are writing. You do not, however, need to be a lawyer, doctor, banker, etc. What you need is to understand the language of the field.

Although you may not be able to change the preconceived notions of other people, when you know a few facts about your profession, you are able to explain what you do and not be bothered by people who don’t really understand.

 

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Time Management for Freelancers

Posted On October 14, 2013By TranspanishIn Tips for Translators/  No Comments

Time management can be one of the hardest parts of freelancing. Working as a freelance translator can allow you to have a fulfilling career while maintaining your flexibility, setting your own schedule and making your own rules. There is freedom and satisfaction in being your own boss and being able to choose what work you accept, and what you do not. However, in order to make your freelance career take off and stay in flight, you will need to learn how to manage your time and stay focused on what you want to accomplish.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Set up Goals

This may sound obvious but you need to have some clear goals. That means both long-term and short-term goals. Having a big goal, that gets you excited when you think about it, provides a constant source of motivation. Having smaller goals gives you a sense of accomplishment every time you complete them. Fortunately, you get to set your own priorities and decide what you want to accomplish. A goal may be financial such as earning a certain amount of money every month or being able to afford to travel somewhere exciting or buy something you really want. A goal can also be professional such as translating a certain number of words every week or completing a course or certification. Having goals also helps hold you be accountable. It helps you see what you want to accomplish and track your progress.

Eliminate distractions

Eliminating distractions is an important part of taking control of your time and productivity. We all know how easy it is to spend hours on Facebook or Twitter. If you find that you simply cannot avoid them while doing your work, you might need to forbid yourself from accessing those sites when you are supposed to be working. Answering emails, chatting online and answering irrelevant calls are also things that can pull you away from your work. Give yourself a set time each day or week for email, calls and even social networking if you need it. But keep them separate and don’t let all those distracters interfere with what you know you need to accomplish.

Follow a schedule

Stick to a schedule or some sort of schedule. One of the perks of freelancing is that you can set your own schedule. You choose when you want to work. But, if you want to accomplish anything, you still have to work! Instead of just assuming that you’ll have plenty of time to get it all done, define and designate time just for working. You are allowed to change your schedule around when need be, but define a time, or times, of day when the “normal” thing to be doing is working. And, also be sure to designate times for everything else like grocery shopping, exercise, being social, relaxing and sleeping. It may sound silly but when no one is obligating you to adhere to a schedule, as with a 9 to 5 job, you have to design your own structure.

Stay healthy

Make your lifestyle healthy. If you are well-rested, get plenty of exercise and eat right, you will have more energy. If you know how to properly focus that energy, it will show in your work. What you are looking for is a healthy balance to help you realize your potential and give your best.

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New Campagin for English Speakers: Learn 1,000 words of another language

Posted On October 3, 2013By TranspanishIn English Language, Languages, Tips for Translators, Translation Buyers/  No Comments

English is widely recognized as, if not the most important language, at least one of the most important languages in the world. As such, there is a great interest in learning it. English as a Second Language (ESL) classes are always in demand and non-native speakers are usually eager to find ways to improve their English. Unfortunately, native English-speakers do not often have the same enthusiasm for learning other languages. Perhaps the popularity and importance that the English language enjoys makes English-speakers feel that they don’t need to speak any other language. It isn’t surprising that the British, as well as other English-speakers, have earned a reputation of being lazy with respect to linguistic ability.

1000words

As a result, in Great Britain, a campaign has recently developed with the intention of opening Brits’ minds and ears to different languages. The “Speak to the Future” campaign encourages everyone to learn at least 1,000 words of another language. The 1,000 word figure was set because that is enough words to have a simple conversation yet it is a realistic and attainable goal for anyone.

The effort is an attempt to improve, not only the language abilities of Great Britain’s people, but also their cultural awareness and adaptability. Learning a language opens one’s eyes to the culture of the people who speak it. The British have suffered the reputation of being “lazy” when it comes to learning and speaking different languages. And not speaking different languages has probably limited their abilities to relate to different cultures. The campaign aims to prove that the people of Great Britain are ready to engage with the rest of the world and with the world’s many languages and cultures.

Great Britain isn’t the only place that is infamously known for its limited linguistic scope. The United States suffers a similar reputation because many Americans cringe at the sound of languages that are not English. There is evidence that this attitude may be changing, thanks to globalization. More and more, people in first world, English-speaking countries are realizing that the world is much greater than the limits of their national boundaries. As a result, they are seeing the importance of being able to communicate in different languages.

The movement is not without some resistance. Not everyone wants to learn a new language. As we referred to in a previous post, learning a language requires you to go out of your comfort zone. Doing so is necessary for growth and development, but many would prefer to not deviate from what is comfortable.

The popularity of the English language, throughout the word, has given native English-speakers a great excuse not to leave their linguistic comfort zone. The bad news is that it has limited them and prevented them from learning things that could enrich their lives. Efforts, such as this recent campaign in the UK, attempt to expand the horizons of native English-speakers who are otherwise comfortably sheltered from languages that could open wonderful new doors for them.

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