The ATA Podcast

In this episode of the ATA Podcast, Andie Ho brings on Ted Wozniak to talk about the International Federation of Translators (FIT). FIT is an association of translation associations with global representation through their regional centres, and Ted explains how this relates to ATA and our members. From education to celebration, FIT supports the professions by hosting congress events, online educat...

Preserving the past, supporting the present, and promoting the future of the translation and interpreting professions--That's the mission of the American Foundation for Translation and Interpretation (AFTI)! Since 1997, AFTI has served as the charitable arm of the American Translators Association. It is smaller in size and scope than ATA, so members and non-members may be unaware of the immense be...

Standards are a way to signal to the world that you care about the quality of your work and product, and it is up to us to set and encourage best practices in a given profession. When clients can't easily judge the quality of the services they purchase, they turn to standards to help gauge it. In this episode of the ATA Podcast, ASTM subcommittee chair and ATA member Steve Lank discusses the origi...

The ever-changing landscape of working as a language professional prompts translators and interpreters to lean into unique areas and specialties. ATA offers a way to build communities around these interests in the form of officially recognized Special Interest Groups (SIGs). Similar to divisions, SIGs are a convenient way to provide ATA members the opportunity to build, connect, and grow with othe...

Are you interested in taking the ATA certification exam? Want to know what to expect and how it works? In this episode, ATA Podcast host Adam Sachs interviews Elias Shakkour, co-deputy chair of ATA's Certification Committee, to understand the ins and outs of ATA certification. Elias shares insights into the certification program and also explains how it works, how to prepare, how it's graded, and...

On March 1, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14224 designating English as the official language of the United States and revoking EO 13166, an executive order from 2000 aimed at improving language access. On this episode of the ATA Podcast, co-host Adam Sachs questions Dr. Bill Rivers on the order, its effects on language access, and how it affects language services providers. Dr. Rive...

Join ATA Podcast co-host Adam Sachs as he interviews ATA President Geoff Koby and ATA President-Elect Andy Benzo about ATA's standout accomplishments this year and what we can expect in the months to come! From reviewing ATA's recent advocacy efforts to how the upcoming ATA Annual Conference is shaping up, you'll get an all-around view of ATA's full 2025 agenda. Insights from the ATA leaders in th...

In this episode of the ATA Podcast, Adam Sachs connects with Eve Bodeux and Jamie Hartz to explore ATA's newly published  Guide to Buying Translation Services  and  Guide to Buying Interpreting Services.  Whether you are seeking professional language services or are a practicing translator, interpreter, or agency, these guides are invaluable reference tools to show you what working with a language...

Did you know the joy of gathering with other language professionals isn't reserved exclusively for ATA's Annual Conference? Getting involved locally can be a wholesome and inexpensive way to connect with your community, expand your network, and form new partnerships. On this episode of the ATA Podcast, German Language Division administrator Karen Leube describes how and why the group's initial lun...

In this first ATA Podcast episode of 2025, Andie Ho revisits Membership Committee chair Tony Guerra to talk about all the ongoing, new, and unknown benefits of ATA membership! For new members and veteran ones, Tony does a deep dive into ATA's benefits that keep you abreast in the industry, progressing in your profession, and connected with your ATA community. Even if you know about all of these be...

There were a lot of big changes to the Association this year, making it a year of transition in more ways than one! Listen in for Matt Baird's final episode as the ATA Podcast host where he interviews ATA President Geoff Koby to l ook back on all that happened in 2024 and to set our eyes on exciting things planned for 2025.   This year, Geoff found himself unexpectedly and prematurely in the role...

On this episode of the ATA Podcast's Inside Specialization series, Daniel Sebesta and Bridget Hylak of ATA's Language Technology Division interview   Dieter Runge, co-founder of Boostlingo. Listen in as Dieter, Bridget, and Daniel discuss the role of professional organizations in the interpreting profession. Dieter mentions that technology upskilling is a fact of life for our industry, like most o...

ATA will hold its regularly scheduled elections at the upcoming ATA 65th Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon, October 30–November 2, 2024, to elect the following: President-Elect (one unexpired position to be filled for a remaining term of one year). Director (three regular positions, each for a three-year term). Director (one unexpired position to be filled for a remaining term of one year). Fo...

 In the language professions, there is the contradiction to be both regional experts and citizens of the world in needing to share a message with multiple divergent entities. These identities are crucial for multinational companies whose communications can be very time-sensitive and have major implications on everything they do. For this reason, it's important to have a trusted and experienced tra...

When it comes to healthcare, not everyone considers the uniqueness of dentistry in terms of the training and expertise it requires from dentists and hygienists. This distinction manifests itself through the language used in the field, which requires careful research and attention to translate effectively. As well, dentistry tends to be on the forefront of medical advancements, meaning new treatmen...

ATA presents annual and biennial awards to encourage, reward, and publicize outstanding work done by both seasoned professionals and students of our craft. ATA recognizes our colleagues who, through their daily work, volunteer activities, and careers exemplify the qualities that define excellence in our field or who have made a significant impact on the profession of translation and interpreting....

Medical translation is a large umbrella, and it's important to not overlook the many specialized, unique fields that stem from it! One of them is the important type of medical translation that deals not with human patients, but with our beloved small and large animals: veterinary translation.   In this episode of Inside Specialization, we hear from Veronica Leibaschoff, who started out as a veteri...

Without a mentor, how do you expect to change and grow as a professional? That's where ATA's Mastermind Program comes in! Translators and interpreters often go into business understanding that finding and retaining clients will be hard work. What many fail to see, however, is the difficulty in running a business alone and not always knowing what to do next. ATA's Mastermind Program offers peer-bas...

Sports recreation and entertainment remains a field that unites the world, and the emergence of new video technology and streaming has only made people more able to follow and enjoy the sports they love. With increased access comes an increased need for sports interpreting to allow more audiences to connect and understand what they are watching. Hear from one of those sports interpreters on this e...

Join ATA Podcast co-host Andie Ho as she interviews Tony Guerra, chair of the ATA Membership Committee, about all the benefits that can come from ATA membership! Whether you're a veteran linguist or just starting out in the field, this episode covers the major impact that ATA can have on your career, your sense of community, and how you grow as a T&I professional.   We know joining a professional...

Do you know the difference between moisturizing and hydrating? In this Inside Specialization interview, we hear from Berenice Font, who has specialized in the beauty and cosmetic industry for more than 15 years as a translator, transcreator, copywriter, editor, and consultant. She tells us about what makes this line of specialization exciting, fun, and interesting; what kind of opportunities are o...

In this episode of the ATA Podcast, we talk to new ATA President Veronika Demichelis and revisit this year of transition for ATA. Listen in as Host Matt Baird asks Veronika about changes in ATA--like membership, the work of our volunteers, the ATA Board, our committees, ATA headquarters, and where ATA currently stands.   Among other things overviewing 2023, you'll also hear about ATA financially,...

Where do linguists fit in the current era of artificial intelligence? In this ATA Podcast episode of Inside Specialization, Daniel Sebesta, ATA's Language Technology Division (LTD) administrator, and Bridget Hylak, LTD assistant administrator, interview Konstantin Dranch, co-founder of Custom. MT, on a variety of topics surrounding machine translation and AI. What are the added value of generative...

This year for International Translation Day, Matt Baird and Andie Ho co-host the podcast for the first time to spotlight the importance of joining professional translation and interpreting associations. This episode's guests, Céline Browning and Marco Díaz, are great examples! Why? Although Céline and Marco have followed completely different career paths, they both have one thing in common: They j...

ATA will hold its regularly scheduled elections at the upcoming ATA 64th Annual Conference in Miami, Florida (October 25-28, 2023) to elect a president-elect, secretary, and treasurer for a two-year term, as well as three directors for a three-year term.   In this podcast, each candidate gets a chance to introduce themselves. Listen to learn: Where they are based and what kind of translation/inter...