It takes more than just the ability to understand two languages.
Professional translators and interpreters have the education, experience, and expertise to understand the nuances in one language and transfer them to another. The right professional will have solid knowledge of your industry and will know how to culturally adapt your content for the target audience you are trying to reach. You only get one chance to make a first impression, so make sure it counts.
Can I afford to hire a professional?
You can't afford NOT to. Getting your message wrong can cost money, ruin your image, and even cost lives. Whether you’re having a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign translated or need an interpreter to communicate treatment options between a doctor and patient, it pays to hire a professional to get the job done right.
Instead of hiring a professional, this restaurant used machine translation and did not realize the result was an error message.
Understanding what’s at stake
ATA publishes articles to illustrate why it is critical to hire qualified translators and interpreters.
Best Practices for Virtual Interpreting: What Clients and Language Service Users Should Know
Thanks to rapid technological shifts and the global landscape of recent years, the demand for virtual interpreting services has increased. Virtual interpreting is a linguistic solution that allows people in different locations to connect with professional interpreters who help break down language barriers. Virtual interpreting is used in a wide range of settings, the most common being healthcare, but also…
Read MoreGuide to Buying Interpreting Services, Part V: Interpreting Terms to Know
Interpreters help power the global economy, working with businesses, governments, non-profits and individuals. They are an integral part of global communication. Interpreters work with the spoken or signed word. The American Translators Association (ATA) has developed a Guide to Buying Interpreting Services as a resource to help clients identify, select and work with interpreters. When working with interpreters, it is…
Read MoreTranslation and Educational Publishing: Creating Language Access in Education
Supporting families starts with access. When students bring home a book or a school letter that families can read in their own language, something powerful happens. Families connect more deeply with what their children are learning. But what happens if a story exists yet isn’t accessible? What if a family can’t read it, or a child can’t hear it in…
Read MoreWhen AI Doesn’t Replace Jobs: The Case of Visual Dubbing in Watch the Skies
Artificial intelligence (AI) is often framed as a threat to all kinds of jobs. Many believe automation and AI will fully take over a wide array of professions, and that translation will be one of the first to go. While companies are definitely deploying AI for many tasks, more often it isn’t replacing jobs so much as changing the way…
Read MoreGuide to Buying Interpreting Services, Part IV: ATA’s Credentialed Interpreter (CI) Designation
ATA’s Language Services Directory has a Credentialed Interpreter (CI) designation to indicate ATA members who are also credentialed interpreters. This designation is discussed in more detail below. To find out more about interpreting, refer to the American Translators Association’s Guide to Buying Interpreting Services, a resource to help clients identify, select and work with interpreters. Credentialed Interpreter (CI) Designation The…
Read MoreGuide to Buying Interpreting Services, Part III: Working with an Interpreter
Interpreters help power the global economy, working with businesses, governments, non-profits and individuals. They are an integral part of global communication. Interpreters work with the spoken or signed word. The American Translators Association (ATA) has developed a Guide to Buying Interpreting Services as a resource to help clients identify, select and work with interpreters. Working with an Interpreter Properly preparing…
Read MoreWhy Hire an ATA Member?
ATA members have a commitment to continuing education and are held to the highest professional standards. Feel secure knowing if you’re hiring an ATA member, you’re hiring the best in the business.
