American Translators Association

American Translators Association
Abbreviation	ATA
Formation	1959
Legal status	Association
Headquarters	Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Region served	International
Membership	translators, interpreters, educators, educational institutions, language services companies
President of the Board of Directors	Geoff Koby
Affiliations	International Federation of Translators
Website	ATA

Founded in 1959, membership is open to anyone with an interest in translation and interpretation as a profession or as a scholarly pursuit. Members include translators, interpreters, educators, project managers, web and software developers, language services companies, hospitals, universities, and government agencies.

ATA offers certification examinations for its members in some language combinations and is affiliated with the International Federation of Translators (FIT). The association is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia.

The ATA represents both "labor" and "management"—that is, both the independent contractors who produce translation and interpreting services and the agencies who purchase them. The ATA does not provide union-type benefits, such as collective bargaining or health insurance, to its freelance members.

Professional development

ATA's primary goals are to foster and support the professional development of translators and interpreters and to promote the translation and interpretation as professions. The Association offers a variety of programs and services in support of these goals, including webinars and one-day workshops throughout the year and an ATA Annual Conference every fall—all of which feature translating and interpreting education in diverse specialties and languages.

Certification

The ATA currently offers certification exams in the following language pairs:

Into English from Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Ukrainian.

From English into Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Ukrainian.

After passing the ATA certification examination, translators are required to complete a certain number of "continuing education" points in order to retain their certification.

Advocacy

ATA is a member of the Joint National Committee for Languages, a nonprofit education policy association that works to raise grassroots awareness of the importance of languages to national security, economic growth, and social justice. ATA has also advocated for translators and interpreters on specific issues affecting the translation and interpreting professions. See ATA Statement Opposing Discontinuing Immigration Interpreting Services, ATA Opposes Lower Interpreter Exam Scores in Texas, and ATA Position Statement Regarding California Assembly Bill 5 and Request for Exemption.

International Translation Day

Since 2018, ATA has celebrated International Translation Day (September 30) by publishing a series of social media posts intended to educate the public about the role of professional translators and interpreters. ATA's 2018 ITD celebration centered on six infographics highlighting "need to know" facts about translation and interpreting services. On September 30, the Association will release a "Day in the Life of a Translator or Interpreter," a short animated video showing how translators and interpreters help power the global economy.

Governance

ATA is governed by its Bylaws, and has a President, a President-Elect, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and a nine-member Board of Directors. An Executive Director is in charge of operations.

Current officers

Geoff Koby, President
Andy Benzo, President-Elect
Eve Bodeux, Secretary
Robin Bonthrone, Treasurer

Past presidents

1960–1963 Alexander Gode
1963–1965 Kurt Gingold
1965–1967 Henry Fischbach
1967–1969 Boris Anzlowar
1969–1970 Daniel Peter Moynihan (Resigned in June 1970)
1970–1971 William I. Bertsche (Completed Moynihan's term)
1971–1973 Thomas Wilds
1973–1975 William I. Bertsche
1975–1977 Roy Tinsley
1977–1979 Josephine Thornton
1979–1981 Thomas R. Bauman
1981–1983 Benjamin Teague
1983–1985 Virginia Eva Berry
1985–1987 Patricia E. Newman
1987–1989 Karl Kummer
1989–1991 Deanna L. Hammond
1991–1993 Leslie Wilson
1993–1995 Edith F. Losa
1995–1997 Peter W. Krawutschke
1997–1999 Muriel M. Jérôme-O'Keeffe
1999–2001 Ann G. Macfarlane
2001–2003 Thomas L. West III
2003–2005 Scott Brennan
2005–2007 Marian S. Greenfield
2007–2009 Jiri Stejskal
2009–2011 Nicholas Hartmann
2011–2013 Dorothee Racette
2013–2015 Caitilin Walsh
2015–2017 David Rumsey
2017–2019 Corinne L. McKay
2019–2021 Ted Wozniak
2021–2023 Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo

Publications

The ATA Chronicle is a monthly publication available 'online' and in hard-copy format. The publication includes articles on various translation- and interpreting-related issues combined with regular features.
ATA Newsbriefs is an e-newsletter distributed to members twice a month. The publication features national and international news about translation and interpreting.
ATA Translation and Interpreting Compensation Survey is an industry-wide survey providing a comprehensive picture of the market for T&I services. The full report is free to ATA members. An Executive Summary is available at no cost to non-members.
The ATA Compass is a free e-publication for buyers of translation and interpreting services.
Translation: Getting it Right
Interpreting: Getting it Right
ATA Scholarly Monograph Series—Published annually by John Benjamins.

Structure

ATA divisions provide members with common interests a way to network and receive career updates. The divisions offer newsletters, online forums, seminars, conference presentations, and networking sessions. ATA offers 22 special interest groups or divisions, based on language or subject-area specialty. Any member of the ATA can belong to any division(s).

ATA chapters

ATA chapters and affiliates provide regional information, marketing, networking, and support services to local translators and interpreters.

Affiliated groups

References

External links

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