2023 Highlights and News for 2023!

This was my tenth year in business and it has been an exciting one. Here are some of the highlights and a taster of what’s coming in 2023 (with some big news at the end)!

Key translation projects

• Research reports on sustainable landscape management in Cameroon, indigenous rights in the context of forest conservation, migrant workers’ rights in Madagascar, and the impact of Covid-19 on women-owned businesses in Burkina Faso.
  

• A number of project reports on the Sahel Women's Empowerment and Demographic Dividend project, on women’s rights initiatives and on children’s rights.
  

• I worked on the “State of the Forests of the Congo Basin” report, as part of a team of translators and editors.
  

• I edited a report on a European Works Council meeting for a large multinational undergoing structural changes.

Events

• I spoke at the Chartered Institute of Linguists conference on how translators can ensure they are making the most of ongoing training opportunities in their specialist areas. 

• I attended the Institute of Translation and Interpreting conference in Brighton in May and the online BOND conference on Power in Development in September.
  

• I helped organize a business retreat for fellow members of the ITI East Anglia network, so we could work on our business strategy.
  

• I also attended many webinars and workshops to ensure I stay up to date with the latest developments in my fields and keep my translation skills on top form. You can find my updated CPD record here. In fact, I logged over 100 hours on my ITI CPD Record!

Professional Contribution

I believe it's important to give back to my professional community and to ensure that professional translators are able to access high quality training and support, enabling them to better represent our profession and deliver for our clients. To this end:

• I helped set up the International Development & Cooperation Network of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting, a forum for professional translators working in the sector. You can find out more here: https://www.iti.org.uk/iti-international-development-cooperation.html. 
  

• I volunteered as part of the ITI French Network Events team with the wonderful Alanah Reynor. We ran a number of training events for members, including translation slams, webinars and regular “Termstorms” (our own creation).
  

• I co-wrote  articles for the Institute of Translation and Interpreting Bulletin (bi-monthly magazine).
  

• I helped edit the MediterraneanEditors and Translators’ resource hub (The Hive) as part of a volunteer team.
  

What’s next for 2023?

In February, I will be presenting to the Chartered Institute of Linguists about working in the field of sustainable development (info here). I will in particular emphasise that translators and editors have a duty to understand the power dynamics at play in this area and how language can further, or hinder, progress on development and human rights.

Because I’m passionate about the need to specialize to deliver higher value to clients, I’m also hoping to develop training sessions to help translators working with human rights and development organizations. I’ll be sure to emphasise how language can be used to further human rights and address racist and colonial mindsets.

For the big news… I will be going on maternity leave for three months from around April before returning to work part time. I’m currently preparing a roster of trusted colleagues who will be able to support my clients in my absence.

I wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Glossary of Translation Terms for Translation Clients (combined and updated)

If you’re new to buying translation, the glossary below should help you get a head start on understanding what services are available and what your chosen translator is offering.

This is by no means an exhaustive glossary. The terms mainly relate to the type of work I do, i.e. translation (not interpreting) of practical rather than literary texts. Please let me know if I’ve missed anything and I’ll consider adding it in.

Terms that appear in an entry that have their own entry are underlined.

#xl8: Hashtag short for “translate”.

Accreditation: In the UK there are two main professional bodies that accredit translators and interpreters: the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) and the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL). 

It is always best to work with a member of a professional body because we are held to a high professional standard and will abide by our organization's code of conduct. We are also subject to training requirements to maintain our accreditation. 

The main ITI and CIOL membership categories are:

• FITI (Fellow of the ITI): Translators or interpreters who have been a member of the ITI for at least 10 years (unbroken) and a qualified member for at least 7 years can apply to become a Fellow of the ITI. Fellowship recognizes these members' contribution to the profession.

• MITI (Qualified Member of the ITI): An MITI is a member of the ITI who has passed the translation/interpreting assessment or fulfilled certain criteria attesting to their professionalism and skills. They appear on the ITI database and can certify translations for official use in the UK. I have been an MITI qualified translator since 2019.
  

• AITI (Associate of the ITI): Associate membership is for translators and interpreters who are establishing their business. They must have at least 1 year of professional experience and they have not passed the MITI assessment. For members with less than 1 year of experience, there are also Associate and Student membership categories.
  

• FCIL (Fellow of the CIOL): To be recognized as a Fellow of the CIOL, linguists must demonstrate they are of "advanced professional standing", meaning that they have progressed in their career, made a significant contribution to the profession and worked to promote the aims of the institute.
  

• MCIL (Member of the CIOL): To qualify as a Member of the CIOL, linguists must demonstrate a certain level of qualification and experience in their chosen profession.
  

• Chartered Linguist: A Chartered Linguist must be either a Member or Fellow of the CIOL and have at least 5 years of professional experience. They must undertake at least 30 hours of continuous professional development (CPD) each year and submit a 12 month training plan as part of their application. I have been an MCIL and Chartered Linguist (Translator) since 2018.
  

• ACIL (Associate of the CIOL): Associates of the CIOL have at least 1 year of professional experience, but don't yet meet the criteria for full membership. Linguists with less than 1 year of experience can apply for Student or Affiliate membership.
  

 

CAT tool: Computer-assisted translation tool. These tools offer translators digital environments to make their work easier. They can split the text into sentences or paragraphs (known as segments) and allow the translator to search previously translated documents (via translation memories), glossaries or term bases. Below you can see a screenshot of Trados (a leading CAT tool) and the one I am currently using. Computer assisted translation is not the same as machine translation because the human translator is still doing the actual translation work.

Certified translation: In the UK, a certified translation is simply a translation that the translator has certified is accurate via a certificate that they provide. Translation is not a regulated profession in the UK, meaning that anyone can certify a translation. However, that doesn’t mean that the translation will be accepted by the courts or the UK government. Generally speaking the UK government requires translations to be certified by full members of either the Chartered Institute of Linguists or the Institute of Translation and Interpreting.

CIOL: Chartered Institute of Linguists. A professional body for people who work with languages, including translators and interpreters. There are various membership categories and members who meet certain criteria can be recognized as Chartered Linguists. I have been a Chartered Linguist (Translator) since 2018.

 

CPD: Continuous professional development. This term isn’t specific to the translation profession, but I’ve included it because it is so important for us translators to undertake regular continuous professional development (aka training). This might take the form of translation and writing workshops, peer review and learning about our specialist areas, among other activities. I am a huge advocate for making CPD integral to our translation practice and you can find my CPD record here.

Dead/non-editable file: These files are usually scanned documents or protected files. The text they contain cannot be edited or copied. This makes it impossible to use a CAT tool to translate the text unless the text is very clear and suitable for optical character recognition (OCR).

Editable file: A word processed file that can be edited. Usually in Word, Excel, PowerPoint or plain text format.

FCIL: See Accreditation above. 

FITI: See Accreditation above. 

Glossary: This! A list of terms used in a specific field, with definitions and explanations. A bilingual glossary will include translations as well as explanations.

ITI: Institute of Translation and Interpreting. A UK-based professional organization for professional translators and interpreters. I have been a member since I was a translation student over 10 years ago. The ITI has different membership categories, with full (assessed) membership denoted by the letters MITI.

Language direction: Most translators only translate into their first language or language of habitual use from their second or third language. My language directions are French to English and Spanish to English because I translate only into English and not into French or Spanish.

Language of habitual use: Your language of habitual use is the language you use on a daily basis. If a translator has lived in a country where their second language is spoken regularly, they might translate into their language of habitual use rather than their native or first language. My language of habitual use is the same as my native language (English).

Language pair: The source or original language and the language that the text will be translated into. I have two language pairs: French to English and Spanish to English.

Localization: Adapting a text (or other content) to a specific local market. For example, you might need to localize an English ad campaign developed in the UK for an American English audience because spelling conventions and the language used will be different.

Machine translation: Machine translation is translation done by a computer using a machine translation engine. There are several machine translation engines on the market (e.g. Google Translate, DeepL and ModernMT) and each has its merits and shortcomings. While machine translation is no longer simple word-for-word substitution and can produce fairly good results, computers still can’t translate and write like real people. The translations they produce are often not fit for purpose.

MCIL: See Accreditation above. 

MITI: See Accreditation above.

MTPE: Machine translation post-editing. This is when a machine translation engine (like DeepL, ModernMT or Google Translate) is used to automatically translate a text and the output is edited by a professional translator. Post-editing (for short) can be “light” with minimal changes or “full” to achieve the quality of professional human translation.

Native language/mother tongue/first language: This is generally the first language a person learned in childhood. It might not, however, be their strongest language if they only use it at home or if they haven’t used it regularly for many years.

 

OCR: Optical character recognition. When software is used to automatically convert text in a non-editable format to an editable format by recognizing the letters. The clearer the document and the more sophisticated the software used, the higher the quality of the OCR output.

PEMT: Post-editing machine translation. See MTPE. It’s the same thing…

Plain English: Writing clearly using shorter sentences, less jargon and more active verbs. Writing in plain English doesn’t mean dumbing down a text. It means writing so your target audience can take on and understand your message quickly and easily.

Proofreading: Checking a final text for minor errors like typos, extra or missing spaces and incorrect numbering. Each editor or translator will define proofreading differently, so check with them what they mean when they use this term.

Quality Assurance (QA): A set of checks to ensure that the translation is of the required quality level. Many QA checks can be done automatically using a CAT tool, e.g. checking numbers and formatting have been transferred correctly.

Revision: Checking the translation against the source text for accuracy. Revision can include improving the translation to make it more appropriate to the target audience, to make it sound more natural or to improve the style. Like proofreading, what’s included in revision varies by translator, so confirm what your reviser will actually check when revising.

Source language: The original language of the text that will be translated.

Source text: The text that will be translated.

Style guide: A document setting out the guidelines that writers and translators should follow when writing for your organization. The English language is not governed by any specific authority, so different spelling, grammar and punctuation conventions are used in different countries and by different organizations. Your style guide can also provide instructions on clear writing/plain English, brand voice and inclusive language, to name just a few elements. I have posted about style guides here, here and here.

Sworn translator: In some jurisdictions, translators must be approved by the courts to carry out official translations. They are then called sworn translators. You can usually find a list of sworn translators by contacting your local court, consulate or embassy.

Target audience: The people who will read a document (or at least the people who the writer wants to read it).

Target language: The language into which the document will be translated. The language of the translation.

Target text: The translation. The document in the target language. The result of the translation process.

 

Source text in the source language >> TRANSLATION >> Target text in the target language (aka the translation)

 

Term base: Similar to a glossary, a term base is a list of words commonly used in a field plus their translations. It is different from a glossary because it is bilingual and doesn’t always include definitions. It is different from a dictionary because it only includes key words and phrases. A term base could be recorded in a simple spreadsheet or using more sophisticated software.

Translation: Put very simply, the act of converting a text from one language into another or the result of this process.

Translation memory: A special type of file produced using a CAT tool that contains old translation segments. Translators can search a translation memory to make sure they are using consistent terminology. These files usually have the file extension .tmx (or similar).

Word count: The number of words in a document.

 

Let me know if you can think of anything to add or if you want to chat about how translation can help you get more from your international partnerships.

Four experiences of collaborative writing

This year I have discovered the joy of collaborative writing and I want to share that joy with you. I was planning to write a post on this topic a couple of month’s ago – about writing the IDC Network’s Bulletin article – but I put it off because the article won’t be published until the next issue.

And I’m glad I did. I’ve had three more great experiences of collaborative writing since then, each logistically unique, but instructive and enjoyable nonetheless.

Recent collaborative writing projects:

•           ITI International Development and Cooperation Network introductory article for the ITI Bulletin (3 contributors)
•           ITI East Anglia Network event report on our business retreat for the ITI Bulletin (5 contributors)
•           ITI East Anglia Halloween Horror Writing Workshop (4 contributors)
•           ITI French Network article on our Termstorm events for the ITI Bulletin (6 contributors)

International Development and Cooperation Network (IDC Network)

The first project – which really sparked my enthusiasm for collaborative writing – was the ITI IDC Network’s ITI Bulletin article to introduce the network to the wider membership. I’m Joint Deputy Coordinator of the network and this article was a big deal for the Coordination Team (Sara Horcas, Belinda Allen and I), something we wanted to take the time to get right.

We used a Google Doc because the platform allows contributors to edit the same document and see other contributors’ edits and suggestions in real time. We began by holding a meeting to discuss what we wanted the article to say about the network, before drafting a bullet point outline of the article and deciding who would write each section.

The real fun began once everyone had written their section and we had a first draft. We made suggestions on each other’s sections, condensed sections that were too repetitive and rearranged the whole article to improve the flow. At first we dipped into the article to make and discuss suggestions as and when, but as the deadline approached, we were all in there at the same time. Suggested changes and responses came in thick and fast and at times it was hard to keep up. But we did it and produced an article that I think does the network justice.

What made this experience so enjoyable was the respect and appreciation we all showed for each other’s writing and suggestions. We were all open to different ideas and keen to find the right wording to get our message across most effectively.

The article should be published in the next issue of the Bulletin.

East Anglia Network – Business Retreat

Following our East Anglia Network business retreat to Hunstanton on the Norfolk coast, the five participants – Anikó Pető-Mordovski, David Stockings, Frances Clarke, Laura Elvin and I – jointly wrote an event report for the ITI Bulletin. This was a much shorter article than the IDC Network one, the stakes didn’t feel quite so high and the logistics were much simpler.

Again we began by discussing what the report should include and who would write each section. This time we used email and wrote consecutively. Once the first section had been written, it was sent to the group for the next person to add their part. This avoided repetition from the start and helped ensure a logical flow (which is much easier in a shorter article anyway). We also contributed a short summary of what we each worked on during the retreat for the boxout. The whole affair was coordinated by Anikó, who checked the finished article and sent it for publication.

The article appears in the September-October 2022 edition of the ITI Bulletin.

 

ITI East Anglia – Halloween Horror Writing Workshop

This workshop, organized by the ever-creative Anikó, gave participants the chance to work in teams to emulate the great horror writers Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft. It wasn’t all fun and games (even though it was definitely brilliant fun); the exercise encouraged us to analyse our assigned author’s style in depth (we got King), before setting out to write a horror story of our own.

Again we used Google Docs, so everyone could see and amend the text, though I became an unofficial scribe. Being on video with the other three contributors – Afra Madkhana, Alanah Reynor and Fiona Grey – and writing together from scratch was a totally different experience. We bounced ideas off each other, added to each other’s ideas and went back and forth changing things until we were happy.

This is certainly not an efficient way to write. We managed one paragraph in about 30 minutes and (true to the King extract we were given) we hadn’t gotten to the action of our story. But our ideas were improved and polished as we went, meaning we ended up with a King-esque paragraph we could all be proud of. I was so exhilarated by the time the event ended that I think I talked about it with my partner for most of the drive to dinner.

An event report should appear on the East Anglia Network blog soon (complete with extracts!).

ITI French Network

My last, and as yet not-quite-finished, experience of collaborative writing is the ITI French Network article for the ITI Bulletin on the network’s new Termstorm events. Again we’re using Google Docs and again we divided up the sections between the two main collaborators – Alanah Reynor and I (the French Network Events Team).

To add more variety to the article we decided to include reviews of the event (one newly written for the article, by Saskia Brown, and one repurposed and edited existing review, by Alison Hill Campbell). This involved coordinating with additional contributors and making sure any edits to their contributions (mainly to reduce the word count and improve consistency) were approved.

Once we had made suggestions on each other’s draft of the article, we passed it on to committee members Dean Evans and Sabine Citron for their suggestions (again made on the Google doc). Their input was invaluable in tightening up the phrasing and highlighting where ideas could be arranged more logically. Sometimes when you know a topic so well it can be hard to pick up that you haven’t quite explained something properly before you talk about it. It just goes to show the value of a keen-eyed editor.

The final version should be finalized today and appear in the next issue of the ITI Bulletin.

Do you have any experience of collaborative writing? How has it worked for you? Did you enjoy it?

Translation takes a village

Most translators work as freelancers with a variety of clients ranging from individuals to large organizations, from boutique agencies to governments. But no one is an island (yes, I’m going full cliché in this post). And we are all better at our jobs when we have a strong professional network of colleagues behind us.

These colleagues might be other translators working in the same language pairs and directions as us (French and Spanish to English for me), they might be local freelance translators, or colleagues specializing in the same areas as you. They might even come from outside the translation and interpreting profession to include designers, copy writers, social media managers, campaign managers, advocates and others who also work with our clients or in our specialist areas.

 

Just because freelancers are ultimately answerable to ourselves and our clients doesn’t mean we don’t benefit immensely from the professional communities we choose to be a part of and nurture.

The village is good for us…

Freelancing can be a lonely life, especially for a translator. Most of us work from home, alone, and interact with the majority of our clients online by email and video call. While I have a great relationship with all my clients and love working with them, it is neither appropriate nor professional to talk to them about the back end of my business or parts of my work I need support with. Indeed, they come to me because they don’t know how to solve those tricky language issues themselves.

Colleagues on the other hand are going through many of the same things, they are keen to hear about your successes and to share their own, and to offer and seek advice. Knowing your colleagues, especially those working in the same fields and with the same languages as you, also means you might be able to work on larger more complex projects or pass on work you can’t take on (offering a valuable service to your clients, safe in the knowledge that you’ve left them in competent hands). This is never more valuable than when a crisis hits and you have to find cover at short notice, so your client isn’t left in the lurch.

Contributing to professional networks can also be incredibly fun and rewarding. I mentor for both the ITI French and Spanish Networks, and have met some wonderful people and learned so much in the process. In my role as Joint Events Coordinator for the ITI French Network, I’ve been working with the fabulous Alanah Reynor (for over a year now!) and am so happy I volunteered. Not only have we had great feedback on the events we’ve organized, but we’ve worked really well as a team and become real friends.

I’m also a Deputy Coordinator of the ITI International Development and Cooperation Network, which is still in its early stages. Working with Coordinator Sara Horcas and fellow Deputy Coordinator Belinda Allen has been great. I even plan to write about our super-collaborative writing session in a post soon. Being able to work closely with people who also work in my specialist area, who share my passions and values, is extremely motivating and enjoyable.

Finally, there are the opportunities for collaborative learning that come from exchanging our knowledge with colleagues. I’m a member of two revision clubs (one for French and one for Spanish) and I’ve learned so much from both. All our on and off topic discussions about our work and the profession as a whole have been a real joy.

…and its good for our clients

Having a strong network of colleagues we can turn to and who can turn to us is also a valuable asset for our clients. It means we can recommend trusted colleagues when we aren’t available or for work not in our fields, languages or skillsets. 

It also means we can take on larger projects with shorter deadlines, as I have done with my revision club colleagues. Because we’re working with people we know well, we can start with a good understanding of our different translation styles and how to align them to deliver consistency to our clients.

How did I meet colleagues?

You may then wonder how to build these relationships. Like you would build any other. Put yourself out there, participate in discussions, offer advice when you can, volunteer to help with professional networks, mentor, set up a revision club, set up a network, engage with people consistently on social media. Be yourself, be human, and most of all be there.

I find the personal connection that comes from doing all this valuable and enriching to my professional life beyond measure. I am grateful to all the wonderful colleagues I have met so far over my career. You have been a steadfast source of support, guidance and inspiration to me, as I hope I have been to many of you.

If you haven’t already I would encourage all freelancers (whether translators, interpreters or others) to get involved in your professional networks, give back and meet some brilliant people. You won’t regret it!

ITI Conference 2022: A look back. Part II

This is certainly the more difficult part to write. Here I’d like to go into some detail about my favourite sessions, what I thought really worked and what I thought was perhaps missing.

The first highlight for me was the format of the event. Putting on a hybrid event was a stroke of genius by the ITI team and added a lot to the conference experience for on- and offline delegates alike. Because all delegates could catch up on session recordings later, I felt so much less pressure when choosing which sessions to attend and less guilt (and FOMO) when I needed a breather or had a family emergency. I even sat outside the room for one talk, watching on my phone, while waiting for an important call.

The top of the talks

Most of the talks related to soft skills, e.g. building client and colleague relationships, approaches to diversification and productivity, or the profession and the translation market as a whole. The first session I attended was by the inimitable Fiona Grey, who shared her strategy for managing different types and tiers of clients sustainably. I currently work with both direct and agency clients and her advice (and her extended bus metaphor) really resonated with me.

Other gems from the Tuesday sessions included Juliet Baur and Mason Colby’s joint talk on working as a professional partnership and Silke Lührmann’s presentation of her research on translators’ experiences of the pandemic. Juliet and Mason had spoken at previous conferences about their partnership and it was interesting to see how it had evolved over the years even though I had not attended their previous talks.

Having responded to Silke’s survey on translators’ experiences of the pandemic, I was particularly interested to hear her present her findings. Her insights on the trends she uncovered were thought-provoking, reassuring — it’s always nice to know you’re not alone — and extremely well delivered.

Highlights from Wednesday included Hayley Wood’s talk on parenthood for translators and Lydia Marquardt’s session on making your business work for your life. Lydia’s talk was the one that most inspired me to act. Her enthusiasm for prototyping new business ideas and working to your strengths was contagious and easily applicable in practice.

Hayley’s session was full of practical tips about the support available to new parents and stories she had gathered from other freelance translator parents. I certainly feel better prepared now than I did before her talk and pleased to know that there are freelance parents out there ready and willing to share their knowledge and advice.

I would like to give a special mention to Michael Robson’s talk advocating that we share our personal lives with our clients where appropriate, in which he shared his own story. The case studies really brought home the importance of recognising our own needs and vulnerability, if we’re going to make freelancing work for us. And the need to bring our clients in as partners rather than trying to pretend we’re emotionless automata.

In his keynote, Daniel Hahn shared his process, in detail, with examples, and it was fascinating. It definitely hit its mark with the audience and prompted a number of discussions about how we (don’t) talk about process, how process is (barely) taught and how we can encourage people to think about and share their process.

Missing in action

While I understand that with so many people working into and out of so many languages it is difficult to deliver training on core skills at a conference like this, I do think hard translation skills were missing in action.

There were no slams (a tragedy) and very few talks on the nuts and bolts of translation. Oliver Lawrence’s talk on paying attention to musicality in our writing, Daniel Hahn’s keynote and Tomas West’s session on cross-Atlantic translation of legal terms were pretty much it as far as I could see.

I found a few of the sessions a little light on relevant, new or useful content. Whether this was down to the talk selection process or because some speakers would have benefited from additional guidance, I’m not sure. For me, these sessions lacked insight, practical or actionable advice, in some cases because they spent too long setting the scene and ran out of time and in others because the content was too superficial.

My takeaways

There were loads of great sessions that offered insight (e.g. Silke’s research presentation and the presentation on language industry dynamics by Slator’s Anna Wydnham) or concrete actionable steps to make changes in your business (e.g. Bex Elder’s talk on productivity tools, Lydia’s session on going beyond work-life balance, Nicole Hawkesford’s deep dive into Airtable, and Amelie Aichinger’s presentation on specialization).

While I won’t be implementing them all, they have given me plenty of food for thought and ideas to get going. Some I’ve already put into practice (thanks Fiona for the push to have a proper client management strategy) and some are more ongoing principles I’ll endeavour to apply (like prototyping new ideas to test them out).

Overall the conference was a wonderful opportunity to catch up with colleagues, learn a lot and really appreciate how lucky I am to be a member of this fantastic profession.

And here’s that headshot: