Dr. Patricia Phillips-Batoma from the Center for Translation Studies at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana gave this presentation about careers in translation and interpreting to our Spanish majors. This was the first "Mi Carrera" workshop for Spanish majors in the Fall 2013 semester. Dr. Phillips-Batoma defined translation and interpreting, painted the job scene, and encouraged students to get training. If you have any questions, you can contact Dr. Phillips-Batoma at pphillip@illinois.edu. If you have questions about how to do career-related programming for your foreign language students, please contact me, Ann Abbott, at arabbott@illinois.edu

1. Careers in Translation/Interpreting
for Spanish Majors
Mi Carrera, Patricia Phillips-Batoma, pphillip@illinois.edu

2. Careers in Translation/Interpreting for
Spanish Majors
 Overview:
 Translation vs. Interpreting
 Professional training
 Professional organizations
 Translation industry
 Free-lance vs. In-house translator/interpreter
 Translation companies
 NGOs and Governments
 Role of technology in translation
 Translation and Interpreting specialties

3. Careers in Translation/Interpreting for
Spanish Majors
 Translation vs. Interpreting:
 Translation: written communication
 Interpreting: oral communication

4. Careers in Translation/Interpreting for
Spanish Majors
 Translation (some terms):
 Source language/Target language
 E.g. FR to EN
ES to EN
DE to ES
 L1 Translation – when a translator works from a second
language into their native language
 L2 Translation – when a translator works from their native
language into a second (or third) language

5. Careers in Translation/Interpreting for
Spanish Majors
 Interpreting (some terms):
 Simultaneous interpreting – when the interpreting is
carried out with only a short lag with respect to the
speaker
 UN – Model for simultaneous interpreting originated in the
Nuremberg trials
 Consecutive interpreting – when the interpreting is done
in two directions, with one interpreter handling both
directions and both interlocutors
 Medical interpreting – sits between patient and doctor
 Legal interpreting – between defendant and prosecutor

6. Careers in Translation/Interpreting for
Spanish Majors
 Simultaneous interpreting:
 Nuremberg trials: first time in history that this technique
was developed;
 Today, simultaneous interpreting is taught according to
specialized techniques;
 Monterey School of International Studies
 UN recruiters wait outside after final exams
 Requires specialized technology (interpreter booths)
 UN interpreters take breaks every 30 minutes

7. Careers in Translation/Interpreting for
Spanish Majors

8. Careers in Translation/Interpreting for
Spanish Majors
 Professional Training
 Deep knowledge of a foreign language
 University diploma
 Experience living in a country where source language spoken
 Certificate in Translation Studies
 Translation studies
 Software
 Different areas of translation
 Masters Programs
 ATA list of approved translation and interpreting schools
http://www.atanet.org/certification/eligibility_approved.php

9. Careers in Translation/Interpreting for
Spanish Majors
 Professional organizations:
 ATA, American Translators Association
http://www.atanet.org
 CHICATA, Chicago Area Translators Association
http://www.chicata.org/
 Proz.com

10. Careers in Translation/Interpreting for
Spanish Majors
 Translation industry
 Free-lance vs. In-house translator/interpreter
 Free-lance is now the dominant model
 Advantages:
 Work at home
 No commute
 No wardrobe
 Work as much or as little as you want
 Disadvantages
 Isolation
 In-house translator positions on the decline

11. Careers in Translation/Interpreting for
Spanish Majors
 Translation Industry
 Translation companies
 Offer multiple language combinations
 Work with large numbers of translators from all over the world
 Companies can send jobs requiring translation into multiple
languages
 Governments and International Organizations
 Governments:
 US: State Department, FBI, CIA, NSA, Department of Homeland Security,
DEA
 Need all languages but publish lists of “critical languages”
 European Union
 23 official languages
 Law requires all information about the EU to be translated in all official
languages
 You can work as free-lance translator for the EU if you are not an EU
citizen

12. Careers in Translation/Interpreting for
Spanish Majors
 Role of Technology in Translation
 Translators must be savvy users of computers and
software applications
 CAT Tools: Computer-Assisted Translation Tools
 Examples: SDL Trados Studio, MemoQ, Geoworkz
 History: grew out of Machine Translation research
 Functions:
 Segments and converts source text to translatable format
 Creates a translation memory (TM)
 Interfaces with term base
 Most free-lance translators run several applications on the same
computer

13. Careers in Translation/Interpreting for
Spanish Majors
 Translation and Interpreting Specialties
 Translation:
 Medical
 Legal
 Commercial
 Scientific
 Technical
 Literary
 Interpreting
 Medical
 Legal
 International organizations
 Corporate

14. Careers in Translation/Interpreting for
Spanish Majors
Questions?