Maria Constanza traveled to New York City for the 50th annual American Translators Association which proved to be one of the largest gathering of linguists and language service providers (LSPs) yet. Approximately 2,400 attendees gathered over four days at the Marriott Marquis to meet and greet colleagues as well as learn about the advances in the profession. It was a fitting tribute to the Association which was born in NYC.
This year the Conference offered over 150 sessions related to the language services industry. I particularly enjoyed Ewardo Magalhaes’ Unlocking the Booth: Interpreter Secrets and Tactics Revealed. Ewardo’s wonderful, humorous presentation addressed many topics relating to conference interpreting, including what to do when you freeze mid-sentence. Yes, this does happen, even to the most seasoned interpreters! Another informative session, Translating for the U.S. Hispanic Markets discussed the imporatance of considering “U.S. Spanish” as a geovariance of Spanish due to the fact that there are Spanish speakers from so many countries residing in the U.S. and in essence it is a second language evolving in a new environment. Certainly food for thought.
All in all, there were interesting, thought-provoking sessions from which I learned. However, the best part of the conference was the people; I had the chance to meet and spend time with terrific linguists, several of whom I know will be friends for years to come. Next year’s conference will be held in Seattle; looking forward to it already!
Tags: Interpreters, Translation