In this second article about volunteering, I will focus on volunteering for a translators’ and interpreters’ association.
Surely, if you are a member of such an association, you know they have a lot to offer – information, continuing education, professional advice, professional events, discounts for products and services you need (software, courses, books and dictionaries). What you may not know, or may not have thought about, is how it all gets done. Care to guess? Yes, through volunteering. These associations exist and operate thanks to their members and their members’ willingness to offer their help for the benefit of the group.
If you have some time on your hands or are willing to donate your free time, this is a fantastic way to advance the profession and help your colleagues.
What’s in it for you:
- Networking opportunities
- Access to the latest news first
- Discounts on admission to events you help organize
- The chance to learn from colleagues
- The opportunity to make new friends
- A boost to your resume
- The chance to advance the profession as a whole (after all, it’s your profession)
What you can do:
- Organize programs, seminars, webinars and workshops for translators and interpreters living in your area
- Promote the organization, recruit new members, promote events
- Serve as webmaster/help with website maintenance and communications with members
- Write and/or edit newsletters, blog articles, and content in general
- Manage logistics for translation- and interpretation-related conferences and other events
- Raise public awareness of the translation and interpreting profession
- Promote and assist in the organization of certification procedures
Where?
I would suggest volunteering for a local association where you can meet with members in person. If you prefer a large association, you can volunteer at the regional, national or international level. You can also volunteer with a division within an organization.
You will find a list of associations at the end of this article.
No time?
If you don’t have time to volunteer, you can still help. You can donate money or resources, such as books, software, membership to a newsletter, etc. to a local, national or international association. These can be used as awards for members or by the association’s Board of Directors.
Another way of helping that usually goes unnoticed is giving a hand to your friends who volunteer. Even if you are not a volunteer yourself, you can help your friends who are. Maybe a friend organizing an event needs your help. Have you recently found a great, free online tool or open-source software that would be useful? Share the news! Even something as simple as that can be a great help!
ATIF
I’m pleased to announce that I am one of the incoming Board members of the Association of Translators and Interpreters of Florida (ATIF). I will be serving as Secretary for a two-year term starting January 1st, 2013, joining Linda Dunlap, President; Mayeluz Navarro, Vice President; Emily Paul, Treasurer; Emmy Prieto, Director; Gloria Nichols, Director; James Nolan, Director, and Silvia Guzman, Director.
List of Professional Associations (This is not a complete list. Please bear in mind that new associations are created frequently and old ones change names or cease to exist.)
International Associations:
- European Society for Translation Studies (EST) http://www.est-translationstudies.org/index.html
- International Association for Translation and Intercultural Studies (IATIS) http://www.iatis.org/
- International Association of Professional Translators and Interpreters (IAPTI) http://www.aipti.org/
- International Federation of Translators / Fédération Internationale des Traducteurs (FIT-IFT) (FIT is a worldwide organization, composed of the national translation organizations from over 60 countries) www.fit-ift.org/
- Translators Without Borders (TWB) / Traducteurs sans Frontières (TSF) http://translatorswithoutborders.org/- If you want to volunteer for Translators without Borders doing something other than translating, you can offer your skills in project management, computers, accounting, graphic design, etc. here.
- World Association of Sign Language Interpreters (WASLI) http://www.wasli.org/
Multinational Associations:
Arabic Associations
- Arab Translators Network-Arab Professional Translators Society (ATN-APTS) http://www.arabtranslators.org/index.asp
- World Association of Arab Translators & Linguists (WATA) http://www.wata.cc/
National Associations:
Africa
Egypt
Egyptian Translators Association (EGYTA) http://www.egyta.com/
Ethiopia
The National Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ethiopia (NATIE) http://www.translationdirectory.com/article992.htm
Morocco
Morocco’s Legal Translators Association (ATAJ) http://www.atajtraduction.asso.ma/indexfr.php
Nigeria
Nigerian Institute of Translators and Interpreters (NITI) http://www.nitinigeria.net/index.html
South Africa
South African Translators’ Institute (SATI) http://translators.org.za/sati_cms/index.php?frontend_action=display_text_content&content_id=1
Asia
China
Translators Association of China (TAC) http://www.tac-online.org.cn/en/
India
Indian Translators Association (ITAINDIA) http://www.itaindia.org/home.php
Indonesia
Association of Indonesian Translators (HPI) http://www.hpi.or.id/
Iran
Iranian Translators and Interpreters Association (ITIA) http://itia.ir/
Iraq
Iraqi Translators’ Association http://www.irtrans.org/index_en.htm
Israel
Israel Translation Association (ITA) http://www.ita.org.il/index.php?cnt=about_us
Japan
Japan Association of Translators (JAT) http://jat.org/
South Korea
Korean Society of Translators (KST) http://www.kstinc.or.kr/
Europe
Austria
Austria Interpreters’ and Translators’ Association (UNIVERSITAS) http://www.universitas.org/en/home/
Belgium
Belgian Chamber of Translators, Interpreters and Philologists (CBTIP) http://www.translators.be
Croatia
Croatian Association of Scientific and Technical Translators (HDZTP) http://www.drustvoprevoditelja.htnet.hr/index_engl.html
Czech Republic
Union of Interpreters and Translators (JTP) http://www.jtpunion.org/spip/
Denmark
Danish Authorized Translators and Interpreters (DT) http://www.dtfb.dk/
Finland
Finnish Association of Translators and Interpreters (SKTL) http://www.sktl.fi/in-english/
France
Société française des traducteurs/ French Association of Translators (SFT) http://www.sft.fr/index.php
Germany
- Bundesverband der Dolmetscher und Übersetzer e.V./Federal Association of Professional Interpreters and Translators (BDÜ) http://www.bdue.de/
- Fachverband der Berufsübersetzer und Berufsdolmetscher e.V. (ATICOM) http://www.aticom.de/a-start.htm
Greece
Panhellenic Association of Translators (PEM) http://www.pem.gr/en/
Hungary
Association of Hungarian Translators and Interpreters (MFTE) http://www.mfte.hu/docs/1/Bemutatkoz%C3%A1s/
Iceland
Icelandic Association of Translators and Interpreters (THOT) http://www.thot.is/
Ireland
Irish Translators’ and Interpreters’ Association (ITIA) http://www.translatorsassociation.ie/
Italy
- Italian Association of Translators and Interpreters (AITI) http://www.aiti.org/
- Italian National Association of Translators and Interpreters (ANITI) http://www.aniti.it/
Luxemburg
Association luxembourgeoise des traducteurs et interprètes (ALTI) http://www.traducteurs-interpretes.lu/
Netherlands
Dutch Society of Interpreters and Translators (NGTV) http://www.ngtv.nl/
Norway
Norwegian Non-Fiction Writers and Translators Association (NFF) http://www.nffo.no/
Poland
Association of Polish Translators and Interpreters (APTI) http://www.stp.org.pl/
Portugal
Associação Portuguesa de Tradutores/ Portuguese Association of Translators (APT) http://www.apt.pt/
Russia
Union of Translators of Russia (UTR) http://www.translators-union.ru/
Slovakia
Slovak Society of Translators of Scientific and Technical Literature (SSPOL) http://www.sspol.sk/
Slovenia
Association of Scientific and Technical Translators of Slovenia (DZTPS) http://www.dztps.si/eng/index.html
Spain
Asociación Española de Traductores, Correctores e Intérpretes (ASETRAD) http://www.asetrad.org/
Sweden
Swedish Association of Professional Translators (SFÖ) http://www.sfoe.se/
Switzerland
Association suisse des traducteurs, terminologues et interprètes (ASTTI) http://www.astti.ch/
Turkey
Çeviri Dernegi (Association of Translation) http://www.ceviridernegi.org/
Ukraine
Ukrainian Translators Association (UTA) http://www.uta.org.ua/en
United Kingdom
Institute of Translation & Interpreting (ITI) http://www.iti.org.uk/
Latin America
Argentina
Asociación Argentina de Traductores e Intérpretes (AATI) http://www.aati.org.ar/site/
Brazil
Associação Brasileira de Tradutores (ABRATES) http://www.abrates.com.br/site/
Chile
Colegio de Traductores e Intérpretes de Chile (COTICH, Ex AGTS) http://www.traductores-agts.cl/
Colombia
Asociación Colombiana de Traductores e Intérpretes (ACTI) http://www.traductorescolombia.com/
Costa Rica
Asociación Costarricense de Traductores e Intérpretes Profesionales (ACOTIP) http://www.acotip.org/
Cuba
Asociación Cubana de Traductores e Intérpretes (ACTI) http://www.esti.cu/
Mexico
Organización Mexicana de Traductores (OMT) http://www.omt.org.mx/
Uruguay
Colegio de Traductores Públicos del Uruguay (CTPU) http://www.colegiotraductores.org.uy/
North America
Canada
Canadian Association for Translation Studies (CATS) http://www.act-cats.ca/
United States
- American Translators Association (ATA) http://atanet.org/
- The Translators and Interpreters Guild (TTIG) http://www.unionlanguages.org/
Oceania
Australia
Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators (AUSIT) http://www.ausit.org
New Zealand
New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters (NZSTI) http://www.nzsti.org/
Regional or Local Associations:
Since there are several associations in each country, I will just mention a few in the United States. You can probably find an association in your area on your national association’s website.
- Association of Translators and Interpreters of Florida (ATIF) www.atifonline.org
- Atlanta Association of Interpreters and Translators (AAIT) www.aait.org
- Carolina Association of Translators and Interpreters (CATI) www.catiweb.org
- Delaware Valley Translators Association (DVTA) www.dvta.org
- Metroplex Interpreters & Translators Association (MITA) http://www.dfw-mita.com/ (Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW))
- Michigan Translators/Interpreters Network (MiTiN) www.mitinweb.org
- Mid-America Chapter of ATA (MICATA) http://www.micata.org/
- Midwest Association of Translators and Interpreters (MATI) www.matiata.org
- National Capital Area Translators Association (NCATA) www.ncata.org
- New York Circle of Translators (NYCT) www.nyctranslators.org
- Northeast Ohio Translators Association (NOTA) www.notatranslators.org
- Northern California Translators Association (NCTA) www.ncta.org
- Northwest Translators and Interpreters Society (NOTIS) www.notisnet.org
- Upper Midwest Translators and Interpreters Association (UMTIA) www.umtia.org
* ATA Chapters. If you are a member of the ATA and there is no ATA chapter in your area, you can start an ATA chapter.
Specialized Associations:
Audiovisual
- European Association for Studies in Screen Translation (ESIST) http://www.esist.org/
Conference Interpreters
- International Association of Conference Interpreters / Association internationale des interprètes de conférence (AIIC) http://aiic.net/
- International Association of Conference Translators (AITC) http://www.aitc.ch/
Court/Legal
- Association of Police and Court Interpreters (APCI) http://www.apciinterpreters.org.uk/
- National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT) http://www.najit.org/
Literary
- American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) www.utdallas.edu/alta/
- Association des traducteurs littéraires de France/The French Literary Translators’ Association (ATLF) http://www.atlf.org/
- European Council of Associations of Literary Translators (CEATL) http://www.ceatl.eu/
- Literary Translators’ Association of Canada (LTAC) http://attlc-ltac.org/node
- Translators Association (TA) http://www.societyofauthors.org/translators-association
Medical
- Associación Internacional de Traductores y Redactores de Medicina y Ciencias Afines (TREMĖDICA, International Association of Translators and Editors of Medicine and Allied Sciences) http://www.tremedica.org/index.html
- International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA) http://www.imiaweb.org/about/default.asp
- National Council on Interpreting in Healthcare (NCIHC) http://www.ncihc.org/
Other
- Divisions within your organization (technical translators, interpreters, medical interpreters, etc.)
List of organizations from Wikipedia.
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