It takes more than just the ability to understand two languages.

Professional translators and interpreters have the education, experience, and expertise to understand the nuances in one language and transfer them to another. The right professional will have solid knowledge of your industry and will know how to culturally adapt your content for the target audience you are trying to reach. You only get one chance to make a first impression, so make sure it counts.

Why Should I Hire a Professional?

Can I afford to hire a professional?

You can't afford NOT to. Getting your message wrong can cost money, ruin your image, and even cost lives. Whether you’re having a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign translated or need an interpreter to communicate treatment options between a doctor and patient, it pays to hire a professional to get the job done right.

Instead of hiring a professional, this restaurant used machine translation and did not realize the result was an error message.

Understanding what’s at stake

ATA publishes articles to illustrate why it is critical to hire qualified translators and interpreters.

Transform Your Site: English-Spanish Website Translation 

By ATA Compass | February 28, 2024

By Carolin Menendez | Compass author With over 559 million Spanish speakers globally, the Spanish language offers a sizeable and fast-growing customer base for businesses looking to expand their market reach. For example, about 1,900 people search Google every month for the very competitive English term “divorce lawyer in Miami.” However, the Spanish translation “abogado de divorcio en Miami” gets…

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Video Translation and Subtitling: The Ins and Outs of “Subs and Dubs”

By ATA Compass | January 31, 2024

By Olivia Caputo | Compass author Thanks to the success of international blockbusters like Parasite and Squid Game (both originally in Korean), video translation and subtitling have now become hot topics. Lots of people are asking whether “subs or dubs” make for a better or worse viewing experience.  There are strong opinions on each side but also some helpful general…

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The Spanish to English Translation Process: A Translator’s View

By ATA Compass | December 1, 2023

As an ATA certified Spanish-to-English translator specializing in medical and marketing translation as well as official documents, my job is not just to change words from one language to another; it’s about bridging cultures and connecting worlds. I have been a translator since 2006, and in this blog, I want to invite you into my process for bringing a Spanish…

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6 Reasons NOT to Use Your Bilingual Staff as Translators or Interpreters

By ATA Compass | November 1, 2023

Your bilingual staff members carry a lot of weight on their shoulders. The pros of hiring multilingual employees are obvious: they make it easier to communicate with clients or patients. But at what cost?  Using employees who speak two or more languages to assist with in-house translation (written language services) or interpreting (spoken or sign language services) tasks can be…

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Brain works

By ATA Compass | October 11, 2023

This article originally appeared on the Bulletin of the UK-based Institute of Translation and Interpreting. It is republished with permission. All translators and interpreters are bilingual or multilingual. But not all bilinguals or multilinguals can translate. It is a common misperception, especially in multilingual societies like India, that multilingual individuals can automatically translate well. Most educated people learn at least…

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What is Machine Translation?

By ATA Compass | September 26, 2023

Technology is moving at a faster pace today than ever before, and many people are left feeling confused. How will new technologies affect creative fields like translation? The American Translators Association has issued a position paper on machine translation (MT) to cut through the hype and explain the uses and limitations of this tool. Here’s a breakdown of the main…

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Why Hire an ATA Member?

ATA members have a commitment to continuing education and are held to the highest professional standards. Feel secure knowing if you’re hiring an ATA member, you’re hiring the best in the business.

Expertise

ATA plays a crucial role in helping members pursue the knowledge and skills necessary to help clients reach their goals. Through their membership in ATA, translators and interpreters signal the importance they place on professional education in the service of their clients.

Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility

ATA members share a commitment to the ethical business practices that hold their services accountable to the highest possible standards. ATA's Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility is the basis for a member's honest, confidential, and responsible interaction with clients.

It’s easy

ATA’s Language Services Directory is the largest of its kind in the world. It’s free to use and lets you customize a search for translators, interpreters, and companies that meets your requirements.

Find a Professional Translator or Interpreter

When you are committed to quality, the language professional you need is an ATA member.

The ATA Compass

Our outreach publication provides up-to-date information and resources about the translating and interpreting industry.

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What's the difference?

Translators do the writing. Interpreters do the talking. ATA helps you find the right language professional.

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Can't a computer do all this?

There are times when machine translation is useful, and times when it's not. Learn when to use Google Translate, and when to hire a professional.

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