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.ÌýThe 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.ÌýGetting 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.

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 ÇéÂÂ×ÔÅÄ 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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Subtitle Translation and Captioning: the Key Ingredients to Successful Social Media Video Marketing

By ATA Compass | August 30, 2023

Learn how you can leverage subtitle translation and captioning to expand reach, boost engagement, ensure accessibility, and more – from a professional subtitler and captioner.Ìý You’ve created the perfect video for social media, but it’s not getting the views, shares and likes you expected. Everything seems just right, so what’s wrong? You may have overlooked the key ingredients of successful…

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How to Hire a Translator: A Quick and Easy Guide

By ATA Compass | August 9, 2023

This article was originally published on www.katedeimling.com. It is reposted with permission. Perhaps you have never purchased translation services before and suddenly find yourself needing to hire a translator or interpreter. There are lots of reasons you may need to hire a translator. Maybe your company is expanding abroad. Maybe you are organizing a meeting with international speakers. Maybe you…

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Consecutive vs. Simultaneous Interpreting: What’s the Difference?

By ATA Compass | July 19, 2023

Linguists rejoiced at the trailer for The Covenant when it stated what many of us have been grumbling about under our breath for decades. If you’re curious about why the distinction matters, check out our article on the difference between translation and interpreting. To summarize, translation is written and interpreting is spoken. Knowing that is a great start, but there’s…

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How to Translate Your Website: 3 Key Considerations

By ATA Compass | June 28, 2023

You’ve launched a website for your business or organization. Congratulations! Now, what next? If you want to reach an even wider audience for your website, consider translating it into a different language. Did you know that translating your website into another language can help you attract even more website visitors from all over the globe? A large number of internet…

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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.

Keep Reading

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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