From your National President
Esteemed Members, Colleagues:
I hope you had a productive and fulfilling February. I am writing to update you on some important developments this month in the translation and interpreting profession.
International Mother Language Day
You may know that International Mother Language Day was observed on the twenty-first. In multicultural and multilingual societies like Australia, the preservation of traditional knowledge and culture through language is critical. We know this because as languages disappear, we lose cultural diversity, traditions, and unique ways of thinking.
While we may not always be visible to and recognised by the broader community, the work we do as translators and interpreters matters a great deal. With our professional skills, we help maintain the rights of individuals to communicate in their mother language. And that is something worth celebrating.
You can read more about International Mother Language Day on the United Nations website.
Presidential branch visits
One of the great privileges of serving as National President is the opportunity to meet with AUSIT branches across the country. So far this year I have visited the New South Wales and Queensland branches, on 24 January and 22 February respectively. I intend to visit the Tasmanian Branch later this year. Additionally, since the AUSIT National Conference 2025 will be held in Canberra in late November, I look forward to visiting the ACT Branch during that period also.
I would like to express my gratitude to the hundreds of colleagues who attended the NSW Branch visit event ‘What’s Next For AUSIT? — New President, New Vision,’ both in person and via Zoom. It was a precious opportunity to obtain direct input from members on how AUSIT can realise its strategic vision. (For those who missed it, I laid out my vision for AUSIT in the Summer issue of In Touch magazine, pages 4–5.) During the session I was thoroughly impressed by the ideas colleagues shared, and took notes vigorously throughout. Three ideas from each part of AUSIT’s vision — Finance, Visibility, Influence — stood out to me. I share them below.
To improve AUSIT’s finances, colleagues suggested that we offer training programs to external stakeholders, recruit grant-writing specialists to secure funding, and develop an online merchandise store.
For increased visibility, members recommended AUSIT hire a dedicated social media officer or PR expert, leverage our relationships with affiliated educational institutions to strengthen the ‘student-to-member’
To enhance AUSIT’s influence in the industry, practitioners urged us to make a plan to place more AUSIT members on stakeholder boards and committees,* actively participate in major national and international events, and organise networking opportunities that bring together important stakeholders from across the sector.
Of course, as a volunteer-led organisation, AUSIT’s time and resources are limited. The National Council has been considering these ideas on their merits. We will notify members in due course as they are implemented.
* To find out how to get involved in this area, read Advocacy Committee Chair Patricia Evelin Arguello de Avila’s article in the next issue of In Touch magazine, due out in early April.
NAATI LSP Endorsement Model
You may have learned recently that the Ministerial Forum on Multicultural Affairs has authorised NAATI to develop a Language Service Provider (LSP) endorsement model (see NAATI news here). This government initiative aims to improve language service quality and consistency. NAATI plans to introduce a pilot system in January 2026 and will engage with T&I sector stakeholders to develop appropriate criteria and processes.
Although the endorsement model is solely targeted at LSPs, the outcomes of this model will ultimately impact the working environment for interpreters across Australia. With this in mind, AUSIT will advocate for practitioners by making written submissions to NAATI and the Department of Home Affairs. The National Council will assist with this, however I encourage all AUSIT members to contact me directly by email (president@ausit.org) to make their voices heard on this matter.
Language Divisions
It is with great pleasure that I announce the official formation of the German Language Division. A big thank you to Peter Zauner and the other German-language colleagues for making this possible. The Terms of Reference you drafted has been approved by the National Council.
I also want to thank practitioners from the Spanish Language Division — especially Cintia Lee — for leading the way and allowing other divisions to learn from your experiences as the most active language division within AUSIT.
Language divisions are a great way to network with practitioners in the same working language and organise professional development on topics of most relevance to your language community. For this reason, the National Council is more than happy to share resources with colleagues in order to encourage their formation and realise goals that are meaningful to you.
I encourage colleagues from other language communities to get in touch with me (president@ausit.org) if you are interested in forming a division for your language. I can then assist you with the next steps.
Fraudulent Representation of NAATI Credentials
I have received reports recently of translators and interpreters falsely claiming NAATI credentials. A common example involves practitioners who were accredited under the previous system continuing to advertise themselves as “Accredited” or “Certified” despite never completing the certification process.
If you become aware of any kind of fraudulent representation of NAATI credentials, I urge you to report it directly to NAATI (info@naati.com.au). This helps protect our profession from unethical and potentially illegal conduct.
The seriousness of credential fraud is illustrated by a recent UK case in which a man who impersonated a court interpreter and provided services without qualifications across 140 cases received a two-year suspended prison sentence and 300 hours of community service. While this may be an extreme example, it underscores the importance of maintaining and protecting our certification system.
Australia was a world-first in this regard, and continues to be one of the few countries with a national and independent certification system for translators and interpreters. Let us do all we can to safeguard it.
Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. I wish you all the best with your translating and interpreting work this coming March.
With warmth and gratitude,
Carl Gene Fordham
Carl Gene Fordham
AUSIT National President
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