From: Acting National President Dr Erika González
Dear Colleagues,
One of the highlights of this month has been the release of the Government’s Multicultural Framework Review. AUSIT made a joint submission with ASLITA, plus many of us made further submissions through our workplaces or as individuals. The result is that out of 10 recommendations, 4 pertain to our industry:
- Recommendation 6: Leverage Australia’s diversity of languages to support our economic prosperity through a revitalised language policy led by the Australian Government.
- Recommendation 7: Ensure the sustainability of and quality of language services (interpreting and translating).
- Recommendation 8: Establish a fully funded TIS [Translating and Interpreting Service] National capacity within the existing business unit.
- Recommendation 9: Boost National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) funding.
The report also highlights the need to foster a sustainable T&I industry, which translates into better working conditions and remuneration for practitioners. On 12 August, I´ll be attending the Department of Home Affairs’ Language Industry Sustainability Forum. AUSIT has tabled two documents for this meeting:
- The Sydney Declaration (the National Conference Statement 2023), and
- the report on the Remuneration Rates survey, conducted by AUSIT in 2023 on the initiative of our colleague and former president Angelo Berbotto.
The latest membership report showed that we have over 2,200 members. It is of paramount importance that we keep growing, as this provides us with more leverage, further income, and the capacity to offer more services and benefits to our members. Let´s be active in promoting our association and encouraging colleagues who are not members to join! Together we are stronger!
Australia’s national sign language program (NSLP) extended 1 July
From 1 July 2024, the Australian Government expanded the NSLP to include sign language interpreting for health/medical appointments. You can find out more about the program here.
New Zealand interpreters to be required to hold NAATI certification
Given AUSIT’s mandate to promote and support the professionalisation of the Australian T&I industry, I was very pleased to hear that our colleagues across the Tasman Sea will be required to gain and retain NAATI certification in order to work for New Zealand government agencies.
FIT Position Paper on Translation Grades
With the growing demand for translations worldwide and the significant development of the language sector on a global scale, the question of translation quality standards has, once again, come to the fore, and FIT, as the voice of associations of translators, interpreters and terminologists around the world, has published a paper stating its position on translation grades. You can read FIT’s Position Paper on Translation Grades in this newsletter’s Reading Corner section.
AUSIT National Conference 2024
Conference preparations are going well. We have received over 80 abstracts, and we´ll soon be launching the conference program. We have an excellent selection of keynote speakers lined up. The keynotes will cover topics related to AI, legal interpreting and translation of community health information.
** Early Bird discount extended **
Last week, we reached 133 registrations for the conference. If you haven’t registered yet, your luck is in – we’ve extended the ‘Early Bird’ discounted registration deadline by a week, to 7 August.
We’re pleased to announce that the current registrations include attendees from Japan, New Zealand and the US!
A special shout out to my dear colleagues Miranda Lai and Elvira Bianchi for coordinating the abstract reviews, and to the army of reviewers who have done an excellent job! We’re very grateful for the help from Rita Wilson, Jim Hlavac, Shani Tobias, Epperly Zhang, Olga Garcia-Caro, Caroline Norma, Elvira Quintana and Hailan Paulsen.
Language Divisions
In the conference program we will allocate meeting spaces and time for the Language Divisions. Language Divisions are an excellent avenue via which to connect with colleagues also working in your language pair, and to organise free targeted PD. If you wish to organise or lead a Language Division in your language pair, please contact Angelo Berbotto.
AUSIT Engage is the main platform via which AUSIT’s Language Divisions operate. If you haven´t signed into AUSIT Engage yet, please do so at your earliest convenience. This is a dynamic space that facilitates announcements, communications and member interactions. Hopefully, with a greater use of the platform, we will be relying less on e-Flashes, and this will translate into much needed savings. Our PD and Communications crews will soon be organising a series of events to demonstrate the use and features of AUSIT Engage.
Sponsorship
With sponsorships still coming in, our top four sponsorship categories are now full. A big thank you to:.
Ruby Sponsor: Language Loop
Emerald Sponsor: NAATI
Platinum Sponsor: Oncall Language Services
Platinum Sponsor: TIS National – Department of Home Affairs
Venue Sponsor: RMIT University
… but there are still plenty of other sponsorship categories to choose from – check out our Sponsorship Prospectus, and feel free to contact me or our Communications Officer if you have any questions.
BRANCH NEWS
NSW Branch
… as reported by Silvia Martinez
On Friday 5 July, Camille Lapierre and Silvia Martinez represented AUSIT on NAATI’s stand at the Western Sydney Careers Expo 2024, along with the Sydney Health Care Interpreter Service and Deaf Connect.
Camille in action (right) and (below, from left to right) Nicole Clark and Kate Matairavula (Deaf Connect), Gary Harkins (NAATI), Silvia Martinez (AUSIT) and Joyce Yabuki (Sydney Health Care Interpreter Service).
WA Branch
… as reported by Mary Street
The AUSIT WA Branch Winter Get-together took place at Dôme Café, East Fremantle on Saturday 22 June (10 am – 12 noon).
A large number of interpreters, translators and students attended the event, the latter accompanied by their Professor Alexandra Ludewig, Head of the School of Humanities at UWA and a scholar of German and European studies.
The event was very pleasant, with members getting to know each other and enjoying lots of interesting discussions.
A big ‘Thank you!’ to Nora Pucci, AUSIT WA PD Coordinator, who organised this lovely event.
Watch a video clip of the event here.
AUSIT PD & EVENTS
- 14 August 2024 – AUSIT NAT Presents: Tax Return Basics for Translators and Interpreters (Webinar)
- 22 August 2024 – AUSIT Student Meet and Greet: Gaming Localisation and LQA (Webinar)
- 22 August 2024 – AUSIT NAT Presents: Understanding and Mitigating Vicarious Trauma among Interpreters and Translators (Webinar)
- 24 August 2024 – AUSIT QLD Branch AGM 2024
- 24 August 2024 – AUSIT QLD Branch – 10th Mini-Conference
- 21–23 November 2024 – The 37th AUSIT National Conference EARLY BIRD TICKETS ON SALE NOW (EB discount ends 7 August)
Don’t miss the 10th AUSIT Queensland Mini Conference on 24 August. Connect with like-minded professionals, exchange ideas, and build lasting relationships.
This is not just a conference; it’s a community experience where you can grow and thrive in your career. Be a part of this exciting day of learning and professional growth in the beautiful surroundings of the University of Queensland St Lucia campus.
The Queensland Branch cordially invites you to join us for the 10th Mini Conference, a full day of keynotes, workshops, panel discussions and networking opportunities that will tackle current and pressing topics for our profession, bring practitioners together to meet and share experiences, and earn 20 PD points.
Presented in partnership with the University of Queensland and hosted by its School of Languages and Cultures, this year marks the return of this annual event since the COVID-19 lockdowns. The mini conference will delve into current topics such as AI and technology, ethics, accessibility and business, featuring speakers from across the state including:
- Dr. Angie Knaggs
- Dr. Carl Fordham
- Christine Le
- Karen Hodgson
- Kinda Flaha
- Lynn Geng
- Nasim Khosravi
- Sam Berner
- Shireen Maamo
- Silvia Martinez
- Tea Diettrich
This will also be an opportunity to spend the day in the company of colleagues and strengthen the bonds of our professional interpreter and translator community.
View the Mini-Conference Program HERE
For further information, prices and to register, click HERE
Registrations close 21 August 2024
EXTERNAL OPPORTUNITIES, PD & EVENTS
All information below is provided by external organisations. Please register and direct any enquiries to the relevant contact outlined in each announcement, rather than to AUSIT.
Presented by the T&I Research Cluster Seminar Series at UQ
Join us for free seminars organised by the T&I Research Cluster in the School of Languages and Cultures at the University of Queensland. Offered in-person and online. All are welcome!
Emotional Equivalence in Metaphor Translation
1–2 pm, Friday 2 August
Venue: Room 01-E216, Forgan Smith Building or Zoom online
Please visit the School of Languages and Cultures website for more information or email Akiko Uchiyama.
Adapting the Novel for the Stage: A Translation Studies Perspective
1–2 pm, Friday 16 August
Venue: Room 01-E216, Forgan Smith Building or Zoom online
Please visit the School of Languages and Cultures website for more information or email Akiko Uchiyama.
MINDSET training for working with people with dementia
Having recently completed the MINDSET randomised controlled trial, we are now implementing a national roll-out of the MINDSET training, making it freely available to all Australian-based interpreters regardless of language or level. The MINDSET training familiarises interpreters with all aspects of dementia and its impact on cognitive and linguistic ability; explains the tools used to assess and diagnose dementia; and engages interpreters with effective interpreting strategies for cognitive assessments.
Why participate?
FREE online training (Including a whole section on ethics!)
- Claim 20 NAATI CPD points
- Takes approx. 4 hours to complete
- Available to interpreting students
Interested in taking part in the training? Enrol now – click here.
For more information, contact the Mindset team.
NAATI at Careers Expo in Sydney (16–17 August)
Study T&I at UNSW (applications close end of August)
NAATI free online recertification workshops (free interactive workshops for practitioners – next one: 4 September)
2024 NZSTI Conference (Auckland, 7–8 September)
ASLITA National Conference 2024 (Adelaide, 13–15 September)
Scholarship: Doctoral Scholarship Holder Translation Studies and Media Accessibility (University of Antwerp, Belgium, applications close 16 September)
International Translation Day 2024 (30 September)
CALLS FOR PAPERS / PROPOSALS
The 11th Asia-Pacific Translation and Interpreting Forum (APTIF11): Call for Papers
The 11th Asia-Pacific Translation and Interpreting Forum (APTIF11) will be held at the Hong Kong Baptist University from 21 to 23 May 2025. APTIF11 welcomes researchers, practitioners and trainers in the field of translation and interpreting to share ideas, research findings and best practices on the theme “Culture, Connectivity and Technology: Translating Communities, Transforming Perspectives”.
APTIF11 covers interpreting, intercultural communication and other forms of intertextual practice in a wide variety of contexts. We invite submissions from both within and beyond the region. Please submit your abstract via EasyChair no later than 30 November 2024. Submission link: https://easychair.org/
Abstract submissions will be reviewed by at least two members of the Programme Committee, and decisions notified by 20 December 2024.
The conference website will be coming soon with more updates.
Middle Eastern Literatures (journal), special issue on Translating and Publishing of Turkish Literature in the Anglosphere, 2025 (abstract deadline: 15 September)
15th International Symposium on Bilingualism (ISB15) – The Different Faces of Bilingualism (abstract deadline: 16 September)
Centre for Legal and Institutional Translation Studies (Transius) (conference, submission of abstracts: 2 Sep – 3 Nov)
Translation Matters, (journal), special issue on Music and/In Translation, 2025 (submission deadline: 7 March 2025)
Traducteurs en série (conference, University of Strasbourg, France, 7 April 2025, contact: traducteursenserie@gmail.com)
Traduire et adapter les plaisanteries de Molière en anglais, du 17e siècle au 21e siècle (conference, University of Lumière Lyon 2, France, 26–27 June 2025, contact: Carine.Barbafieri@uphf.fr and Baudouin.Millet@univ-lyon2.fr
Estudios de Traducción (journal), special issue on Training Non-Professional Interpreters and Translators in Public Services, 2025, contact: carmen.pena@uah.es
Dragoman. Journal of Translation Studies (journal, submissions accepted all year)
Panace@: Revista de Medicina, Lenguaje y Traducción (journal), special issue on Sinergias entre la historia de la traducción, la ciencia y la política, Vol. 60, 2024
CALLS FOR PARTICIPANTS
Research project exploring the uses and perceptions of video remote interpreting in healthcare settings (participants wanted: health interpreters, health professionals, language service managers/coordinators)
UNSW: interview study – Did you translate information during the COVID pandemic? To participate, email Medha Sengupta
Audiovisual Translators’ Well-being and Work-life Balance (survey)
Professionals Australia | WorkSafe wants to hear from interpreters about your working conditions (interpreters who live and work in WA, or those in other states who work remotely for WA Government agencies)
JOBS KIOSK
Services Australia | Job opportunity for interpreters and translators
Services Australia is a government agency that delivers payments and services to help Australians in their day-to-day lives.
We connect culturally and linguistically diverse customers to interpreters to help them understand our payments and services.
How to apply
Successful applicants must:
- Be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or hold a visa with permanent or indefinite rights to work in Australia with no conditions;
- Be able to provide services during business hours; and
- NAATI Certification or recognition where available.
If you would like to join our panel, email language.services@servicesaustralia.gov.au and include your:
- Full name;
- Residential address;
- Contact phone number;
- Australian residence status;
- If you’re an interpreter, translator or both and NAATI certification level for each language you speak; and
- NAATI Certification Practitioner Number and relevant work experience.
NSW Government – Sessional REMOTE Interpreters
Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) Health Care Interpreter Service is recruiting for Sessional REMOTE Interpreters in multiple languages.
For further information and to apply please click the relevant link below:
Applications close 15 August 2024.
NAATI is looking for online Armenian Roleplayers
This casual position involves acting out conversations in various roles, such as a customer, defendant, employee or patient, while a test candidate interprets.
You’ll be trained and rehearsed before each test. Tests are video and audio recorded for assessment purposes. For further information visit their website here.
Translationz is hiring across all languages
Including but not limited to: Arabic, Bengali, Bosnian, Burmese, Cantonese, Dari, Dinka, Fijian, Filipino, Greek, Gujarati, Hakha Chin (Chin languages), Hakka Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Karen, Karenni, Khmer, Korean, Malay, Maori, Nepali, Pashto, Persian, Polish, Punjabi, Rohingya, Romanian, Russian, Samoan, Sinhalese, Solomon Islands Pidgin, Somali, Spanish, Tamil, Thai, Tok Pisin, Tongan, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese.
For further information and to apply, visit their website here.
READING CORNER: interesting books, articles & journals, video clips ...
Read FIT’s Translatio magazine (June 2024 issue / FIT is the International Federation of Translators).
FIT Research Task Force’s Position Paper on Translation Grades.
AUSIT member Marie Lebert is helping set the records straight by creating an archive of women translators (many of whom worked under male pseudonyms or assisted their more well-known husbands). You can check out her archive here. Marie has also written an article on women translators which will be published in an upcoming issue of AUSIT’s own In Touch magazine.
Canadian interpreters refuse to sign procurement agreement
The Visible Art of Translation – The INCREC Project (podcast)
Palimpsestes, special issue on Fiction/Non-fiction: que dit la traduction?, Vol. 37, 2024
trans-kom, special issue on Past and Present Legal Translation into German, Vol. 17(1), 2024
Estudios de Traducción, special issue on La retórica en los géneros religiosos: traducción y discurso, Vol. 14, 2024
Abouh, Manifi and Yves Julien, Maxime. 2024. La Linguistique pour le développement par la terminologie et la traduction : avec une expérience heuristique dans le domaine agricole en yambeta. Observatoire européen du plurilinguisme.
Galasso, Regina (ed.). 2024. Translation as Home: A Multilingual Life. University of Toronto Press.
Gray, Martyn. 2024. Making the ‘Invisible’ Visible? Reviewing Translated Works. Peter Lang.
From your Acting National President
Erika González
We have exciting months and a fair bit of work ahead, with the conference and everything else happening in the industry. As the workload increases, we´ll soon be launching a volunteer recruitment campaign for various committees and roles. Your expertise, experience and dedication to AUSIT will be much welcomed!
Supporting Professional Standards Visit our website Check our Professional Development page for upcoming PD events Read our award-winning quarterly magazine In Touch Find past newsletters and magazine articles on our blog This communication direct from AUSIT is part of your membership benefits. |
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