From: Acting National President Dr Erika González
Dear colleagues,
Wishing you all a happy International Translation Day for Monday 30 September!
Some branches are staging ITD-related events, and all are welcome at our ITD webinar – see ‘AUSIT Events’ below, registration closes tomorrow.
AUSIT National Conference 2024
There’s less than two months to go till AUSIT’s annual flagship event, which I’m excited to host on my own turf this year, here at RMIT University in Melbourne.
The program has been released: three days packed with great keynotes and presentations – and we’ve scheduled some free pre-conference workshops and language division meeting sessions too. If you’d like to schedule a session for your language peers, please talk to us so that we can allocate a meeting space for you. The program was officially launched this week, and although it will go through several iterations before November, it will give you a good idea of what the event will look like. We have more government officials and presenters than ever, which we hope will assist us to raise awareness of our industry and profession. Please check out the program and speakers here.
AUSLAN
Auslan interpreters and users will be pleased to hear that one of our existing sponsors, Translationz, have now also signed up as an Accessibility Sponsor, to provide Auslan interpreting for keynote speeches. Thank you Translationz!
REGISTRATION
Not registered yet? Put an end to the FOMO – register, then relax and anticipate the career boost that the conference always provides!
Still undecided? Check out the buzz at last year’s conference here.
Thank you again to our major sponsors:
Ruby Sponsor: Language Loop
Emerald Sponsor: NAATI
Platinum Sponsor: Oncall Language Services
Platinum Sponsor: TIS National – Department of Home Affairs
Venue Sponsor: RMIT University
Awards for translators and interpreters
It’s awards nomination season, and there are plenty of opportunities to acknowledge colleagues for the meaningful and significant work they do at both national and international level. Or in some cases, you can put yourself forward for an award, or to be nominated. Check out the info and links in the External Events section below for the 2025 FIT Awards nominations and (for NSW-based practitioners) the NSW Community Medals 2025, plus don’t forget the Paul Sinclair Award for Outstanding Contribution to AUSIT (for which the deadline to nominate a colleague is 30 September – this Monday!). And talking of awards …
AUSIT member shortlisted for Australian Academy of the Humanities Medal for Excellence in Translation
Our own Kevin Windle has been shortlisted for the medal, along with co-translator Elena Govor, for their translation of Voices in the Wilderness: A Digest of the Russian-Language Press in Australia 1912–1919.
Also on the shortlist this year is Stephanie Smee for her translation of Joseph Ponthus’s On the Line: Notes from a Factory –you can read Stephanie’s fascinating account of this translation in the Winter 2021 issue of our own In Touch magazine.
This year’s medal recipient(s) will be announced on International Translation Day, 30 September. You can find out who they are, plus read more about Kevin and Elena’s book, in the Spring issue of In Touch, which will come out next week.
Where to find useful T&I resources
The AUSIT website is packed with useful resources, and you may have bookmarked pages for quick reference – but as the website has evolved and grown and resources have been updated, some links have unavoidably changed.
Here are some current pages you can bookmark. And one tip: bookmark the page, not the specific resource’s URL – then when a resource is updated, you should be able to find the new version, as it will probably be on the same page.
Pages can be found by name in the website’s drop-down main menu, in the top right corner of the homepage, as marked on the screenshot here (we’ve marked the Code of Ethics too). You can also scroll down the homepage and access the same resources here.
There are three main locations in the menu for resources, as marked on the screenshot here: one for practitioners (including guidelines for various settings and challenges), one for students and researchers, and one for people/organisations working with translators and interpreters.
In addition to all these ‘free access’ resources, AUSIT provides a wide range of resources for our members only, including style guides for community translations in various languages, templates to simplify the translation of many official documents, and a lot more – just log in via the button at the top of the homepage, or scroll down and click under ‘For … Members Only’ here.
AUSIT events at a glance
And while you’re looking at the website – have you seen the new Events carousel on the homepage, where you can flick through upcoming AUSIT events to make sure you don’t miss out on our frequent PD, networking and social offerings? It’s simple – just go to www.ausit.org and scroll down!
FIT Position Paper on the Use of AI in Interpreting
The International Federation of Translators (FIT), of which AUSIT is a member, has released this Position Paper on the use of AI in Interpreting. AI offers new opportunities, but it also comes with its own challenges and limitations. The safe and responsible use of AI is paramount, and it should not be used with the sole purpose of cutting costs.
Take a moment to support your Victorian colleagues
Translators and Interpreters Australia (TIA), a collective within the union body Professionals Australia, recently launched a petition calling on Court Services Victoria to reverse their removal of half-day and full-day rates for interpreters, a move that would effectively cut interpreters’ incomes.
Since the petition was launched, well over a thousand the courts have reversed their decision to cut half- and full-day bookings, but some of the demands of the petition are still important and worth pursuing, namely:
- Adopt, fund, and implement the JCDI’s Recommended National Standards for Working with Interpreters in Courts and Tribunals, in full, within Victorian courts and tribunals.
- Resume consultations towards procurement reforms for the language services sector to mandate higher standards in professionalism and quality.
You can read more about what TIA is calling for, and why, and sign the petition (to add your voice to already 1100+) here.
BRANCH NEWS
WA Branch
… as reported by Mary Street
In August, AUSIT WA presented a masterclass titled Forensic Transcription and Translation, given by Dr Miranda Lai (RMIT University) and Mr Steve Elkanovich (Belozi Business Consulting, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC)).
Held on campus at the University of WA, a strong cohort of master’s and PhD students attended, together with T&I practitioners, many of whom had experience working with law enforcement. A full day flew by as participants learned of the specific requirements for forensic work, then tried transcribing from a mock covert recording themselves – quite a challenge!
AUSIT WA would like to thank UWA’s Master of Translation Studies program, particularly Dr Anna Gadd, for providing a warm welcome and excellent venue. WA Interpreters and AUSIT supported the event financially, ensuring the presenters could travel to Perth. It was a fantastic opportunity for experienced practitioners to build their skills, and raised awareness among students of the possibilities of work in this specific area.
Photos:
Right: AUSIT WA Committee Chair Catherine Pfammatter opened the session by acknowledging Country and welcoming the presenters and attendees.
Below: attendees focus on Miranda’s presentation
Below right: on campus after the masterclass, from left – Miranda, Catherine, Steve, and WA Branch Committee members Nora Pucci and Zoe Zhou.
AUSIT PD & EVENTS
- 29 September 2024 – AUSIT QLD Branch celebrates International Translators Day
- 30 September 2024 – AUSIT NAT Presents: International Translation Day Event – Hidden Health & Safety Hazards for Translators and Interpreters: What They Are and How To Avoid Them (Webinar)
- 1 – 2 Oct 2024 – NAT Presents: Language-Specific Virtual Meet & Greet Sessions (Webinars)
- 15 October 2024 – ACT – Meaning-based Translating & Interpreting (Pt 6) – Equivalence at the pragmatic level (hybrid event)
- 21 October 2024 – AUSIT Student Meet and Greet: Medical Translation and Interpreting
- 28 October 2024 – AUSIT NAT Presents: Ethics for Medical Interpreters Series (2 of 2) – Advanced Ethical Decision-Making (Webinar)
- 31 October 2024 – AUSIT TAS Presents: Training for T&I Voluntary Assisted Dying (Webinar)
- 21-23 November 2024 – The 37th AUSIT National Conference
EXTERNAL PD, EVENTS and OPPORTUNITIES
AUSIT shares information on matters of interest to members on behalf of external organisations and individuals. AUSIT does not endorse them or vet them for suitability. Please direct any enquiries to the relevant contacts given, rather than to AUSIT.
Research projects posted here have obtained the necessary ethics clearance from the appropriate Ethics Committee of their relevant institution(s). It remains the responsibility of each participant to request proof of this clearance from the researcher(s) leading the project.
NSW Multicultural Community Medals 2025
These annual state-based medals include the NAATI-sponsored Interpreters and Translators Medal. You can nominate a colleague here – but hurry, nominations close Sunday 6 October.
2025 FIT Awards
The FIT (International Federation of Translators) Awards are given out triennially. The 2025 FIT Awards will be held in conjunction with the XXIII FIT Congress (see below).
Nominations must be made by FIT member associations only (of which AUSIT is one). There are a total of 11 prizes, awarded for a variety of achievements in the T&I world, and we would like to nominate eligible members for as many of these prizes as possible. So if you think that you, or a colleague, might be eligible, please check the conditions for that particular award at the link below, and if it’s a ‘fit’ (couldn’t resist the pun!), email us all the details required in the conditions via the link at the bottom. The prizes are:
Astrid Lindgren Prize: designed to promote the translation of children’s literature (single translation / body of work)
Aurora Borealis Prize for Outstanding Translation of Fiction Literature: (single translation / body of work)
Aurora Borealis Prize for Outstanding Translation of Non-Fiction Literature: (single translation / body of work)
Karel Čapek Medal: designed to promote the translation of literary works written in languages of limited diffusion (single translation / body of work)
FIT Prize for Excellence in Scientific and Technical Translation: (single translation / body of work)
FIT Prize for Interpreting Excellence: (outstanding individual interpreter / body that has made a valuable contribution to interpreting)
Albin Tybulewicz Prize for Professional Solidarity in the Translation and Interpreting Community: (individual member / team of up to 5)
Marion Boers Prize for Translation of Work of Fiction or Non-Fiction by an Author from an SADC: [South African Development Community] Member State (single translation / body of work involving at least one African language, candidate must be a citizen of an SADC country)
FIT Prize for Best Periodical: we will nominate our In Touch magazine, which won the Prize in 2022.
FIT Prize for Best Website
Pierre-François Caillé Memorial Medal: designed to give recognition to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional merit in promoting the status and reputation of the translation profession at the international level.
Before sending in a suggested nomination, please check that all conditions for the specific award are met here, then email the name of the potential nominee and their work / body of work / other details as applicable via this link by 18 October 2024.
FIT World Congress 2025
The XXIII FIT World Congress (the triennial event of the International Federation of Translators) will be held on 4–6 September 2025, in Geneva, Switzerland. For the first time, the Congress will be organised not by a member association, but by FIT itself, at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), under the theme: Mastering the machine: shaping an intelligent future.
Interpreter scholarships at RMIT
The Interpreter Scholarship Program works to improve the supply, quality and use of language services in Victoria by offering scholarships to eligible students seeking to undertake the following courses, commencing in 2025:
Each year, the program includes a range of languages that have been identified as needing more certified interpreters. This year, scholarships are on offer to students seeking to undertake the courses in one of the following languages:
- Advanced Diploma: Arabic, Greek, Italian, Persian, Spanish and Vietnamese
- Diploma: Burmese, Dari, Dinka, Punjabi, Portuguese, Samoan, S’gaw Karen, Somali, Russian and Urdu
- Skill Set: Albanian, Bangla, Bislama, Chichewa, Gujarati, Hakha Chin, Hakka Chinese, Hazaragi, Hmong, Kayah (Karenni), Khmer, Kirundi, Kurdish Kurmanji, Lingala, Macedonian, Malay, Maltese, Nepali, Nuer, Pashto, Rohingya, Ukrainian, Sinhalese and Swahili
Applications are now open for 2025! Scholarships cover both program and student fees for eligible students. You can find out more here.
Translationz Court Mentorship Program
Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from true experts in this free Mentorship Program. Whether you are just beginning your career or seeking to refine your skills, these sessions are invaluable. This program is designed to enhance the skills of interpreters and provide ongoing professional development for experienced interpreters. By supporting the growth of individual interpreters associated with Translationz, we aim to elevate the overall quality of interpreting services available to courts.
The topics completed thus far are: A Comparative Analysis of Judicial Structures presented by Specialist Certified Legal and Medical Interpreter Lynn Geng, Navigating Ethical Challenges facilitated by Certified Hmong Interpreter Janet Lor, and Mastering Legal Terminology with Lynn Geng and Carl Fordham.
The two remaining topics are:
- 3 October – Effective Interactional Management in Court Interpreting with Certified Punjabi Interpreter Sumeet Kaur
- 10 October – Principles and Procedures in Legal Interpreting: A Comparative Overview with Judge Balic.
Register here.
8th IATIS International Conference: Translation and Intercultural Studies in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities and Challenges (Muscat, Oman, 10–13 Dec 2024)
Fifth International Conference on Translation, Interpreting and Cognition (ICTIC 5): Translation and Cognition on the ground (University of Agder in Kristiansand, Norway, 2–4 Jun 2025)
15th International Symposium on Bilingualism (ISB15) – The Different Faces of Bilingualism (Kursaal, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain, 9–13 June 2025)
11th EST Congress: The Changing Faces of Translation and Interpreting Studies (University of Leeds, UK, 30 Jun – 3 Jul 2025)
OPPORTUNITIES for STUDENTS
Invaluable conference interpreting practice!
AUSIT invites conference interpreting students and recent graduates of our Educational Affiliates to practise their simultaneous interpreting skills at our peak event of the year, the AUSIT National Conference 2024 (RMIT University, Melbourne, 21–23 November).
The simultaneous interpreting will be done via an online platform so can be done remotely, with an option to use on-site facilities if you are in Melbourne.
If you’re interested in participating in this unique work-integrated learning (WIL) experience, please submit your expression of interest by completing this online form.
Deadline: Friday 18 October, 23:59 AEDT (Sydney time)
Please note:
- This opportunity is open to conference interpreting students and recent graduates (< 12 months) of AUSIT’s Educational Affiliates only.
- Priority will be given to students in their last semester of studies (i.e., graduating in S2 2024) and applicants who graduated in S1 2024.
- Successful applicants will have access to the interpreted sessions only. If you wish to attend the full conference, please register here and enjoy discounted student rates!
For more information about the conference, please visit the official website.
We encourage all applicants to register for the conference – it will be a fantastic opportunity to network and exchange ideas with professionals, scholars, language service providers, policymakers, and other T&I enthusiasts!
Please use your STUDENT EMAIL to complete this form and for all future communications regarding this WIL.
For any queries, please contact AUSIT’s National Education Coordinator
Interpreter scholarships at RMIT (see information here)
Doctoral Scholarship Holder Interpreting Studies (University of Antwerp, Belgium, deadline: 15 October)
Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in News Translation as part of a project South-North Flows of Information Through Translation in the Global News Agency AFP (University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa)
Profesor-investigador de tiempo completo en el área de traducción (Centro de Estudios Lingüísticos y Literarios, El Colegio de México).
CALLS FOR PAPERS / PROPOSALS
Linguistica Antverpiensia, New Series – Themes in Translation Studies, call for Proposals for thematic issues for review by the journal’s editorial board, Vol. 25, 2026 (deadline for submission of a proposal for a thematic issue: 27 Oct)
XXIII FIT WORLD CONGRESS 2025 – Machine Masters: Shaping Tomorrow’s Intelligence (call for papers, deadline for abstracts / posters: 1 Nov)
7th International Symposium: New Technologies in Audiovisual Translation and Accessible Tourism – Transforming Training for the Future (University of Palermo, Italy, 12–13 Dec 2024)
Hyperlocal to Global: Cultural Hybridity and Translation in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) (American University of Sharjah, UAE, 19–20 Feb 2025, deadline for abstracts: 15 Nov 2024)
Translation and Autotheory (e-Seminar, American Comparative Literature Association, USA, 29 May – 1 Jun 2025)
Dragoman Journal of Translation Studies (journal, all-year submission of papers)
Il Pietrisco Translations: Journal of Literary Translation, Vol. 3, 2025 (journal: original, as yet unpublished translations of 21st century microfiction written in a Romance language, submission deadline: 9 Dec 2025).
JOBS KIOSK
Ethnolink is looking for a certified English-to-Chinese translator (fulltime position)
2M is looking for a NAATI-certified Vietnamese interpreter (fulltime position)
Oncall is looking for interpreters and translators (casual and freelance)
Assistant Professor in Translation (Lingnan University, Hong Kong, deadline: 30 September)
Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in News Translation as part of a project South-North Flows of Information Through Translation in the Global News Agency AFP (University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa).
READING CORNER
Szarkowska A and Jankowska A. (2025) Introducing Audiovisual Translation. Routledge.
Vol. 16 No. 2 (2024): Translation & Interpreting (special issue on translating solidarity, guest editors: Fruela Fernández & Lucía Prada)
Mutatis Mutandis. Revista Latinoamericana de Traducción, special issue on La traducción en la historia iberoamericana del libro, la edición y la lectura, Vol. 17(2), 2024.
Collins G (2024) Nineteen Ways of Looking at Awono. Bakwa Books.
I want to believe that in this troubled world, translators and interpreters are still a beacon for peace, mediation and dialogue. I would like to wish Shanah Tovah to those celebrating Rosh Hashanah in the coming days. May the New Year bring peace and hope to everyone. And on a cheerful note, I would like to inform the membership that my tenure as the Acting President of AUSIT is coming to an end and we have a wonderful candidate lined up for the position. The new President will be officially elected at the National AGM, to be hosted in Melbourne in the course of the National Conference. And if you’re a member and are not intending to register for the conference, you can still attend the NAGM – I invite everyone to come together there and have a say in the issues of the organisation. |
Erika González AUSIT Acting National President
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. |
Copyright © 2024 AUSIT, all rights reserved |
