ata’s certification program

ATA’s Certification Program

ILR Plenary

February 26, 2021

David A. Stephenson, CT

• ATA Certification Committee Chair, 2014-2020

• Member of ATA Certification Committee since 2007

• Freelance translator specializing in civil litigation, economic development & creative nonfiction

• Languages: German, Dutch, Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, and Serbian into English

• [email protected]

© 2021 American Translators Association 2

What’s ahead

• ATA at a glance

• ATA’s Certification Program

• Overview/stats

• Exam format• Skills tested

• ATA & ILR: Points of reference

• Q&A


ATA at a glance

• World’s largest T&I organization

• ~ 10,000 members

• Translators and interpreters

• Annual conference with upwards of 1,500 attendees

• Well-respected publications

• Website/directory (atanet.org)

• Programs include:• Best business practices

• Professional development

• Interpretation policy• Government Division/GLOTF

• Translator certification


ATA: Government-related activity

• Encouraging the federal government/CDC to declare in-person interpreters front-line workers with vaccination priority.

• Advocating for individuals in Iraq and Afghanistan who are in harm’s way because of their language services provided to US military presence in those countries.

• Working for exemption for T&I freelancers from California’s AB5 and similar legislation in other states, which would threaten their livelihood as independent contractors.


ATA Certification: Overview

• Translator certification only (no interpreting credential)

• 30 language combinations currently offered

• Languages:

• In the pipeline: Korean, Farsi, Romanian

Arabic Dutch German Japanese Russian

Chinese Finnish Hungarian Polish Spanish Ukrainian

Croatian French Italian Portuguese Swedish


ATA Certification: Stats

• Currently ~1,800 ATA-Certified Translators (CTs)

• Credential is available to ATA members only

• Cost: $525

• 400-500 exams administered in a normal year

• Average pass rate: < 20%


ATA Certification: Exam format

• Three-hour exam administered in organized sittings

• Open book/resources, including limited internet access

• Live proctoring

• Bring your own laptop

• Handwritten option available

However…


ATA Certification: Remote testing?

• COVID-19 has increased the impetus to explore remote (online)

testing.

• 2020 saw steep drop in exam volume: 400 ➜ 30.

• Good prospects for remote testing sometime in 2021.

• Format would include necessary security controls, including real-time

(but remote) proctoring.


ATA Certification: The passages

• Candidate chooses 2 out of 3 texts to translate.

• Each passage is roughly 250 words.

• General subject matter; no specialized knowledge or dictionaries

needed.

• Each passage includes translation instructions, providing context for

the translation, were it a real-life assignment.


ATA Certification: Instructions

• Example: A Croatian magazine of current affairs and social

commentary is launching a web edition in U.S. English aimed at

educated readers, and the following text is an excerpt from the

inaugural issue. Translate the following text for the specified purpose.

• Source, purpose, audience, medium.

• Providing translation instructions, or a brief for the assignment, is

consistent with best practices in translation and testing theory.


ATA Certification: Passage selection

• Passages can be in any subject matter (nontechnical,

uncontroversial).

• Carefully vetted not only by the graders who select them and will be

grading them, but also by an internal task force to ensure intra-

program consistency.

• Challenges at text, sentence, word level must be articulated and

addressed in the selection and vetting process.


ATA Certification: Skills tested

• Source language comprehension

• Target language proficiency

• Transfer skills

• Adherence to translation instructions


ATA Certification: Comprehension

Does the translation demonstrate full understanding of the source text?

• Attention to and understanding of the topic are used to help solve challenges and arrive at a

correct rendering.

• Attention to and understanding of the topic help the candidate use dictionaries competently.

• Everything integral to the source text is included in the target text, and nothing that is not

implicitly or explicitly stated by the author is added.

• Accurate analysis of the source text ensures that the target text reflects the view, argument, or presented information on all levels (text, sentence, and word).


ATA Certification: Target proficiency

Does the translation demonstrate good writing skills in the target language?

• The target text flows smoothly and does not contain awkward expressions that mark it distinctly as a translation.

• There are few or no mechanical errors (relating to grammar, usage, spelling, or

punctuation).


ATA Certification: Transfer skills

Does the translation demonstrate solid familiarity with various translation strategies?

• The view, argument, and information are presented appropriately for the target culture.

• The syntax is appropriate to the target language; the target text does not necessarily imitate the sentence structure of the source text.

• The idioms in the source text are rendered so as to convey a comparable meaning in the target text.

• The wording is as unambiguous as possible.


ATA Certification: Compliance

Does the translation demonstrate compliance with the translation instructions provided for the passage?

• The translation is usable and intelligible in the specified context.

• The register, style, and wording match comparable documents written in the

target language.


ATA Certification: What’s not tested

• Not a vocabulary drill

• No in-depth subject matter knowledge

• Research skills

• CAT and translation memory tools


ATA Certification: Grading

• Each exam goes to 2 graders, and a 3rd if tie-breaker is needed.

• Error point scale is 1 / 2 / 4 / 8 / 16, depending on severity and impact on usability of translation.

• Up to 3 quality points may be awarded.

• Pass is 17 points or lower in each passage.

• Failed candidates may request review (new set of eyes), and may appeal a review that upholds the fail.


ATA Certification: Practice test

ATA also offers a practice test:

• Retired exam passage

• Marked test is returned, showing error markings by point and category, as well as grader feedback

• Affordable: $80 for members, $120 for nonmembers


ATA Certification: Beyond the exam

Besides passing the exam, ATA-Certified Translators must

• Subscribe to the Code of Ethics/Standards of Practice

• Periodically submit Continuing Education units


ATA & ILR: Points of reference

ATA refers to two of the ILR’s Language Skill Level Descriptions in

creating and administering the Certification Exam:

• Reading Levels

• Translation Levels


ATA & ILR: Reading Levels (1)

ATA Certification Exam passages correspond roughly to ILR Reading Level 3.

Excerpted from that descriptor, emphasis added:

[…] Text-types include news stories similar to wire service reports or international

news items in major periodicals, routine correspondence, general reports, and

technical material in his/her professional field; all of these may include

hypothesis, argumentation and supported opinions. […]


ATA & ILR: Reading Levels (2)

From ATA’s passage selection standards (emphasis added):

• The passage should present a clear and coherent progression of thought and reasoning in which

the candidate may be required to follow an argument or supported opinion and possibly author

inference.

• Texts that present straightforward factual material are generally too easy, while highly evocative

pieces are usually too difficult. Editorials in newspapers such as the New York Times and the

Washington Post are typical examples of texts at the appropriate level.

• An ideal passage would require the candidate to read and translate at the paragraph level, i.e., to

follow a line of thought throughout an entire paragraph or text.


ATA & ILR: Translation Levels (1)

Success in the ATA Certification Exam corresponds roughly to ILR Translation Performance Level 3.

Excerpted from that descriptor, emphasis added:

[…] abstract language, showing an emerging ability to capture their intended implications and

many nuances. […] situations and events which are subject to value judgments of a personal or institutional kind, as in some newspaper editorials […]. Linguistic knowledge of both the

terminology and the means of expression specific to a subject field is strong enough to allow the translator to operate successfully within that field. Word choice and expression generally

adhere to target language norms and rarely obscure meaning.



Skills tested by ATA

• Source language comprehensionØ Capturing intended implications and nuances of abstract language

• Target language proficiencyØ Adherence to target language norms with little or no obscuring of meaning

• Transfer skillsØ Choosing the equivalent expression in the target language that both fully conveys and best matches the meaning

intended in the source language (congruity judgment)

• Adherence to translation instructionsØ Linguistic knowledge strong enough to allow the translator to operate successfully within the given field



From the Preface to ILR’s Skill Level Descriptions for Translation Performance:

In summary, an individual’s translation performance level depends on (1) command of two

languages, (2) ability to exercise congruity judgment and apply a translation methodology, (3)

familiarity with the cultural context of both languages, (4) knowledge of terminology in

specialized fields, and (5) ability to finalize the product within time constraints and according to

specifications.

Key: ATA definitely tests this / ATA tests this to some extent / ATA doesn’t test this


Level 5 (Professional Performance) : Can successfully translate virtually all texts, including those where lack of linguistic and cultural parallelism between the source language and the target language requires precise congruity judgments and the ability to apply a translation methodology. Expression is flawless. At this level, the translator consistently excels in a number of specialties, and is generally regarded as one of the arbiters of translating very high level language by persons competent in dealing with such material. Nonetheless, the resulting product may be subject to quality control. Level 4+ (Professional Performance Plus) : Can successfully apply a translation methodology to translate texts that contain highly original and special purpose language (such as that contained in religious sermons, literary prose, and poetry). At this level, a successful performance requires not only conveying content and register but also capturing to the greatest extent all nuances intended in the source document. Expression is virtually flawless. Can produce fully accurate translations in a number of subject fields. When the need arises to perform in areas outside of specialization, a translator at this level is able to reach a successful level of performance given the time necessary for acquiring the relevant knowledge of the subject matter. The resulting product is a professional translation which may be subject to quality control. Level 4 (Professional Performance) : Can successfully apply a translation methodology to translate a wide variety of complex texts that contain difficult, abstract, idiomatic, highly technical, and colloquial writing. Able to capture subtleties, nuances, and tone and register (such as official, formal, and informal writing). Such texts range from commentary reflecting a specific culture to analysis and argumentation. Linguistic knowledge and familiarity with source language norms enable an individual at this level to translate handwritten documents and other texts that represent spontaneous expression characteristic of the source language. Expression reflects correct usage and consistent control of target language conventions. Can translate materials outside the individual’s specialties, but may not reach the absolute subject matter accuracy of the specialist in the given field. The resulting product is a professional translation which may be subject to quality control. Level 3+ (Professional Performance) : Can generally translate a variety of texts, such as many scientific or financial reports, some legal documents and some colloquial writings. Can convey the meaning of many socio-cultural elements embedded in a text as well as most nuances and relatively infrequent lexical and syntactic items of the source language. Expression reflects target language norms and usage. May be able to operate in fields outside areas of specialty. The resulting product is a draft translation, subject to quality control. Level 3 (Professional Performance) : Can translate texts that contain not only facts but also abstract language, showing an emerging ability to capture their intended implications and many nuances. Such texts usually contain situations and events which are subject to value judgments of a personal or institutional kind, as in some newspaper editorials, propaganda tracts, and evaluations of projects. Linguistic knowledge of both the terminology and the means of expression specific to a subject field is strong enough to allow the translator to operate successfully within that field. Word choice and expression generally adhere to target language norms and rarely obscure meaning. The resulting product is a draft translation, subject to quality control. Level 2+ (Limited Performance): Can render straightforward texts dealing with everyday matters that include statements of fact as well as some judgments, opinion, or other elements which entail more than direct exposition, but do not contain figurative language, complicated concepts, complex sentence structures, or instances of syntactic or semantic skewing. In these types of texts, the individual can read source language materials and render them accurately into the target language, conveying the key points and/or main ideas, supporting facts, most of the details, and some nuances. Can usually operate in more than one narrowly defined subject field, using both linguistic knowledge of the languages involved and familiarity with the subject matter. A tendency to adhere to source language structures may result in target language expressions that may appear to be correct but are awkward or perhaps unidiomatic. Such expressions may sometimes obscure meaning. The resulting product is not a professional translation and must be subject to quality control. Level 2 (Limited Performance) : Able to render into the target language some straightforward, factual texts in the standard variety of the source language. Can typically render accurately uncomplicated prose (such as that used in short identification documents, simple letters, instructions, and some narrative reports) that does not contain figurative language, complex sentence structures, embedding, or instances of syntactic or semantic skewing. Can normally rely on knowledge of the subject matter to operate within one given subject field, consisting of a narrow body of material that is routine, repetitive, and often predictable. Expression in the target language may be faulty, frequently reflecting the structure and word order of the source language. To the extent that faulty expression may obscure or distort meaning, accuracy will suffer. The resulting product is not a professional translation and must be submitted to quality control. Level 1+ (Minimal Performance) : Able to scan source language texts for specific categories, topics, key points and/or main ideas, generally rendering an accurate report on these but often missing supporting facts and details. Can to some extent render factual materials, such as records or database entries, often relying on real-world knowledge or familiarity with the subject matter. Oversight and review of the product are necessary. Level 1 (Minimal Performace): Able to make word by word transfers, not always with accuracy. May be able to identify documents by their label or headings and scan graphic materials, such as charts and diagrams, for items of specific interest. Constant oversight and review of the product are necessary. Level 0+ (Minimal Performance) Able to transfer very little information from one language into another, usually representing isolated words and/or phrases. Accuracy is haphazard. Constant oversight is required. Level 0 (Performance) Has no practical ability to transfer information from one language into another.


ATA & ILR: Alignment challenges

In seeking greater alignment with ILR standards, ATA’s Certification Program sees several challenges:

• ATA assesses the translation; ILR assesses the translator.

• ATA isn’t as concerned with non-linguistic factors: time, subject-matter knowledge, access to resources.

• ATA measures performance at a static point, ILR considers a full range of performance levels.


Questions?

Visit www.atanet.org

Caron Bailey, Certification Program [email protected]

David [email protected]


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