The ATA Chronicle - March/April 2022 - 16

Did You Know ATA's Mentoring Program Is Always Looking for
Experienced Mentors?
Provided by and for peers, ATA offers mentoring to support members with the businessside
of translation and interpreting. Both mentees and mentors benefit from this mutually
rewarding program.
Mentors are an essential part of our profession. If you have the professional experience
and desire to share what you've learned with others, ATA's Mentoring Program could
be a perfect opportunity! Even though the deadline has passed for this year's program,
you can still plan ahead to apply to be a mentor in 2023! To find out more, visit
https://bit.ly/ATA-mentoring-program.
decision to move in that
direction. It's possible to take
on a mentoring role without
having set out purposefully
to do so. However, and
especially if you wish to
become part of a more formal
or structured mentorship
program, establishing the goal
of becoming a mentor is an
important and powerful step.
Having made the decision
to be a mentor, the next step
is to deepen your knowledge
and understanding of
mentoring and effective
mentoring practices. While
we don't have space here to
discuss these practices at
length, here are a few key
mentoring skills with which
to be aware:
y Be an Active Listener:
This is the most basic
mentoring skill, which
the other skills build on
and require. Demonstrate
genuine interest in
the mentee by making
encouraging responses,
such as reflecting back
(paraphrasing) certain
comments to show you've
grasped the meaning
and feelings behind the
message. For example,
a mentee might share
detailed stories of some
challenging situations
they've had to navigate.
You might respond
with a comment such
as " It seems like ____
[situational/contextual
element] is proving
challenging for you lately. "
Other times, using back
channeling behaviors such
as nodding, gesturing, and
other facial expressions/
body language can
demonstrate that you're
engaged in listening.
y Build Trust: Trust
develops over time. Some
key concepts in building
trust include keeping
confidences, spending
appropriate time together,
following through on what
you said you would do,
respecting boundaries,
admitting your errors
and taking responsibility
for correcting them,
tactfully sharing when you
disagree or are dissatisfied
with something that
happened during or
between sessions, and
creating a safe space for
others to share the same
information with you.
y Offer Encouragement:
Part of the mentor's role
is to be the cheerleader.
As mentors, we support
novice interpreters and
translators through
difficult conversations,
16 The ATA Chronicle | March/April 2022
encountering obstacles,
and self-discovery all
while believing in their
personal and professional
competence. Take
opportunities to share
with the mentee how
you see them improving
and what personal traits
you value about them.
Encourage them often,
both personally and
professionally, in person or
through a follow-up email
after mentoring sessions.
To learn more about
mentoring, we encourage
you to take advantage of the
many resources out there,
including the following
available free online:
The Science of Effective
Mentorship in STEMM
National Academy
of Sciences
https://bit.ly/NCBI-STEMM
This book brings together
a wealth of information on
mentoring and on effective
mentoring practices, drawn
from scholarly, peerreviewed
sources.
Introduction to Mentoring:
A Guide for Mentors
and Mentees
American Psychological
Association
https://bit.ly/APA-mentoring
This brief guidebook covers
a number of useful points,
including mentoring
etiquette and ethics.
Experiential Learning in
Interpreter Education
CATIE Center at St.
Catherine University
https://bit.ly/CATIE-interpreter
This document summarizes
relevant scholarly literature
related to various aspects
of experiential learning.
While it focuses primarily
on American Sign Language/
English interpreting, the
material it discusses is
relevant to the general
teaching and learning of
interpreting and translation.
GTC Supervisor Institute
CATIE Center at St.
Catherine University
https://bit.ly/GTC-training
Developed by the CATIE
Center, this archived online
training has 11 modules
focusing on different
aspects of mentoring and
supervision. While it focuses
on American Sign Language/
English interpreting,
many of the resources are
applicable to mentoring for
any language pair. It also
references a number of
relevant books and resources.
Getting Started
There are many ways to
get started as a mentor. If
you're interested in being
part of a formal/structured
mentoring program, local
training programs are a
good place to begin, as
many will have practicum or
internship requirements for
their students. Find out what
colleges and universities
near you offer certificates,
degrees, or other types of
programs in translation and
interpreting and contact
www.atanet.org
https://www.bit.ly/CATIE-interpreter https://www.bit.ly/ATA-mentoring-program https://www.bit.ly/GTC-training https://www.bit.ly/NCBI-STEMM https://www.bit.ly/APA-mentoring http://www.atanet.org
The ATA Chronicle - March/April 2022

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