The ATA Chronicle - May/June 2022 - 30

principally through more
numerous and varied online
webinars and networking
opportunities. Of particular
interest are topics
published a rebuttal to the
July/August article in its
November/December 2021
edition entitled " Data: Of
Course! MT: Useful or Risky.
Translators: Here to Stay! " 5
One of the conclusions of this
article was that that current
MT systems are based on the
mechanical manipulation of
data. These systems don't
understand the purpose
of a translation and don't
respond to questions about
why they translated the
way they did. Therefore,
human translators will
play a significant role
in every professional
translation process for the
foreseeable future.
Professional
Development and
Specialization
Professional development
and specialization continue
to be prominent aspects
of the T&I industry.
Opportunities for
development increased
during the pandemic,
30 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2022
involving the integration of
technologies into language
services operations.
Attendees at the meetings
noted that training in the use
and integration of remote
simultaneous interpreting
platforms was prominent.
Although remote interpreting
has existed since the 1970s,
advances in technology and
the pandemic have pushed
new methodologies onto
the market without any
established industry-wide
standards. Coupled with
the unique challenges of
working on new platforms,
the loss of context and the
speaker's nonverbal cues
in their workplace, and
increased demand for offsite
services, interpreters have
struggled to make sense
of expectations and best
practices when working
remotely. Additional client
education may also be needed
regarding the incorporation
of these technologies and
the proper remuneration for
remote professional language
services. Last year, ATA
released a position paper
on remote interpreting with
the purpose of identifying
differences between on-site
and remote interpreting and
offering best practices for
effective remote interpreting.6
Legal/court interpreters
also benefitted from a
series of Zoom webinars
on the use of technology in
courtrooms arranged by the
National Center for State
Courts.7
Notably, there is a
lack of industry standards or
guidelines for the provision
of legal/court interpreting
services in remote settings.
Regarding industry
specialization, the American
Association of Interpreters
and Translators in Education
(AAITE) was formally
established in 2021. AAITE
is engaging in many
initiatives as it develops,
including a " white paper "
job task analysis project and
a workshop program for
its members. The intent is
that such work will refine
occupational capacities and
competencies and lead to
specialized credentialing
programs for interpreters
and translators who work in
educational settings.
Education and Training
Education and training
are crucial to the T&I
industry, involving current
practitioners as well as young
individuals who may join the
community in the future.
Greater interorganizational
interaction is a notable trend
involving stakeholders of
the T&I industry. In this
regard, ATA is collaborating
with the Association of
Language Companies (ALC)
to develop and share industry
information and employment
opportunities with students
considering careers as
translators and interpreters.8
The ALC Bridge involves
developing connections
among associations,
community commons,
academia, and industry-
to include clarifications on
practitioner knowledge,
skills, and abilities, as well
as efforts to identify and
create internship and
mentorship programs.
Other interorganizational
collaborative initiatives
involve industry and academic
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The ATA Chronicle - May/June 2022

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