The ATA Chronicle - March/April 2023 - 38

CF
Despite the common misconception
that being bilingual is enough
to make you a translator, we
practitioners know how difficult
it is to become a proficient
professional translator.
deadline. After grading all the
translations according to the
standards of the Certification
Program, the presenters
prepare the workshops based
on the participants' work.2
Each practice test is given
detailed individual feedback
on specific errors and
successful solutions and is
returned after the workshop.
During the Workshop
The workshop begins
with an overview of the
exam specifications, error
categories and definitions,
and grading standards
using documents available
on ATA's website. This
introduction is followed by
a sentence-by-sentence
review of the particular
source text translated by
the participants, which is
the heart of the workshop.
During this segment
the instructors guide an
interactive discussion of
possible solutions to the
translation challenges in the
passage and an analysis of
common errors. Participants
are free to ask questions and
provide peer feedback, and
resources are recommended
for researching terms within
the constraints of the exam
requirements.
Test-Taking Strategies
After analyzing the
translation challenges
presented by the source text
and discussing the errors
and successful solutions in
participants' translations,
the instructors present
some test-taking strategies
that candidates can apply
before and during the exam.
Since the certification exam
is offered online and with
restricted access to the
internet, it's important
to become familiar with
the allowed resources
and be aware of what is
not permitted.3
Another
important restriction is the
three-hour time limit. The
instructors suggest different
time-management strategies
that can help candidates
allocate the time available in
a productive way, according
to their own translation
abilities, strengths, and
weak points. Practicing
under exam-like conditions
is essential for producing
a high-quality translation.
Issues related to test anxiety
are also covered.
Tapping into the
Experience of the Group
One of the advantages of
these workshops is that
most participants are
38 The ATA Chronicle | March/April 2023
willing to share their own
relevant past experiences
and strategies. Some of
them have already tried
(and failed) the exam and
are able to clearly identify
the reasons why they
failed. These insights can
be invaluable for the rest of
the group. The instructors
moderate the contributions
to make sure that only
sound advice is actually
recommended.
Conclusion
The workshops have been
well received, garnering
feedback such as the
following from participants:
" The opportunity to submit a
sample translation and have
it graded by the presenters
was something I couldn't
pass up. " ; " Incredibly useful
information. I have no doubt
this will be the most valuable
session I attend at [the
conference]. " ; and " Very
useful insight! I look forward
to taking the exam! " We
don't have statistics on the
pass rate of those who have
taken these workshops (some
don't take the exam for some
time afterwards because they
realize they aren't ready for
it, and some never attempt
it), but anecdotal evidence
suggests that they are very
effective. If you're planning
to take the exam in
Spanish>English or viceversa
in the near future and
have an opportunity to take
one of these workshops,
don't hesitate to sign up!
NOTES
1. Summary Bar Pass Data: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender:
2021 and 2022 Bar Passage Questionnaire
(American Bar Association).
2. How ATA's Certification Exam Is Graded.
3. ATA Computerized Exam Online Resource List:
What's Permitted and What's Not.
Diego Mansilla, CT teaches advanced courses
in translation and is the director of the Online
Spanish-English Translation Certificate program
at the University of Massachusetts Boston. His
areas of research are translation pedagogy,
collaboration in translation, and online education. He is an
ATA-certified English>Spanish translator with more than 20
years of experience. Diego.Mansilla@umb.edu
Holly Mikkelson, CT is professor emerita of
translation and interpreting at the Middlebury
Institute of International Studies at Monterey.
She is a federally certified court interpreter and
an ATA-certified Spanish<>English translator
with four decades of professional experience. She has taught
classes and workshops all over the world. She has written
many articles and books on various aspects of interpreting
and is the author of the Acebo training manuals for court
and medical interpreters. She serves as deputy chair of ATA's
Certification Committee. hmikkelson@gmail.com
www.atanet.org

http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/legal_education_and_admissions_to_the_bar/statistics/2022/2022-bpq-national-summary-data-race-ethnicity-gender-fin.pdf http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/legal_education_and_admissions_to_the_bar/statistics/2022/2022-bpq-national-summary-data-race-ethnicity-gender-fin.pdf http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/legal_education_and_admissions_to_the_bar/statistics/2022/2022-bpq-national-summary-data-race-ethnicity-gender-fin.pdf https://www.atanet.org/certification/how-the-exam-is-graded/ https://www.atanet.org/certification/prepare-to-take-the-ata-certification-exam/restrictions-and-requirements/resources/ https://www.atanet.org/certification/prepare-to-take-the-ata-certification-exam/restrictions-and-requirements/resources/ http://www.atanet.org

The ATA Chronicle - March/April 2023

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