One Day at the ATA Conference
Emily Tell*
As a long-standing member of the ATA, my level of activity in the Association has ebbed and flowed over the years like the ocean tides. From serving as a division administrator to mentoring new members, there are many ways I’ve been involved in the Association, benefiting professionally and personally. The popular saying, “You get out of it what you put into it,” couldn’t apply more to ATA membership.
One benefit of being a member is the annual ATA Conference, which is a great opportunity to learn more about the T&I profession, take certification exams, and network with colleagues, among many others. This year, I decided to attend the conference for one day as a proctor for an ATA certification exam sitting and as a volunteer at the ATISDA hospitality table. What follows are some of my impressions.
On Being a Proctor
I’ve always been a test taker (most recently of interpretation and insurance exams). When I found out about the opportunity to be a proctor for an ATA certification exam sitting, I followed up with the Certification Program Manager to find out more information. I was swiftly hired and sent the relevant information. According to Merriam-Webster, a proctor is someone who supervises or monitors students and oversees student examinations. I could not agree more with this definition since that’s literally what we did. For three hours. In contrast to my daughter’s 1st grade Spanish spelling quizzes, the ATA Certification Exam requires a stricter adherence to certain rules regarding the use of online and print resources such as glossaries, dictionaries, and forums.
To start, all the test takers had chosen the computerized method as opposed to the handwritten one. For controlling online activity during the exam, the test takers were strongly encouraged to use as a landing page an ATA web page with the links of the permitted websites categorized into a general group and language-specific groups. Some test takers, however, just chose to open all the permitted websites as tabs for reference and switched back and forth.
Further instruction was given on the use of glossaries and dictionaries with a forum component such as wordreference.com. For example, the test taker could only search for the translation of a word and not further research it by checking any forums. Our role was to walk around the room and monitor the test takers so they could only use the permitted websites according to the rules.
It was interesting to note, as a fellow translator, who has yet to take the certification exam, the websites the test takers chose to use during the exam, especially those for my language pair. I had experience using some of the resources in my translation and interpretation practice while others, such as multitran.com, I had not. It was also a good experience to observe the computerized test taking setting in addition to learning about the remote option if I ever decide to take the exam.
ATISDA Hospitality Table
This year ATISDA was invited to set up a hospitality table at the conference as a host group. Based in San Diego, with members not only in southern California but internationally, ATISDA staffed its table throughout the conference to welcome attendees, enroll new members, and give suggestions and recommendations for sightseeing and restaurants in downtown LA (DTLA) where the conference was held. Several ATISDA members rotated staffing the table throughout the conference. I was encouraged to volunteer and was very glad I did since it was a rewarding experience.
Even though I did not attend the conference for the full four days, here are some takeaways from the brief time spent at the table:
I networked with old colleagues and new ones which, in my opinion, is one of the most important benefits of attending an ATA conference. Connections are not only made in the sessions or at division events but in between them, in the hallways, outside conference rooms, during coffee breaks, etc. I even networked one year in the elevator! Such connections can last a lifetime and add value to our practice.
I shared some suggestions on sightseeing in DTLA. Since I am often in LA either for work or visiting family, I was able to suggest some of my favorite places such as the public library for its art deco architecture and the Central Market for its festive food scene highlighting different cultures.
Last but not least, I supported ATISDA. Since ATISDA is my home ATA affiliate and has contributed to my career I was happy to help at the conference, albeit for a short period of time. By being present at the table, I was able to speak to members about upcoming events and recommend membership to attendees even if they were based outside of southern California. Since many of ATISDA’s events are remote, including webinars and networking, geographical location is not a basis for membership in ATISDA nor a limiting factor. I even took home some schwag with the ATISDA logo!
All in all, my five hours (or 300 minutes if you are curious like my daughter about how many minutes are in five hours) spent at the ATA conference was time well spent. I packed a lot into my afternoon and was happy to share the conference energy and spirit with old and new colleagues proctoring an exam and volunteering at the ATISDA hospitality table.
Emily Tell, ATISDA Copy Editor, joined the association in 2016. She was previously the Assistant Administrator of the ATA Language Technology Division from 2009-2011. She has published articles in The Gotham Translator and Language Tech News. She currently works as a freelance, legal Spanish/English interpreter and translator.