Training for Translators

Classes for translators and interpreters


Corinne McKay

MCI semester one: done!

It feels like not that long ago that I wrote a blog post about my first month as a Master’s in conference interpreting student, and now we’re about to start our second semester. Definitely time for an update! If you missed the first installment, I’m currently a Year 2 student in the York University/Glendon College Master of Conference Interpreting Program, in the French language track.

Executive summary

If you’re interested in the 30-second version, I love the program and it’s going well, despite the all-online format this year. I am still working part-time, so it’s a lot to balance, but I actually feel like the shred of sanity I’ve held on to during the pandemic is because of the MCI program. Needing to take a shower, put on real clothes, and be somewhere at a specific time — even if “somewhere” is a Zoom room — are very helpful things during the pandemic. I’m really impressed with the quality of the Glendon program; both the instructors and the other students, and I’m really looking forward to semester two.

A day in the life…

In the French language group, this semester we had about 13 hours a week of live classes (the Glendon program really emphasizes the live aspect, which I like), plus our entire class year had an interpreting technology intensive in addition to our regular classes. I found this load manageable (most classes are two hours, and we had one day a week — Tuesdays — with no classes) and as the semester went on, I found a better balance between attending classes, doing my own practice sessions, and practicing with other people from the French group. I really try to attend every class (only missed one class, one time this semester!) and do at least one practice session a week with someone else in the French group, plus multiple practice sessions on my own.

I found that by putting in 10-12 hour days, things felt manageable. That sounds like a lot, but…there’s a pandemic on…so I also have a lot more time on my hands than I normally would. I typically get to my office around 7:45 AM because classes often start at 8, and I’ve gotten into a little routine of meditating for five minutes before the day starts. Another small but important sanity routine is that I love (like, really love) coffee and I hate chugging it quickly in the morning, so I take my coffee with me to my office. So pretty much five days a week, I first drink my coffee while looking out the very beautiful glass door in my office, then I meditate for five minutes, then I go straight through with classes and work until around 5 PM (taking a short break to run or do yoga at lunch), then I do maybe an hour or two more at home in the evening. It feels doable.

How is all of this working online?

Online school plus work can definitely get to be a lot of screen time. At one point, I was having major problems with eye strain, so I took a couple of weeks where I forced myself to do non-screen things (read a paper magazine or book, play music, exercise) in the evening. That helped a lot.

A big advantage of the York/Glendon program is that Year 1 of the MCI program (which I did not do, because I took the advanced entry exam to go directly into Year 2) has been online since the program’s inception almost ten years ago. It’s definitely an advantage to be in a program that has the online methods dialed in, even though this is their first time doing Year 2 online. It would definitely be great to be on campus: Glendon has an amazing interpreting lab, and I’d love to be working in person with the instructors and the other French students; but this isn’t a bad Plan B at all. As a bonus, we’re learning a lot about remote interpreting, which will undoubtedly be helpful in the future. Although I think we’re all hoping that in-person events come back sooner rather than later, I personally think that a) large-scale professional conferences requiring travel will probably be one of the last things to come back, because we’ve now seen that they can be transitioned online in at least some respects, and b) we’re likely to see more online meetings and conferences in general, even after the pandemic winds down. I would have loved to attend a full year of in-person classes, but I think that Glendon is making the most of the year, and I’m very glad I jumped in and took advantage of it.

What we actually do

I keep making this comparison, but getting better at interpreting is a lot like getting better at playing a musical instrument. There’s some theory, and there’s lots, and lots, and lots of practice. Practice on different types of subject matter: everything from colony collapse disorder to tension between France and Germany and how that affects the value of the euro. Practice on different types of speakers: people who talk fast, people who talk slowly, people with heavy accents, people with circuitous speaking styles. Practice with panel discussions and question and answer sessions. Just lots and lots of practice.

We also have the chance to interpret for lots of live events at York University, which is a ton of fun. Again, these could be anything: I’ve done two Town Hall meetings, one on the COVID situation and one on York’s new campus, I’ve done staff meetings, seminars for the Year 1 interpreting students, an information session for prospective students in the MCI program…lots of different stuff. The York staffers are always very appreciative of our work, and it’s a great opportunity to practice in a real-life situation.

When I practice on my own or with other people from the French group, we mostly use Speechpool, or the EU speech repository.

A few surprises

Someone asked me the other day whether anything about this program, or doing a Master’s in conference interpreting, has surprised me. Why yes, thanks for asking:

  • I never really believed that most of the magic behind interpreting is, sort of like the magic behind playing a musical instrument, just lots and lots of practice. It’s really more of a skill than a talent. People have more talent and less talent, but the first time Yo-Yo Ma picked up a cello, he didn’t sight read the Bach cello suites. The same is true of conference interpreting: no one is good at simultaneous interpreting without learning the techniques and practicing them for lots of hours. No one is good at taking notes on a long consecutive speech without learning the techniques and practicing them over and over again. But the beauty of this is that you definitely can become good at things that initially seem like magic powers. Case in point: back when I was still learning the very basics of interpreting to prepare for the Colorado French court interpreter exam, I overheard two very experienced conference interpreters talking about long consecutive interpreting. One said, “Once you’ve learned the techniques to do a 10-minute speech, you can easily do 20 minutes.” And the other replied, “Oh, definitely, no problem there.” And my reaction, as I struggled in the trenches of doing 30-second segments to prepare for the court interpreter exam, was something along the lines of “WHAAAAAAAAAAAT???” But guess what, now I actually agree completely. At the end of last semester, one of my classmates and I did a practice session with a 10-minute consecutive speech, and we agreed that it really wasn’t that bad. It wasn’t a super technical, or fast, or complex speech, but we took notes for 10 minutes and then interpreted it back, and it really went OK. That felt like progress. I’ve definitely gone from (literally) feeling my stomach churning when someone in a court hearing talks for more than a minute, to actually encouraging people to keep on talking so that I get more of the whole idea.
  • This is a little weird to say, but the acceptance of self-taught interpreters on the US market (where many, many interpreters have little to no formal training) used to not bother me at all. It still doesn’t actually bother me, because the reality is that we have huge interpreting needs but very few training programs, especially outside the most-spoken languages. But I do see now that trained interpreters really are much better at the job. That’s not earthshaking news, but I now see it with my own eyes, or rather hear it with my own ears. I’m not sure what the solution is, because there are so many issues: the US population speaks about 430 languages; many interpreters, especially at the community level, simply don’t earn enough money to make extensive training a viable option; many interpreting clients don’t see the value of a trained professional interpreter, etc. etc. But still this is worth noting: formal training makes a huge difference.

Our second semester starts today, and I’ll try to write another update as I progress further through the program.


Corinne McKay

January classes start this week!

Happy 2021 to the entire Training for Translators community! Our 2021 class lineup starts this week. Translating for the international development sector is sold out (e-mail classes@trainingfortranslators.com to be added to the wait list), but all other classes still have space:

  • Complete what you started, a four-week challenge and coaching group led by Dorothee Racette, starts on Thursday, January 7. If you’ve been struggling to finish a freelance website, target a new specialization, prepare for a certification exam, or assemble the branded writing you need to position yourself in your niche, this challenge intensive is for you. In this 4-week course, you will look behind the scenes of procrastination and work in a small peer group to finally take your big business projects to the next level. $299 with various discounts available.
  • Direct client marketing…for people who think they can’t, a three-hour master class, runs from 12 noon to 3 PM New York time on Thursday, January 7 (recording provided after the session). If you’ve proclaimed 2021 your year to break into the direct client market, join instructor Corinne McKay for three hours of practical instruction on how to get started! $75, no discounts.
  • Into-English patent translation, a four-week course with expert patent translator Martin Cross, starts on Monday, January 11. Patent translation is a well-paid specialization and a growing market segment, but even experienced technical translators can find patents hard to understand and can be unsure of the legal considerations involved. This course is intended for translators working from any language into English who have an interest in science and technology and want to start translating patents or improve their patent translation skills. $365 with various discounts available.


Corinne McKay

Guest post: It’s never too late to follow your passion

This is a guest post by Joseph J. Welch, a lawyer, financial planner, and now — at age 63– a Master’s in Translation Student. See the end of this post for Joe’s full bio and contact information.

Follow your passion, and you’ll never work a day in your life

It’s never too late to change careers. We’ve all heard stories: The 45-year-old computer programmer who went to med school and began a practice in her early 50’s. The 52-year-old executive who got laid off and started a business doing what he’d always wanted to do. And many more. People change careers for all sorts of reasons. Their values shift. Their work-life balance gets off kilter. They have money issues, family considerations, or too much stress. Perhaps they’re forced into it due to a layoff at a mature age, like the 52-year-old above. Or maybe they just don’t have any passion for what they’re doing.

My reason was the latter, combined with the fact that I’d left another passion behind years ago. When I was 19 (I’m 63 now), I was given the opportunity to spend the summer studying French at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. I excelled and absolutely loved it. I went back to college that fall and later was given an opportunity to go to the University of Caen, in Normandy, for a spring semester abroad. I jumped at it and earned a certificate in French language. Not only did I love it, but I decided I was going to earn my living using French. My goal was to become a simultaneous interpreter at the UN – “Interprète simultané aux Nations Unis,” is what I would tell people. It was all about the French language.

I was going to stay in France, not only for the summer, but to finish college. I enrolled in French literature at a French University. The goal was to further perfect my language skills and ultimately go to the University of Geneva for their interpreter training program. That was the plan, but…back home, they did not approve. I was encouraged to aim higher, to become the one being interpreted, to become the diplomat. I succumbed to the pressure and that fateful decision sent me in a different direction, and off my track.

The interpreter, or the one being interpreted?

I came home from France, finished my degree, and once I graduated, I was “strongly encouraged” to change my “total” French language focus to an international focus, a diplomacy focus. I met with the Consul General at the French consulate in Boston to discuss, in French, what course of study I should follow at a French university to get into international relations. He advised me to pursue law, so in the fall, I went to the University of Strasbourg to study law. After that first year, I returned home for the summer. No one could understand what I would do with a French law degree and why I would go back. People thought I should go to law school in Québec, which is closer to home and French speaking. I applied to Laval (civil law degree only – all in French) and McGill (civil law and common law degrees and 90% in English). I was accepted to both. But again, no one could understand what I would do with just a Québec civil law degree. I was ultimately persuaded that living in Montréal and going to McGill would give me the best of both worlds: plenty of French all around me and I’d graduate with both a civil law degree and a common law degree, the latter allowing me to sit for the bar exam and practice law in Massachusetts. After all, McGill did in fact offer an environment that was bilingual and bijuridical (a word coined by me).

I was now pretty far from my original plan to become a simultaneous interpreter at the UN. I have to admit that I am embarrassed that I let myself become so completely influenced by those around me. Part of the reason I am telling this story is say to younger generations, “Don’t be swayed by what others want you to do, or to be. Follow your passion.” And to parents, including myself, “Let your kids figure it out.” You’ll both be better off in the end.

The passion never dies!

I never lost my passion for French. I managed to keep it alive for many years. I joined French-speaking organizations. I borrowed materials from what was then the French Library in Boston. I recorded and listened to French radio stations on cassette tapes. I later subscribed to French audio publications. I sent my kids to the Ecole Bilingue de Boston. I tutored French. I went on interviews for a job in Geneva and then later for one in France. We did a one-month home exchange in Aix-en-Provence. I convinced my wife to become part of a program where teenage French kids lived with us for a few weeks at a time during the summer, and she taught them English. I tried to move the family to France. I even interviewed with the CIA in a totally nondescript office building in Boston, an interview which took place entirely in French. And during all that time, I accumulated various French-English dictionaries, lexicons, phonology tapes, vocabulary exercises and other French language materials and recordings, all with the intent of practicing and perfecting that level of French that I had attained. I refused to let French go.

Deep down, I always knew that I had happened into a law career that wasn’t a good fit. But I had invested time and money in becoming a lawyer and told myself that, “Surely you can make this work.” I knew I needed a change but couldn’t see or admit the consequences of having left my passion behind. I went from law, to selling legal technology, to financial planning. With all those jobs, I always tried to see the French angle. “Do they have French clients?” I would wonder. “Maybe a subsidiary in France that I could work my way into.”

Destiny calls…via an e-mail from ProZ!

I got close to seeing things clearly around 2007. I was between jobs and took a few online translations classes at NYU. I joined the ATA and ProZ and just as I was starting to get projects, I received a fantastic job offer selling technology to law firms that I simply couldn’t refuse, from a financial perspective, and for my family’s sake. I dropped my membership in the ATA and unsubscribed from ProZ emails. For many years, a few ProZ emails would still trickle in, and I would delete them.

Thirteen years later, in early July of 2020, when I was a financial planner and still not totally thrilled with my work life, I received one such ProZ email. I hovered on it but did not delete it. The next day, I opened it and read it, but still did not delete it. This cycle continued until one day, I opened the email and had a Proustian-like experience. My memories as a 19-year-old kid in France wanting to become a simultaneous interpreter came rushing into my head. Staring at the email, I thought, “You’ve been pushing your family to do these French things. You recently tried to convince your eldest to do the same program in Caen that you had done….” And suddenly light dawned on Marblehead. “I’m the one who has a passion for French. I’m the one who wants to travel to France…I’m the one who needs a job involving French. Why not translation?” Being 63, I thought the option that would give me more time to think would be the better one. Interpretation, requiring quick thinking on my feet, will have to come later.

Back to school at age 63

The next few days involved frantic research on whether I could do this, was I too old, did I have any credibility, could I make money, were there any programs or courses I could take? A colleague advised me that since I did not have any professional translation experience, a Master’s or a certificate program might be a good idea.

Now, finally, 40 some odd years later, I’ve taken the bull by the horns and made the decision to change careers. I’ve come full circle to that point I was at in Caen in 1978. Well, sort of, I’m not 19 anymore. I’ve just finished up my first semester at Kent State University in their two-year online Master’s in Translation program. It’s an excellent foundational course of studies which has kept me quite busy learning strategies and technology, gaining confidence and credibility and removing any kind of imposter syndrome that I might have.

I plan to launch my French to English legal translation practice in the very near future. As an optimist, I have to say that I am in an ideal position. I’m coming back to a point where I was 40 years ago with a wealth of knowledge, education, experience and wisdom.

Interpretation will come at a later point. One thing at a time!

I am coming full circle. I’m doing it. You can, too!

Joseph J. Welch holds a bachelor’s degree in French, from Salem State University, an LL.B. and a B.C.L. (common law and civil law degrees) from McGill University, and an MBA from Suffolk University. He attended the University of Strasbourg (law) as well as the Universities of Caen and Genève and is currently enrolled in the Master’s in Translation program at Kent State University. Joe began his career practicing law, then selling technology to law firms and finally working as a Certified Financial Planner ®. He originally hails from historic Salem, Massachusetts and currently lives in Manchester-by-the-Sea with his lovely wife, his two beautiful daughters, and the cutest four-month-old grandson you’ve ever seen. He plans on launching his French to English legal translation practice in 2021. Joe can be reached at joewelch@joewelch.com.


Corinne McKay

New podcast: Wrapping up 2020, and looking ahead to 2021

In this episode of Speaking of Translation, Eve and Corinne wrap up 2020 (a truly unforgettable year by any measure!), and look ahead to 2021. We discuss topics such as:

  • Highlight accomplishments of 2020, and what helped us get there
  • Disappointments this year, and how our businesses have been affected by the pandemic
  • How we’ve followed Eve’s motto, “Stay safe and stay sane” in this crazy year
  • What our goals are for 2021

If you’d like to do this along with us, we’d recommend:

  • Reviewing your accomplishments for the year, and identifying what helped you reach those goals
  • Reviewing your disappointments, and identifying how you can do better in the future
  • Identifying ways to stay safe and sane, within the confines of the situation
  • Setting some goals for 2021

Links mentioned in this episode:

Listen on the audio player below, or download the file by right-clicking here.


Corinne McKay

Retainer agreements: Good idea? Bad idea?

Thanks to reader Jennifer O. for suggesting this topic: retainer agreements and whether they are a good idea for freelancers, or not. Let’s take a look:

First of all, what is a retainer agreement? Retainer agreements allow clients to purchase a fixed amount of your work (which could be hours, words, or something else) at a fixed price, which guarantees them that you’ll reserve time for their projects, and which guarantees you that the client will send you at least as much work as the retainer agreement covers. You could say that I have a retainer agreement with my website manager; for a flat monthly fee, he does things like monitor my traffic, update plugins, etc., and the ongoing monthly agreement means that I know he’ll block out time for that work, and he knows I’ll provide him with a certain amount of income each month.

In the translation industry, retainer agreements aren’t — in my experience — extremely common, but lots of freelancers still wonder about them, and whether retainer agreements could be good for their business. I most commonly hear from freelancers who have an ongoing client proposing a retainer agreement as a way to offer a guaranteed volume of work at a lower rate than they’re currently paying. For example the client may currently be paying 20 cents a word, and offers the freelancer, “If we guarantee you at least 10,000 words a month, could you do that for $1,800?”

Here are my tips for evaluating whether a retainer agreement is a good idea or not:

  1. This sounds basic, but…how interested are you in ongoing work from regular clients? This is an important question, and one that many people don’t answer. Are you interested in committing part of your work time to one client on a consistent basis, or do you like to just see what comes your way? Are you already overloaded with well-paying work from regular clients that you enjoy working with? Ask yourself these questions before you go any further, because in my experience, many translation clients are interested in a retainer agreement that is financially advantageous for them: basically they want to pay a lower, or at least slightly lower rate in exchange for a guaranteed volume of work. In some cases, that can be a win-win: you get a “bird in the hand,” and they save some money. But it’s not always appealing: read on for some reasons why.
  2. Most importantly, beware of “teaser” retainer agreements, along the lines of “We anticipate having a high volume of work for you, so can you charge us less than your regular rate?” First, this type of client needs to show me the words, or agree to pay my regular rate if this high volume doesn’t materialize. I would first ask this type of client how much volume they anticipate. Let’s say they estimate 10,000 words a month, at 10% less than my regular rate. First, I would evaluate whether this guaranteed volume of work is appealing to me, for economic or non-economic reasons (more on that below). Second, I would require the client to meet a volume benchmark in order to receive the discounted rate, such as, “Offering a 10% discount for 10,000 words a month or more works for me; however if the volume in any given month falls below 10,000 words, I will bill you at my regular rate.”
  3. Remember that there are non-economic reasons for entering into retainer agreements. Many, or even most translators would rather work than look for work, and retainer agreements can allow you to do that. If you have several retainer agreements, they can even turn freelancing into something like a regular job where you set the hours. Let’s say that you have a client you really enjoy working with, whose budget is slightly less than you usually charge. Retainer agreements can allow you to work with them, while ensuring that they send you enough work to make the arrangement worth your time.
  4. Also remember the worst reason for entering into a retainer agreement: because the client simply doesn’t have the budget for a professional translator, and you’re more loyal to them that you are to the success of your own business. Carol Tice has a great post on her blog, Make a Living Writing, on this very topic. It’s one thing to say, sure, I love working with you and I hate marketing, so I’ll discount my rate slightly, in exchange for a guaranteed volume of work. It’s another thing to say, sure, you don’t have the budget for a professional, so I’ll charge a rate that does not meet my financial goals, but we’ll just call it a retainer agreement so that I feel better about it.
  5. Yet another option is a “hedge”or “on call” retainer agreement. I don’t necessarily recommend this, but let’s look at it anyway, for the sake of putting all the options on the table. In this type of agreement, the client would agree to pay you a lump sum, per month, whether they need you or not. Let’s say that a client often needs small projects done at short notice, and let’s say each project takes about an hour, three times a week. But some weeks they have no projects, so they don’t need you at all. You and that client might strike an arrangement where you reserve those three hours in your schedule, but even if the client doesn’t need you, they pay for one hour, in exchange for you keeping the three hours open. Again, not that common, but it could happen.

I hope you find those tips helpful! If you have anything to add, let’s hear it in the comments!