Training for Translators

Classes for translators and interpreters

Classes for translators


Corinne McKay

Organization and productivity for translators: starts Monday

Starting Monday, I’ll be facilitating a four-week online course taught by translator and productivity expert Dorothee Racette: the course is Organization and Productivity for Translators. Dorothee now runs her own consulting company–appropriately named Take Back My Day–and she’s been a tremendous help to me in my own business; I’m excited that more translators will now get to benefit from her expertise. This course will help you:

  • Break the stress/time crunch/feast/famine cycle in your business
  • Create a realistic plan for getting more done during each work day, without added stress
  • Set up your ideal physical and digital work environment
  • Learn productivity techniques specifically for translators, including managing your translation software

We’ll do two live sessions every week (recordings provided if you can’t attend), plus a weekly homework assignment. Everyone in the class will also receive an individual consulting session with Dorothee at the end of the course. Registration is $380 with a $25 discount for ATA members (use coupon code ATA). We have a good group signed up already, but there’s room for a few more people. Hop on over to the course web page for more information or to register!


Corinne McKay

Survey: 2019 online courses

I’m in the process of scheduling my 2019 online course lineup, and I’ve prepared a short survey to get a sense of what my readers are interested in. These are courses taught by other instructors with me facilitating the administrative portion. Assuming that each class would run for about four weeks and cost about $365, or run for about six weeks and cost $525, with plenty of individual attention from the instructor, please let me know which topics appeal to you, and feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments box!

Also, if you’re itching to sign up for a class right now, check out:

  • Organization and productivity for translators with Dorothee Racette. Starts September 24, runs for four weeks; $380 with a $25 discount for ATA members. We already have a good-sized group signed up for this but there are a few spots available. Includes an individual consultation with Dorothee after the course ends.
  • Translation Workshop: German to English, with Eve Hecht, Jill Sommer, and Ted Wozniak. Starts November 5, runs for six weeks; $525 with a $25 discount for ATA members. Includes 12 live sessions and individual feedback on six practice translations.
  • Marketing to direct clients, taught by me. Starts November 5, runs for four weeks; $365 with a $25 discount for ATA members.


Corinne McKay

Upcoming online courses: English to Spanish legal translation; Organization and productivity

I have two brand-new online courses coming up in September; after 12+ years of offering business skills courses for translators, I decided earlier this year to branch out into other areas. The inaugural course in that vein, French to English translation workshop–taught by Michele Hansen, Judy Lyons, Karen Tkaczyk and Tom West–sold out and received very positive reviews from the students (“Better than many of the courses in my MA program”). I’m excited to build on that with these two upcoming courses:

  • English to Spanish legal translation, with lawyer-translator-law professor Paula Arturo, beginning on September 4 (that’s next Tuesday!). Exclusively for English to Spanish translators, this course will help you become more knowledgeable about and confident in legal translation and legal writing in Spanish. Instructor Paula Arturo has 17+ years’ experience as a lawyer and translator, and the course will be divided into three thematic modules covering: comparative law, contracts and business law, and human rights and humanitarian law, which are the three main areas in which most legal translators work. Includes two weekly live sessions (one slide presentation and one question and answer session), and individual feedback on six practice translations. The course runs from September 4-October 16, and registration is $525. Registration closes on September 3. ATA members, use coupon code ATA for $25 off.
  • Organization and productivity for translators, with translator and productivity expert Dorothee Racette, beginning on September 24 (early bird discounts through September 10). If your freelance life feels like it’s dominated by stress and time crunch, you need this class! With Dorothee’s expert guidance, you’ll learn how to get more done in less time, while feeling happier in your business. There’s lots of cookie-cutter time management advice out there, but this course is exclusively for translators–you’ll learn how to create your ideal physical and digital work environment, how to set up an efficient translation project work flow, and how to minimize the feast-famine cycle in your business once and for all. The class runs for four weeks with two live sessions and one homework assignment per week, plus an individual 30-minute consultation with Dorothee when the course wraps up. The course runs from September 24-October 19, and registration is $365 through September 10 ($380 thereafter if spots are still available). ATA members, use coupon code ATA for $25 off.

I’m excited about these courses and the benefits they’ll offer to everyone who participates–lots of individual attention and expert guidance. I hope to see some of you there! And if you have an idea for a future online course you’d like to see offered, let me know in the comments. My November-December courses German to English translation workshop and Marketing to direct clients are also open for registration.


Corinne McKay

New online course: English to Spanish legal translation

Earlier this year, I decided to expand my usual offering of online business classes for translators (going strong since 2006!) and begin offering translation skills development courses. The inaugural course in that vein was Translation Workshop: French to English, and–thanks to the efforts of the amazing team of instructors, including Michele Hansen, Judy Lyons, Karen Tkaczyk and Tom West–it was a great success. The session sold out, and feedback from the participants was overwhelmingly positive.

Building on the success of the French to English course, I’m excited that well-known English to Spanish legal translator and lawyer Paula Arturo accepted my invitation to teach a translation technique class. English to Spanish legal translation will run, fully online, from September 4 through October 16, including two live sessions per week and six practice translations that Paula will provide individual feedback on. The students in the French to English workshop commented that it is a (sadly!) rare, and valuable thing to have your work evaluated by a true expert, and this English to Spanish class will give that opportunity to anyone who translates into Spanish and specializes, or wants to specialize, in legal translation.

The early bird price of $525 for this class expires on Friday and we still have a few spots left, so please sign up before then and save $150 off the regular price. ATA members can receive an additional $25 off with coupon code ATA. I hope to see some of you there!


Corinne McKay

Fall online courses open for registration

I’m excited to announce that my Fall 2018 lineup of online courses is open for registration. After 12 years of offering only business development classes for translators, I decided to expand my course offerings into translation technique classes, and the inaugural session of Translation Workshop: French to English ran in May and June.  Thanks to the team of expert instructors (Michele Hansen, Judy Lyons, Karen Tkaczyk, and Tom West), the class went really well; one participant commented:

“It was really rewarding to have this more intimate class with very experienced teachers geared toward people already working in the translation industry. Some of the topics and discussions were more practical than some of the classes in my Masters program. The sessions were extremely informative and it was really helpful to receive individual feedback on my translations”

Building on the success of that sold-out course, I’m offering more translation technique courses (and one business development course) this fall: read below for details, and I hope to see some of you there!

Content Marketing: For your business, and for your clients

Instructors: Matt Baird, CT; and Corinne McKay, CT
Next session: September 5-October 17, 2018
Cost: $525 through Friday, August 3; $675 thereafter if spots are still available. $25 discount for members of the American Translators Association; apply coupon code ATA at checkout.

English to Spanish legal translation

Instructor: Paula Arturo
Next session: September 4-October 16, 2018
Cost: $525 through Friday, August 3; $675 thereafter if spots are still available. $25 discount for members of the American Translators Association; apply coupon code ATA at checkout.

Translation Workshop: German to English

Instructors: Eve Hecht, Jill Sommer, and Ted Wozniak
Next session: November 5-December 21, 2018 (no class the week of November 19)
Cost: $525 through October 5; $675 thereafter if spots are still available. $25 discount for members of the American Translators Association; apply coupon code ATA at checkout.

Marketing to Direct Clients

Instructor: Corinne McKay
Next session: November 5-December 10, 2018 (no class during the week of November 19)
Cost: $360 through Friday, October 5; $385 thereafter if spots are still available. $25 discount for members of the American Translators Association; apply coupon code ATA at checkout.