Training for Translators

Classes for translators and interpreters

online courses for translators


Corinne McKay

Early bird deadline is tomorrow: German-English workshop and Marketing to Direct Clients

Thoughts on Translation has two more online classes running in 2018. Thanks to everyone who answered my survey about 2019 classes; lots of good ideas in the pipeline! The early registration price ends tomorrow, Friday 10/5, for:

    • German to English Translation Workshop, taught by Eve Hecht, Ted Wozniak, and Jill Sommer. This is a six-week fully online course, running from November 5 through December 21 and including three modules: legal, financial, and medical translation. It combines live presentations, question and answer sessions (recordings provided) and individual feedback on six practice translations. Early registration is $525, ATA members get $25 off with coupon code ATA.
    • Marketing to Direct Clients, taught by me. This is a four-week fully online course, running from November 5 through December 10. This course is for translators who want to find, market to, and successfully work with direct clients, and it combines self-paced videos, live question and answer sessions (recordings provided), and individual feedback on four homework assignments. Early registration is $365, ATA members get $25 off with coupon code ATA.

    Early registration for both of these courses ends on Friday; I hope to see some of you there!


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

Winter class discounts end December 31

I’m offering four online courses for translators this winter, and discounted registration rates for them end on December 31. After that, registration for my full-length courses increases from $380 to $410, so it’s a good time to sign up and put the expense on your 2017 accounting! ATA members can use coupon code ATA for $15 off these prices, and past students can use coupon code ALUM for $15 off as well (those can be combined: just apply both of them).

A student in my Marketing to Direct Clients class recently left this comment on the end-of-course survey:

“If you are a translator looking to take your business to the next level, I cannot recommend Corinne’s courses more highly! I was impressed by how generously Corinne shared her knowledge and expertise with her students and I truly appreciated her positive and down-to-earth approach. The pace of both courses was just right, and the assignments were relevant and interesting. Corinne’s individual feedback on my homework was priceless! I also appreciated being able to ask her anything and everything during the class calls.”

Here’s the lineup for January-April, and note that the quick-start session of Getting Started is open only through December 31.

Special: quick-start session of Getting Started as a Freelance Translator, my flagship course for beginners. For beginning and aspiring translators who want to learn the basics in a quick-start format. Includes self-paced video lessons and a one-hour individual consulting session with me. $195 ($180 for ATA members), registration open through December 31, 2017.

Breaking Into the Book Translation Market, for translators who want to translate fiction or non-fiction books, for traditional publishers or for self-published authors. Next session begins January 15, 2018. $380 ($365 for ATA members) through December 31, 2017; $410/$395 after that. Note that this session is already filling up; sign up soon if you want to participate.

Beyond the Basics of Freelancing, for mid-career freelance translators who want to enjoy their work more, earn more money, and avoid career stagnation. Next session begins February 19, 2018. $380 ($365 for ATA members) through December 31, 2017; $410/$395 after that.

Marketing to Direct Clients, for translators who want to identify, contact, and work with direct clients. Next session begins April 2, 2018. $380 ($365 for ATA members) through December 31, 2017; $410/$395 after that.

Thank you for another year of great discussions about the language professions (believe it or not, Thoughts on Translation will turn ten in February!), and I wish all of you a wonderful 2018.


Corinne McKay

Beyond the Basics of Freelancing: starts Wednesday!

The next session of my online course Beyond the Basics of Freelancing starts Wednesday (August 19) and I have two spots left. This is one of my full-featured, flagship courses (along with Getting Started as a Freelance Translator), and it runs for four weeks. It’s designed for experienced translators who want to earn more money, enjoy their work more, market to higher-quality agencies and direct clients, or pursue more targeted specializations.
[Read more…] about Beyond the Basics of Freelancing: starts Wednesday!


Corinne McKay

Last call: Breaking Into the Agency Market

The first session of my new course Breaking Into the Agency Market starts on Wednesday (May 13); we have a good group signed up, but there’s room for a few more people if you’d like to join.

This is a three-week, quick start course for people who want a lot of individual attention without much homework, and are interested in working with translation agencies. We’ll focus on how to find agencies to apply to, how to develop and execute a marketing campaign, and how to work successfully with agencies; each week you’ll watch and/or listen to some pre-recorded lessons, then we’ll do a group conference call every week and everyone gets an hour of individual consulting time with me.

Registration is $190 ($175 if you’re an ATA member) and the details are here.

A student who completed the most recent session of my online course Getting Started as a Freelance Translator commented:

“When I completed my certificate in translation I had some confidence in my ability to translate, but no idea how to go about starting my career. After struggling on my own for a while, I finally signed up for Corinne’s course for beginning freelancers. What a life saver! Her sessions cover everything I needed to consider for my business and her individual attention to my specific situation answered all of my questions. I now feel ready to conquer the translation world.”