Training for Translators

Classes for translators and interpreters

online translation classes


Corinne McKay

Medical translation course: early bird rate ends today

Today is the last day to sign up for the September/October session of Medical concepts and terminology for translators and interpreters, a four-week “mini med school” class taught by expert medical translator Michèle Hansen. A participant in the last session of this class comments:

“Michèle Hansen’s Mini Med School for Translators and Interpreters is terrific, even if you already have experience in translating in the medical field. The course is tailored to translators, with a focus on terminology. Michėle is extremely knowledgeable and she shares her expertise in a very clear and approachable way. There is no doubt that a lot of thought and preparation has gone into creating this course, and all the materials and recommendations given are helpful and valuable. I feel I have definitely improved as a medical translator and would be delighted to take part in another installment.”

Registration ($365 with various discounts available) includes four live slide presentations, four live question and answer sessions (recordings provided if you can’t attend live), and individual feedback on four homework assignments. Prices go up by $15 tomorrow; more information/registration here.

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Corinne McKay

Translation Workshop: French to English–open for registration

Thank you so much to everyone who responded to my recent survey about translation technique courses. The response to that survey was overwhelmingly positive, and I’m excited to announce that the first class–Translation Workshop: French to English is open for registration.

The class will run for eight weeks starting April 23, and the focus is on individual feedback from expert translators on eight practice translations, divided into four specialization modules. The (incredible!) lineup of instructors and specializations is:

  • Michèle Hansen (medical)
  • Karen Tkaczyk (sci/tech)
  • Judy Lyons (financial)
  • Tom West (legal)

Each instructor will teach a two-week module in their specialization, including two weekly live sessions and one weekly practice translation, on which you’ll receive the instructor’s individual feedback. The course is open to French to English translators at any level, who want expert feedback on their work in these specializations. It’s limited to 15 people to allow plenty of time for one-on-one comments.

Registration is $525 until March 23, and $675 after that if spots are still available. ATA members can use the code ATA at checkout for $15 off either of those prices. I’m really looking forward to being the administrative facilitator for this session, and I hope to see some of you there!


Corinne McKay

Survey: online translation technique classes

Based upon requests from readers and students, I’m in the early stages of developing some language-specific translation technique classes (i.e. “Become a better translator: German to English”) to be offered in 2018. If you are interested in this type of course, please take a short survey that I’ve prepared. This will help me assess the demand for these types of classes, and understand what people would like to get out of them. The survey is just five multiple choice questions and then a comment box, and doesn’t require any personal information from you. Thank you!


Corinne McKay

Preview: Getting Started as a Freelance Translator

The next session of my online course Getting Started as a Freelance Translator starts March 6, and registration is open now. This class tends to fill up early and is limited to 20 people, so now is a good time to sign up if you’re interested. It’s aimed at beginning translators who want nuts and bolts information about how to launch and run a successful translation business, plus one-on-one feedback on marketing materials, deciding how much to charge, etc.

Throughout the four-week session, you’ll work through four sets of online videos, four homework assignments with individual feedback, and eight live question and answer sessions for the whole group. Here’s a preview of one of the course videos, on creating a basic agency marketing campaign. A recent student called this course “one of the finest resources out there for any translator,” and I’d love to see some of you in this session! Registration is $380/$355 for ATA members.


Corinne McKay

Summer-fall online courses: open for registration

My summer-fall online courses are now open for registration on my website. All of the recent sessions of these classes have filled up with a waiting list; so it’s not too early to sign up, even if the class you’re interested in is a few months in the future.

I currently offer four online courses; each runs for four weeks and includes four sets of video lessons, individual feedback on four assignments, four sets of weekly readings and podcasts, eight live question and answer sessions and a private Google Group for class participants. Registration is $355, with a $15 discount for ATA members. You can choose from:

Following are some comments from participants in recent sessions of these classes. Thanks and I hope to see some of you there!

“Exactly what I was looking for. Corinne will answer pretty much any question one might ask. Her feedback is thorough and very perceptive. It’s not just “good job” but why something is good and why something is not, and what you can do to improve it. I also loved the flexibility of the class, as I ended up having two very busy weeks during that time. Everything is recorded and, even if it is advisable to do everything according to schedule, you can go at your own pace. I now have a notebook filled with useful notes, objectives pinned on my wall and a strategy to attract direct clients I am now confident in.”

“One always learns from Corinne’s experience. She’s an outstanding instructor because she empowers her students so that they can approach their freelance business more effectively while feeling more confident. Corinne’s courses are a must for translators/language professionals/freelancers. I’d take one of her courses every year.”

“I found the course to be extremely helpful, both through the wealth of information conveyed and Corinne’s positivity. At the end of the course, I now have the confidence and knowledge to market to direct clients.”

“I don’t know why I waited so long to take this course. Corinne’s experience and feedback have proven to be an invaluable tool for my freelance career and I would recommend it to anyone, not only to those who are just starting, but also those of you who have been in this for a little while, but want to become more focused and effective in the way you run your business.”

“I learned so much about the translation industry and general business practices and the personal feedback from Corinne was absolutely priceless. I would highly recommend this course and I will take another class from Corinne in the future.”

“I am very pleased to have taken Corinne’s “Getting Started as a Freelance Translator” course. It was a real eye-opener. The course was very well organized, pretty much every aspect of the business was dealt with adequately, Corinne’s homework corrections were very helpful and the conference calls were also quite informative. I know I can do this now! Thank you so much for everything.”