NETA board meetings are held four times a year, generally in September, January, March, and June. Final dates, times, and agendas are announced in advance via email. All active NETA members are welcome to attend.

Board meeting dates for 2018-19: September 29, January 26, March 23, June 18.

General meetings are usually held once a month from September through April on Saturday afternoons.

2018-19

September 22: 13th Annual Translation Bash, 1:30-4:30 Email mcomenetz@gmail.com, tell us your language pair, and receive a copy of this year's English passage--or a French passage (if you work French>English) or Spanish passage (if you work Spanish>English). Translate that passage at your convenience before bash day, and join in as we debate the ins and outs of each sentence. We'll have facilitators in place for English>Spanish, Spanish>English, and French>English. If you work into another language and would like to participate on September 22, just write to us. We'll keep a tally and let you know about other people who sign up to work in your language pair. If a given group is large enough, we will attempt to find a facilitator. Smaller groups and pairs can readily work on their own.

October 20: Interpreting for Multilingual Justice, 2:00-4:00  At this meeting will learn about the goals and activities of the Boston Interpreters Collective (BIC), an organization dedicated to promoting a multilingual society by eliminating language barriers and building community. BIC works toward social justice by supporting community organizing through their interpretation services and popular education workshops. BIC is committed to promoting equal rights for all by addressing root causes of oppression.

There will be two speakers. Loreto Paz Ansaldo was born in Santiago, Chile and has been a member of BIC since 2016. She works as a freelancer and translator, and is currently enrolled in Boston University's Interpreter Certificate Program and UMass Boston's Spanish/English Translation Certificate Program. Loreto is a certified mathematics and Spanish teacher and has been involved in local arts programming since since high school, most recently as a member of the Leadership Council for Boston Creates.
Ester Serra Luque has been a member of BIC since 2007. She works as a court interpreter and also coordinates a community program assisting survivors of domestic violence. Prior to moving to the U.S., Ester worked as a journalist for 10 years in her native Catalonia. She is a member of the National Lawyers Guild and is involved with several other social justice groups in the Boston area.

November 17: Cognates: Friends or Foes? 2:00-4:00  As interpreters, we are familiar with working under pressure and with strict time limitations. Cognates can help us make quick conversions in our brains from one language to another, and they are great allies when learning new terminology. They even help us save face when we encounter Greek- or Latin-based medical terms that we have never heard before. However, we must remain vigilant. Not all cognates are our friends. False cognates, also known as false friends, can get us into a lot of trouble. In this session we will take a look at the general guidelines for forming cognates from English into Spanish, we will learn about the differences between total and complete cognates, and we will have fun with the most common false cognates that we encounter regularly in our profession.

Our speaker, Esther Bonin, holds a degree in Translation and Interpreting Skills from Pompeu Fabra University (Spain) and an M.A. in International Relations from Durham University (England). Esther has worked as both a translator and an interpreter in different European countries. As a translator she worked for several nonprofit organizations and agencies in Spain. She also has experience as a medical, court, and conference interpreter. A soccer enthusiast, she has worked as a television interpreter for the Barcelona soccer team channel. Esther has taught language, culture, and translation courses at Durham University in the U.K. In the United States she has taught at several colleges and universities in New England, including Hampshire College. Currently she supervises the Interpreter & Translation Services Department at Baystate Health. Esther speaks four languages, enjoys traveling, soccer, and spending time with her family.

2017-18

September 23: 12th Annual Translation Bash, 1:30-4:30 Email mcomenetz@gmail.com, tell us your language pair, and receive a copy of this year's English passage. Translate that passage at your convenience before bash day, and join in as we debate the ins and outs of each sentence. We'll have a facilitator in place for Spanish. If you work in another language pair and would like to participate on September 23, just write to us. We'll keep a tally and let you know about other people who sign up to work with your language. If a given group is large enough, we will attempt to find a facilitator.


October 21: Translation Strategies for the Publishing Industry, 2:00-4:00  This presentation will describe the processes involved in publishing educational materials and the translator's role at each stage. We will discuss what we need from the client beforehand and then learn about the parts of a book and how to set up a project for success. Tackling acknowledgment pages, resources, quotes, glossaries, and indexes (including resorting and repaginating) requires the use of different file formats. What is a bookmap and a CIP, and where do they fit into this picture? We will also share different kinds of educational materials pertinent to K-12 programs, such as ancillaries and assessments, and consider how state standards underlie the development of those materials. Challenges can arise when working in different languages so we will suggest strategies to overcome them. Lastly, what does the translator bring to the final product? Attendees are encouraged to bring a short book to the presentation.

Our presenter, Erika Schulz, earned her MA in Spanish translation from Kent State University and holds a bachelor's degree as a scientific, technical, and literary translator and another as a teacher of English as a Second Language from Argentina. She has worked as a freelance translator since 1991 and has 15 years of teaching experience in Argentina and the US. She is currently pursuing medical interpreter certification. 

Erika worked for SDL in Boulder, CO as a full-time translator and for Victory Productions in Worcester, MA as Senior Spanish Editor, Translator, and Project Manager for clients such as Scott Foresman, Pearson, Harcourt, SBG, and OSV. In 2016 she joined the Center for Health Impact, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting equal access to health care, where she is Manager of Translation Services, organizing multilingual projects using traditional and CAT tools in different file formats and environments. She has been an ATA member since 2002 and a NETA member since 2006.

November 18: Note-Taking Skills for Interpreters, 2:00-4:00  Expand your interpreting skills and work opportunities by enhancing your memory aids using the FAST Method, a note-taking technique created by CCCS, Inc.™ This unique tool differs from traditional shorthand by combining the use of symbols, healthcare acronyms and abbreviations. This interactive session provides interpreters with clear steps on how to develop a personal note-taking style in order to maximize your memory capacity by practicing through guided exercises. Use of this advanced skill will facilitate the flow and accuracy of the interpreting session.

Andrew Jerger, our speaker, is an experienced interpreter and teacher. Mr. Jerger spent 11 years in the Dominican Republic teaching public speaking courses in Spanish, English language classes, and Spanish reading and writing classes. He successfully completed the 54-hour Art of Medical Interpretation® course by Cross Cultural Communication Institute (CCCI) at Cross Cultural Communication Systems, Inc.™ and went on to become a language coach before joining the CCCI faculty in 2009. He has since completed both the CHI™ and the CMI interpreter certifications.

December 16: Annual Holiday Party, in Woburn, MA

January 27: Financial Record-Keeping for Translators and Interpreters--and Taxes! 2:00-4:00  Translators and interpreters often are freelancers, so sole or small business owners, and as such, must keep track of their own professional finances. Some key questions arise: How might we best handle finances when working for agencies versus for private clients? How can one take into account different contexts and different settings (for interpreters, legal, medical, community, conference)? What options exist for creating and managing invoices? And most importantly, how should freelancers deal with taxes most efficiently and accurately?

We have invited a certified public accountant, Irene Wachsler, to speak at our January monthly meeting. Her presentation will be followed by a panel discussion with four NETAns, both translators and interpreters, who will share their experiences in this regard and the financial practices they have developed over time. We are all sure to learn a great deal about this essential aspect of running our own businesses.

Thanks to Sandra Henry-Alvarez, José Carneiro, Tapani Ronni, and Montserrat Zuckerman for agreeing to serve as panelists.

February 24: (postponed for health reasons) 

March 24: Dealing with Terminology Drift, 2:00-4:00  Our speaker, Bruce Popp, started using the expression “terminology drift” to describe a phenomenon he observed when checking his own translation work and editing that of others. The term refers to the use of a different word or expression in the target text for the same word or expression in the source text. There seem to be several causes of terminology drift (or more generally, inconsistency). The main cause may be a gradually increasing awareness of the context of the notion involved that can come with repeated exposure to the word or expression. That awareness may lead to new and better choices for its rendering in the target text. As this suggests, terminology drift can be beneficial; however, if more than one translation is used for rendering a given word or phrase, the consequences have to be very carefully considered before the text is delivered to the client. Bruce will discuss how to deal with terminology drift with specific reference to certain features in Trados as well as with examples gleaned from his own work.

Bruce D. Popp is an ATA-certified translator for French into English with a BA in physics from Cornell University and a PhD in astrophysics from Harvard University. He is also a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office registered patent agent. As a professional translator, he performs premium-quality translations of scientific and technical documents, especially patent applications. As an independent scholar, he is applying his love of astrophysics, mathematics and French to understanding the work of Henri Poincaré. Bruce is the recipient of the 2017 S. Edmund Berger Prize for Excellence in Scientific and Technical Translation, which he won for his translation from French into English of Poincaré’s The Three-Body Problem and the Equations of Dynamics.

April 14: The Interpreter's Role at IEP Meetings, 2:00-4:00   Educators and parents of special needs students engage in a process leading to the development of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), which is the underlying document guiding the school's effort to lead each individual student to reach his or her greatest potential. Our speaker, NETA member Lunie Jacques, will explain various aspects of the process involved in developing an IEP. Some key questions: What Massachusetts regulations come into play? What different types of IEP meetings exist, and what does one need to know before meetings take place? Who is present at team meetings? what terminology is involved when translating IEP documents an/or interpreting during IEP meetings? What is the interpreter's role when interacting with LEP parents and with educators? Lunie will provide tips for interpreters working in the IEP context and will suggest pertinent resources.

Lunie Jacques is a parent advocate experienced in working with administrators, parents, and students. She understands first hand how intimidating, time consuming, and complicated it can be to work with school or government officials. She draws upon her personal experience as an immigrant, an English language learner, and a parents of children with special needs to work successfully with school and government entities. Her passion is to help educators, working in conjunction with parents, to address and meet the needs of all of their constituents.

Having earned an Associate's degree from Université Roi Henri Christophe in Haiti, Lunie later trained as an interpreter with Language Connections and Harvard Pilgrim. She has interpreted for several public school systems, including the Boston Public Schools, where she has recently been conducting a series of workshops. She has also interpreted for the Department of Unemployment Assistance, the Department of Transitional Assistance, and the Worcester Recovery Center, among other entities. In April she is presenting a webinar for the Federation for Children with Special Needs.

July 21: Annual summer picnic, in Holliston, MA

2016-17

September 24: 11th Annual Translation Bash, 1:30-4:30 Email mcomenetz@verizon.net, tell us your language pair, and receive a copy of this year's English passage. Translate that passage at your convenience before bash day, and join in as we debate the ins and outs of each sentence. We'll have a facilitator in place for Spanish. If you work in another language pair and would like to participate on September 24, just write to us. We'll keep a tally and let you know about other people who sign up to work with your language. If a given group is large enough, we will attempt to find a facilitator.

October 22: Mind the Gap: Teaching Culturally Situated Interpreting, 2:00-4:00   This talk will focus on teaching interpreting skills in an upper-level translation class, where certain kinds of interpreting tasks force students to nimbly negotiate and mediate cultural differences while improving their linguistic awareness and enriching their vocabulary. The talk will be illustrated with brief video clips featuring examples of consecutive interpretation in various simulated real-world situations, such as renting an apartment or making a business presentation.

While effectively improving students' language proficiency, interpreting practice encourages students to think creatively between languages as they must make quick judgments as to what to translate, what to leave out, and whether some cultural repositioning of information is necessary.

Attendees will be asked to offer examples of cultural differences they encounter in their own work and to discuss strategies they employ to deal with them.

Educated in Poland and Japan, our speaker, Anna Zielinska-Elliott, teaches Japanese language and literature as well as translation and interpreting at Boston University, where she is head of the Japanese language program. She is also a translator of modern Japanese literature into Polish, best known for her translations of Murakami Haruki, as well as of Mishima Yukio and Yoshimoto Banana. She is the author of a literary guidebook to Murakami's Tokyo as well as of a Polish-language monograph about gender in Murakami and articles on Murakami and on translation practices relating to contemporary Japanese fiction.

November 19: Interpreting for Sexual Assault Intervention Network (SAIN) Interviews, 2:00-4:00  A SAIN interview occurs when all the agencies involved in cases of suspected child abuse and neglect coordinate their efforts and simultaneously investigate the matter. Interpreting in this setting is not an easy task since the subject matter adds a layer of difficulty to the already demanding cognitive interpreting process. This session will be illustrated with real-life cases and will explore in detail the aspects of interpreting involved during these interviews. In doing so it will provide guidance for interpreters working in community and medical settings.

Ana Helena Lopes, our speaker, is a court interpreter certified by the Trial Court of Massachusetts, where she has been working as a per diem interpreter since 2007. She has extensive legal interpreting experience and expertise in criminal and civil trials, probate and juvenile matters, interview and trial preparation for the Child Abuse Unit of the District Attorney's Office, mental health forensic evaluations, and attorney-client interviews for the Committee of Public Counsel Services of Massachusetts. She has also been a conference interpreter since 2010, and her assignments include executive leadership programs at MIT, Babson College and Harvard University. In May of 2015 she became a Qualified Interpreter of the Office of Language Services at the U.S. Department of State, and in March 2016 she completed her second year as an interpreting instructor at Boston University's Interpreter Program.

December 10: Annual holiday party, in Woburn, MA

January 28: Techniques and Suggestions for Working with PDF Files, 2:00-4:00  Our speaker, Bruce Popp, will cover a variety of topics related to creating and using PDF files with either image or live-text content. Examples and tools will be demonstrated on both a laptop and an iPad, with discussion of Android and Mac alternatives, as possible. Specific techniques include: creating PDF files with the camera in your iPad; creating PDF files from applications; using OCR to convert page images to editable text, if appropriate; embedding text with page images; annotating images; extracting images for pasting into Word; annotating and editing text-based PDF files; extracting text from text-based PDF files; and using Trados with text-based PDF files. As in past presentations, Bruce welcomes relevant questions.

Bruce Popp is an ATA-certified Translator for French into English and a US Patent and Trademark Office registered Patent Agent with a PhD in Astronomy. In the past he has held various positions in NETA and in the ATA; currently he is the French-into-English Language Chair for the ATA Certification Program. In his day-to-day translation work, Bruce translates patents and scientific documents.

February 25: Google Tools for Your T & I Business, 2:00-4:00  Come learn about some of the various free tools that Google offers entrepreneurs like you to make their work easier and more efficient. Do you want to separate your business calls from personal calls? Try Google Voice. Do you want to organize your client feedback? Use Google Forms. Do you need to collaborate on documents and presentations? Google Drive makes it easy.

Sign up for a Gmail account, and bring a laptop or tablet with you to the session. We'll walk through each and every tool. You won't want to miss the chance to test drive them immediately!

Noah Lynn, our speaker, was a medical interpreter and an in-house translator for the software company Meditech for several years before recently switching  fields. While in the T & I community he chaired NETA's annual conference and then served on NETA's board for two years. He still loves the community, and he uses Google tools every day in his work. He is a graduate of the University of Vermont and earned a Master's Degree in Business Analytics from Bentley University.

March 18: Producing Top-Notch Translations, Romance Languages>English, 2:00-4:00  Two major culprits in the production of less-than-sparkling English translations are using the same hackneyed words or phrases each time we see certain source words, and allowing our source text to exert undue influence over our writing. This presentation will encourage us to rise out of the translation rut in order to write solid translations that sound like English, and position ourselves among the highest-quality providers. We will discuss some common pitfalls of translating from Romance languages into English, and what to do about them. All the source-language examples used will be in French or Spanish, but knowledge of any Romance language will allow you to follow along. Native speakers of Romance languages will gain insights into how to translate their English source-language texts.

Our speaker, Diana Rhudick, is a graduate of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, where she learned many of the techniques she will be presenting at this talk. She has 30 years of experience as a translator of French and Spanish business and legal texts, and as an editor of English texts. Her long-standing involvement with NETA has included stints as newsletter editor and board member. Currently, she is the association's president and cowebmaster.

April 22: Honing Your Interpreting Skills, 2:00-4:00  Whether you are a neophyte or an experienced interpreter, you will surely welcome the opportunity to brush up on the essentials and engage in practice exercises with a view to fine-tuning your interpreting techniques. Our facilitator will provide some general pointers and then present a variety of scenarios from the legal, medical, and community contexts. Given his years of experience teaching interpreting, you will no doubt benefit from his expert feedback. He can include participants from mixed backgrounds, so feel free to join in regardless of your language pair. (If you work with a language other than Spanish, please invite a colleague who uses that language pair.)

Frank Geoffrion, our speaker, has a national reputation as a trainer and examiner of interpreters. He has been a Spanish-English court, conference, and medical interpreter since 1975. He has been certified by the Federal Court, the Massachusetts Trial Courts, and the American Translators Association. He was a faculty member at the National Institute for Interpretation at the University of Arizona and a consultant to the Federal Court Interpretation Certification Project. He administered the 1995 Federal Court Interpreter Oral Certification Examination in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.

At an earlier state of his career he established a language school in Cuzco, Peru and gave intensive courses there in the Quechua language, developing a 250-hour course and writing two teaching manuals in Spanish for the Quechua spoken in Central Peru, Southern Peru, and Bolivia. He now interprets in Quechua as well as Spanish for the Massachusetts Trial Courts.

Mr. Geoffrion was a founding member of the Association of Legal Translators and Interpreters of Massachusetts (ALTIMA) and was their first treasurer/vice-president and editor of their newsletter. He is a member of the American Translators Association (ATA), the National Association of Judicial Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT), the International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA), and NETA. He served on the IMIA committee to develop a process for certifying medical interpreters.

He has been teaching court and medical interpreting first at Bentley University and now at Boston University for 22 years.

August 13: Annual summer picnic, in Newton, MA