PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATOR ASSOCIATIONS

The language industry in large parts of the world is not regulated. In this regulatory vacuum, professional translator associations play an important role on global, regional, and local levels. For the benefit of their members, these associations focus, among others, on protecting and promoting the interests of translators; setting and upholding standards through certification; providing training and continued professional development; creating networking opportunities; holding their members accountable for their conduct; and advocating for the profession. In this chapter, the historical development of associations over time is outlined and changes in their roles, functions, and approaches are described. Professional associations serve a vast array of professionals working in the language industry, ranging from translators working in different areas of specialisation, such as legal translation, literary translation and audiovisual translation, to interpreters and terminologists. In this chapter, case studies of notable professional translator associations are presented, providing an overview of their scope, events, and programmes. Disruptions in the industry caused by the rapid development of various language technologies, including machine translation systems and generative artificial intelligence, are addressed, and predictions are made about the future of translator associations in a fast-changing world.