Translating in Galicia

The Galician Association of Translation and Interpretation Professionals (Asociación Galega de Profesionais da Tradución e da Interpretación, AGPTI) was born in 2001, in that region of Northern Spain. Its main purpose was to provide the fulfilment of the needs the profession of translator and interpreter – increasingly important in that autonomous region – showed.

Since the degree in Translation and Interpretation was established at the University of Vigo, the market of translation and interpretation has been growing, counting on a crescent number of well-prepared professionals, who add up to the ones already there.

Moreover, this translators association was born with a very clear commitment: the Galician language. It is the AGPTI’s aim to foment the use of this ancient idiom throughout the whole market of translation and interpretation in Galicia. The organisation wants to promote the language in the whole Galician economy as well.

The AGPTI defined several objectives it wishes to accomplish. Its founding members wish to make a contribution towards the improvement of working conditions of translators and interpreters in the Galician province, through the “establishment of relationships with companies, clients and institutions” connected to translation and interpretation.

It is stressed by the organisation that the “main objective of the Galician Association of Translation and Interpretation Professionals is to defend dignifying labour conditions for this group of workers”. According to the AGPTI, “in the Galician market there seems to be an important ignorance of labour conditions and necessary professional qualification to exert our job”. The absence of legislation and of a code which to refer to in times of need is stressed as being one of the reasons for that ignorance.

The AGPTI advises its members to contact their clients directly. “To elaborate a professional translation, it is important that the translator has the possibility of contacting the final client directly, if needed, to find solutions to all doubts in the quickest and most precise way possible”.

Another of the goals this translation association defined from the start is to provide translators and interpreters with chances to continually upgrade their knowledge and expertise. In order to do so, they also plan to create a “centre of material and human resources for translation and interpretation professionals”.

Other than this, the AGPTI wishes to provide its members with legal counselling, advice on management and “on any other subject that professionals of translation and interpretation might need”.

To become a member of the Galician translators association, you must write to the organisation. The Board of Directors will then decide whether to accept your request or refuse it.

Membership

There are three membership categories for members of the AGPTI.

The first is “full right associate”, aimed at people who are registered (with the social security services) as individual professionals of translation and interpretation, or people who have a contract as translators or interpreters or in a situation where translating and interpreting are visibly preeminent.

There is also a membership category for students and graduates in translation and interpretation, as well as an option for invited members, who must somehow be connected to the world of translation and interpretation.

Keep in mind that Galician, also known as Galician-Portuguese is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, where it is co-official with Castilian, as well as in border zones of the neighbouring territories of Asturias and Castile and León. It is estimated that it has over 3 million speakers.

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