Dear Colleagues: 

The business of translation of Farsi in the US has become questionable. Due to the lack of a standardized certification, many individuals who do not possess adequate translation skills have entered this profession. The translations and interpretations produced by these non-qualified translators have considerably lowered the quality of Farsi translation products and interpretation services in the US compared to other countries such as Canada or Australia. 

The American Translators Association (ATA) is the sole organization in the US that offers translator certifications. Given that there is no standardized certification procedure for the Farsi-English pairing by the ATA, we have formed a volunteer workgroup and have initiated the process for its certification by the ATA (Read our announcement published in ATA’s Newsbriefs here). The benefits of this certification include:

1. Ensures the quality of Farsi translations and interpretations and allows our community to safeguard the Farsi language and join the other major languages already certified by the ATA. 

2. Contributes to greater confidence in the quality and credibility of our profession, the recognition of our commitment to the profession and its ethical practice and greater visibility in the ATA directory. 

3. Creates a distinction that puts certified translators in a better position to market themselves and engage with others in their professional community for further development in all areas. 

4. The ATA certification can open doors to new business opportunities and higher compensations for certified Farsi translators and interpreters. 

The process for establishing a certification for a language pair is relatively straightforward and is described in the guide provided by the ATA. Our workgroup has already covered most of the initial steps and we are now reaching out to you to support this endeavor. 

At this point, we need to collect 50 signatures. Signatories are simply declaring their interest in taking the certification exam for the Farsi-English language pairing. Please note that this does not involve any cost or obligation for the signatories. Your signature is simply a testament to the demand in the Farsi-speaking community for reliable professional translation services.

Participation from Farsi translators will shift the status quo, both in terms of leveraging campaigns for our work and the pairing’s recognition by the organization. Our journey toward ATA Certification begins here, so don’t delay! Sign up here to be included in our list of supporters and to receive important updates about the certification. Act now and Sign Up! 

MY STORY

Back in the winter of 2000, during a visit to Tehran, I met a young accounting student who lived in my parents’ neighborhood. Since I was also an accounting student, but in the US, we compared notes. She told me that she had a hard time understanding accounting concepts because their English-to-Farsi textbooks were too literal in translation. This experience made me reflect more deeply about the true purpose of translation. It was then that I understood fully that authenticity in translation requires a translator who is able to “read between the lines” in order to achieve the truest meaning of the words as they transform from one language into the next. The perspective gleaned from this revelation has remained at the heart of the Farsi Translation Center to this day.

I founded Fravahr Translation in 2010. My company went through many ups and downs as do all small businesses. Recently, I reached an important Milestone. My milestone isn’t about revenue or the number of customers, but rather a vision. From the beginning, I realized the huge need for my native language’s presence in high quality linguistic circles. The American Translators Association (ATA) did not offer a certification in the Farsi language. I made it my mission to organize the first ever Farsi linguistic team to establish a language pair at the American Translators Association (ATA). After over four years of hard work, finally in January 2020, the ATA Certification Committee has officially recognized the need for a Farsi certification and has given that first Farsi linguistic team the green light to move forward. To me, this milestone is more than just creating a Farsi certification program at the ATA level. It is giving the Farsi (or Persian) language the attention it deserves as one of the oldest, richest and most beautiful languages in the world. 

There is still much work that needs to be done. But for now, I would like to say that I couldn’t have done it without the support of those who believed in this new vision, however out of reach it used to seem.