ITI seeks to work closely with a worldwide community of friends and partners with whom we share values and goals.
Memorandums of understanding
ITI has signed memorandums of understanding with the following partner organisations in recognition that there is much to be gained from working together in areas of mutual benefit, and to establish a basis of trust between our associations.
Association of Translation Companies (ATC)
The ATC represents the interests of language service companies in the UK and internationally and is the leading voice for companies operating in the UK’s language services industry.
Mediterranean Editors and Translators (MET)
MET is an association of language professionals who work mainly into or with English. Members include both in-house and freelance language professionals, individuals and businesses; they work with institutions, governments, corporations and NGOs.
ITI is a member of the following organisations
The International Federation of Translators and Interpreters (FIT)
FIT represents its members' interests and is instrumental in developing international policies which will influence and affect the profession on a global basis. ITI is also a member of FIT Europe, one of FIT's regional centres, which unites the interests of around 35,000 language professionals, promoting the interests of translators and interpreters right across Europe.
The European Legal Interpreters and Translators Association (EULITA)
EULITA’s objectives include promoting the quality of justice, ensuring access to justice across languages and cultures, representing its members' interests, promoting quality in legal interpreting and translation, and exchange of information and best practices in training and continuing professional development.
The Professional Associations Research Network (PARN)
PARN is a not-for-profit membership organisation for professional bodies, offering expertise and support via a range of services.
ITI is a supporter of the following organisations
Professional Interpreters for Justice (PI4J)
ITI has joined with other representatives of court interpreters to form Professional Interpreters for Justice (PI4J). PI4J is an umbrella organisation comprising a number of parties that are campaigning against the implementation by the UK Ministry of Justice of a Framework Agreement on interpreting in the Courts and Justice System.
The group is currently engaged in working with the Ministry of Justice to resolve the current problems in interpreting in the courts and tribunals in England. ITI's partners in PI4J are listed below:
- APCI - Association of Police and Court Interpreters
- NRPSI - National Register of Public Service Interpreters
- NUPIT - National Union of Professional Interpreters and Translators, part of Unite the Union
- SOMI - Society of Official Metropolitan Interpreters Ltd
- WITS - Wales Interpreter and Translation Service
- CIOL - Chartered Institute of Linguists
- NUBSLI – National Union of British Sign Language Interpreters
Routes into Languages
Routes into Languages promotes an increase in the take-up of learning languages and their associated cultures, student mobility, work and study abroad and greater national capacity in terms of employment and careers.
RedT
RedT is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organisation dedicated to the protection of translators and interpreters in conflict areas and other adversarial settings.
Translators Without Borders
Languages in Education
Education in languages is essential to the future of our professions and, as a UK-based entity, ITI is deeply concerned about the state of language learning in the UK and is actively involved in lobbying for better education in Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) from primary school right through to post-graduate education.
ITI and the All Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages
“The APPG on Modern Languages meets six times a year to discuss a wide range of issues relating to languages and their place in the policy discussions of the day. It also acts to gather evidence and write to ministers and other key figures, when the need arises, to draw attention to key issues.”
United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization
Manifesto for Languages
The APPG launched its Manifesto for Languages on 14 July 2014. Among the policies being sought are:
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A commitment to transform the reputation of UK citizens as poor linguists
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High-quality language learning for all children throughout the UK from age 7
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A goal for every child to have a high-quality language qualification by the end of secondary education
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Active encouragement for business and employers to get involved in tackling the crisis through a tax break for companies investing in language training
- A commitment to maintaining and developing UK expertise in modern languages and cultures in university language departments
Learn more about the Manifesto for Languages.
The latest lobbying efforts by the APPG have been supported by ITI, the ATC and the CIOL, with two of the four also relating to language education.
Brexit & Languages: A Checklist for Government Negotiators and Officials
- Guaranteeing residency status for EU nationals already living in the UK and safeguarding future recruitment of EU citizens to address the shortage of language skills
- Continuing full UK participation in the Erasmus+ programme (noting the examples of Norway and Switzerland)
- Committing to legislate to replicate the rights enshrined in the 2010 European Directive on the Right to Interpretation and Translation in Criminal Proceedings
- A post-Brexit plan in education (from primary school to post-graduate research, including apprenticeships), business and the civil service, with specific actions to ensure the UK produces sufficient linguists to meet its future requirements as a leader in global free trade and on the international stage.
ITI and Outreach into Schools, Colleges and Universities
ITI actively encourages members to become involved in spreading the word on languages in the education system and many members already give sessions in their local primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. We are currently working on plans for an ‘ambassadors’ scheme of our own, but in the meantime we encourage members to sign up to other programmes such as:
For ideas on how to shape your sessions the following suggestions may be useful:
Websites promoting the translation of children’s books:
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Outside in World www.outsideinworld.org.uk
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Booktrust www.booktrust.org
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Katha (India) www.katha.org
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Center for the Art of Translation www.catranslation.org
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Winged Chariot www.wingedchariot.com
You can also search foreign language online bookstores for appropriate picture books.
General resources on translation:
National Network for Translation
For programmes developed specifically for bringing translation into schools, see:
Translators in schools
Translators in Schools was launched in 2013 as a professional development programme to widen the pool of translators and teachers with the skills to run creative translation workshops in schools.
Translation Nation
Translation Nation was a four-year project with Eastside Educational Trust that ran from 2010 to 2014 and saw 10 and 11 year-old children in inner-city primary schools making translations of folk tales from other cultures.