Michael Bailey
I’m an in-house (Austrian) German to (British) English translator at the Austrian Financial Market Authority. I speak about the need for human translators to remain the “Expert in the Lead” in human-machine translation.
- Summer Reading for 2025 – enlivening commutes
With school out for summer, I commute earlier, but longer due to the frequency of buses and trams. It’s time to read. - 7 thoughts: challenges facing translation as a degree course
Enrolments in Translation and Modern Languages degree courses in the UK halved between 2003 and 2019. However, that is only one challenge. - 7 thoughts on the challenges facing in-house translators
The current challenges in the translation profession also affect in-house translators – here’s how! - 7 thoughts on how the Human in the Loop approach trivialises the translation profession
In my latest “7 thoughts post” I look at how the HITL approach to MT trivialises translation as a profession. - Abstract: XXIII FIT World Congress – 4-6 September 2025 in Geneva
Abstract submitted to the XXIII FIT Congress taking place in Geneva on 4-6 September 2025. - Ten Takeaways from the ATA German Language Division Workshop in Vienna (22-23 February 2025)
Ten things I have taken away from the ATA German Language Division Workshop in Vienna. - Winter reading – trying to escape short-termism
I’ve decided to grab another batch of books to help while away the winter evenings. Enjoy! - Who’s in/on the lead in early 2025?
Genuine fresh hope, or a false dawn as the initial AI hype subsides? Is uncertainty the only form or certainty, or maybe expertise will stand human translators in good stead. - 7 thoughts/questions to start 2025: use of raw MT output
My 7 thoughts approach will be new in 2025: where I try to distill some of my comments on LinkedIn into mini blogposts. - What are the values of an Expert in the Lead?
As the translation industry continues to push its HITL and MITL agendas, I have tried to draw up a set of values for the Expert in the Lead for professional human translators in the human-machine translation era. - Announcement: Article in Universitas Mitteilungsblatt 4/24
Wie Bergblick und Seeluft Übersetzer:innen inspirieren - Autumn reading – healthier than doom scrolling
Books make you think, whereas much of social media serves little cognitively enriching purpose. - The need to manage when you’re “just about managing” – make sure to “take a break”
As autumn arrives – it is really important to take time for self-care routines as the days get shorter. - Why we need XITL in addition to MITL and HITL
MITL and HITL approaches to human-machine interaction in translation suit the translation industry – XITL is what the translation profession needs. - Summer Reading – time away from the officeAs I head out of the office to take in the lakes and mountains of Western Austria with my family, I’ve also got a reading list.
- Xitter – no place for an Expert in the Lead
I’ve decided to stop posting and contributing on Twitter/X - Spiez Workshop Resources updated
Further (consolidated) resources for conference participants from the ASTTI Conference in Spiez - Ten takeaways from the ASTTI Financial Translation Summer Conference in Spiez
Ten short takeaways by and for translation professionals from an excellent event in Switzerland. - Load-shedding – when meetings and calls get too much
How meetings and calls get too much when you are managing tinnitus and a cognitively demanding job. - Abstract – ASTTI Summer Conference 2024 – SpiezAbstract for German > English Workshop at ASTTI Summer Conference in Spiez 3-5 July 2024 on the New Banking Package (GER > ENG)
- Busting the 100% productivity myth: great(ly exaggerated corporate) expectations
100% efficiency is an illusion – despite any claims of the corporate world to the contrary. Don’t beat yourself up about it, but make sure you communicate clearly with your customer from the outset. - Why attend a professional association AGM in person, when it is offered in hybrid form?
AGMs of professional associations are also networking events with fellow professionals. - LinkedIn Collaborative Articles: kryptonite, marmite or plain embarrassing?The quality and motives behind LinkedIn Collaborative Articles has proven particularly divisive among translators.
- Who’s in/on the lead as we head into 2024?
The changing role of a translator is a hotly debated subject. Are humans still in the lead, in the loop or on the lead?