HÉLÈNE VIGLIENO CONTE is an ATA-certified English to French translator and a French court certified interpreter currently residing in Southern Arizona.
A native French speaker, Hélène grew up in Southern France and quickly developed an affinity for foreign languages. By the age of 16, she was already semi-proficient in English, Italian and German—and at the start of what would become a life-long fascination with language. Her current skills also include Spanish.
In order to continue her studies in English, Hélène moved to the United States and then turned her attention to translation. With the credentials of both a 25-year resident of the U.S. and a native and active French speaker, her cultural relevance applies to both sides of the Atlantic. She has the language comprehension clients want and continues to pursue her native language proficiency. As such, she converses daily in French, consumes French and English technical literature and media, attends industry training and classes (including webinars), and takes annual trips to France.
Her work as a translator is defined by a studied approach to language nuance and detail, resulting in translations that are both technically accurate and culturally authentic. With each project, a careful consideration of tone is taken to ensure that final voice is appropriate to the content and target audience. This all adds up to translations that help clients effectively communicate, persuade and/or sell.
“When going international, the quality of your end product or service is going to be positively or negatively affected by the quality of your translation. As such, your translation must sound completely natural to native ears, and not just grammatically correct. Some businesses/organizations fail to understand that and try to save money by selecting cheap translation services. In the long run, they end up with significant losses or they cheapen their brand—sometimes both,” says Hélène.
In 2014, Hélène began working towards becoming certified by the Ohio Supreme Court as a judiciary interpreter. With an average success rate of only 20%, the arduous certification exam requires serious preparation. Hélène took the exam in 2015, passed it and is now serving various courts throughout the country.
“When assigned to a case, a judicial interpreter is acting as an officer of the court and is de facto an extension of the bench. It is crucial that she understand the role she plays in the administration of justice as an erroneous interpretation could result in the loss of individual freedom, property or rights for the defendant.”
More recently, Hélène took the American Translators Association’s certification exam in the English into French combination, and passed it. This respected certification is notoriously difficult to obtain, especially in her language combination with an average success rate of 9%. Hélène was thrilled to learn back in June 2018 that she had passed the exam. Four years later, she was invited to join the team of French graders for this same certification program and currently serves ATA in that capacity.
Hélène was President of the Northeast Ohio Translators Association (NOTA) from September 2018 to August 2021. She first served as the association’s Secretary when she joined the profession a few years ago, and in more recent years as its Membership Chair. As President, she helped advance the profession at the local level, and is grateful to have had the opportunity to give of her time and energy to her colleagues.
-By Rachel Hoskins
(Rachel Hoskins is a copywriter. She writes for large and small brands, organizations and individuals, and believes the best stories are the ones most people overlook.)
