Chartered Institute
of Linguists

Business, Professions and Government Division

The BPG Division promotes the diversity and values of language skills across all professional sectors. Its aim is to support those linguists employed in industry and commerce, in professions such as medical, legal and academia, in the armed forces or government service. These are the language practitioners not usually engaged specifically as translators or interpreters, but whose language skills facilitate their work and benefit the organisations for whom they work. Or they may be standing in a classroom or lecture theatre full of students, inspiring them to greater depths of language learning.

Using both spoken and written skills, their work may involve communicating face-to-face, by phone and email, or negotiating contracts, giving presentations, reading, reviewing or summarising documents, resolving problems, handling cultural differences, assisting overseas visitors. They may also translate or interpret.

However they use their skills, BPG linguists know that their language expertise enhances their ability to do their job; they are appreciated by their colleagues and clients and know that their language skills give them a competitive edge in the employment market.

Throughout the year, the BPG Division organises CPD events, both online and face-to-face, which provide an opportunity to network and gain experience from presentations given by other like-minded language practitioners. The Division has a Twitter profile @CIOLBusiness, allowing its members to stay in touch with current issues, and the wider public to access information about BPG, its events, and the role of linguists worldwide.

Forthcoming events are currently being planned and will be publicised here soon.

BPG runs a variety of professional development events, benefitting CIOL members and non-members alike. Click an event to see its original listing and, if applicable, event reports and downloadable materials:


Role Bio
Mr Richard Stanton



BSc CEng MIET MCIL

Chair

Richard is a language enthusiast; a Chartered Electrical Engineer by training, a language user by chance. As a teenager he had (and still has) a German and a French penfriend both of whom he visited, lived with and went to school/university with. Throughout his service career he took the opportunities to gain Institute Diplomas in German and later Russian. He spent three years in the British Embassy, Bonn, and later, two years teaching German to service personnel and their spouses to Diploma level at the Services Language Training Centre in Rheindahlen. As part of his resettlement, he completed a CELTA course and then spent three years In Brussels as the Permanent Secretariat to the WEU’s International Military Working Groups where English and French were the working languages. He provides occasional cover for teaching English and German to adults.
He became AMIL in 1978 and a full Member in 1993. He joined the BPG Division shortly after its original formation and now serves on its Steering Group as well as the CIOL’s Membership Committee.
He believes BPG Division members like himself, who facilitate their employment by use of a foreign language rather than rely on it as their main source of income, bring diversity to the Institute. He hopes to see greater recognition and intake of academics who teach and promote foreign language acquisition.

Ms Gill BEVINGTON



BA MCIL

Steering group member

After completing her degree in French and German, Gill worked at the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in New York and in Ivory Coast. After returning to the UK, her roles included providing research and support services to Members of the European Parliament, managing the European unit of a government relations consultancy, marketing international trade fairs and editing a business magazine.
From 1991 Gill worked for a government relations consultancy that specialised in recycling policy. Initially, she did research and translations, but her role gradually expanded to consultancy. Since 2017 Gill has worked freelance, continuing her consultancy work. She also gained the CELTA qualification to teach English as a foreign language and she teaches in London as a volunteer.

If you are interested in supporting the BPG Division we'd be delighted to hear from you.

Simply fill in our Online Eligibility Check form and a member of the committee will contact you for a no obligation discussion.