CIOL Translators Day 2025 Presentations
Susie Dent - In conversation
In this session we learned how Susie first got interested in languages (she speaks French and German), how words get into the Oxford English Dictionary, the inspiration for her new novel, and spoke about the persistent negative slant in terms which undermine women's voices and how 'fakespeare' which particularly tickled Amanda Clement on LinkedIn is the reminder that "not all which is uttered that doth sound of the Bard" actually "cometh of his pen".
Stephanie Martinez-Hill also celebrated some of Susie's favourite words, which she shared on LinkedIn:
"...hingum-tringum (feeling barely presentable and just about hanging together), whiffling (fickle, inconstant, and making it up as you go along) and recrudescence (the recurrence of an undesirable condition). Safe to say, if a certain individual or event springs to mind for her word of the day, it was probably no accident! On a more positive note, there was respair - fresh hope, recovery from despair."
Steve Doswell & Dom Hebblethwaite - Facts, Stats and CIOL Member Voices
In the opening presentation, CIOL Chair Steve Doswell and CIOL Head of Membership Dom Hebblethwaite checked in on the audience's views of AI's impact on workloads and compared this with other recent polls and surveys.
Translators in the room were generally more positive than the wider profession.
Steve and Dom then discussed AI, specialisation, adapatation, private client work wider and changes in the language professions and industry.
See their slides here.
Stella Hodkin - Chief Language Service Officer at CLEAR Global / Translators without Borders
Of the world’s over 7,000 languages, only a handful are meaningfully online. As language technology evolves, low-resource languages are getting left behind, creating an ever increasing digital language divide. CLEAR Global, together with the support of the Translators without Borders Community, is working hard to ensure people can get vital information and be heard, whatever language they speak.
In this session, Stella provided an overview of community efforts and collaborative initiatives to build datasets and develop language technology for speakers of marginalised languages. She shared specific scenarios in which language technology is combined with the skills of language professionals to deliver information that can save lives. See Stella's presentation here.
Stella Hodkin is a language service industry expert with an unwavering passion for languages and a profound belief in the transformative power of global communication. With over 20 years of experience in the language service industry, Stella has held a variety of roles, working as both a freelance and in-house translator, before transitioning to management roles within global language service providers.
In 2018, Stella joined the Leadership Team at CLEAR Global (formerly Translators without Borders), and today coordinates the Language Services Team. In this capacity, Stella leads a team dedicated to providing life-changing and potentially life-saving information in accessible language formats, leveraging TWB's community-based model to provide NGO partners with essential language services and support.
Ilenia Goffredo - Combining the best of human intuition and digital tools to evolve as a ‘Next-Gen’ language expert
In her presentation, Ilenia explored the evolving role of language experts and the importance of fostering a community of linguists that continues to uphold human values, ethics, and cultural understanding in their work.
She covered, reshaping the role of language experts in a rapidly changing industry, adaptive learning skills and the ability to constantly upskill, creativity and emotional intelligence and specialisation in niche domains and high-value work.
See Ilena's presentation here.
Ilenia Goffredo is the co-founder and managing director of LingBox (www.lingbox.co.uk), a London-based translation agency providing businesses with translation services in multiple languages. With over 10 years' experience in the translation industry, she has also been working as a professional English-Italian interpreter and translator specialised in marketing & advertising, business, market research and fashion, including a role as a Senior sub-editor for a global platform for luxury fashion.
Along with being an active member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists and an associate of the Institute of Translation & Interpreting, she holds a Master’s degree in Interpreting (Conference and PSI) and a Bachelor’s degree in Translation and Liaison Interpreting.
Rebecca Nicholls - Plot twist! The TV and film industry's big shake-up: a guide for translators
Rebecca offered an insight packed guide to navigating the TV and film industry, and some context for translators working within it.
2024 has been an annus horribilis for the TV industry, with the hashtag #SurviveTo25 trending as freelancers share stories of taking temp work in bars and shops to make ends meet. It has been a challenging time, which impacts the commercial environment that translators are pitching into. AI has proven just as controversial in TV and film, with the concerns of creatives and translators intersecting in some areas, and diverging in others. The session also helped decode the language of TV and film, from industry jargon to understanding the client’s perspective, equipping translators with the insights needed to market effectively to this industry.
See Rebecca's presentation here.
Rebecca Nicholls has worked in film and television for over twenty years, working with broadcasters and producers all over the world. After a BA in French from the University of Durham, Rebecca won a scholarship to QUT in Australia, where she gained a post-graduate level diploma in Film & Television Production. She worked at Channel Nine in Australia, before returning to Europe to work in international film distribution in London and Paris. She now specialises in the translation and distribution of French-language documentaries into English-speaking markets, with a particular interest in films about human rights and environmental issues.
Nisreen Alzaraee - Translation at the British Library: Conscientious Bilingual Description
The British Library has been working in partnership with Qatar Foundation/Qatar National Library to digitise archival material related to the history of the Gulf. Records in these historical collections often originate from colonial administrations, and dealing with them in translation raises a variety of ethical as well as practical questions.
Nisreen Alzaraee spoke about the work of the project’s in-house Arabic translation team and the bilingual treatment of colonial and imperialist language. See Nisreen's presentation here.
Nisreen Alzaraee is an Arabic Translator for the British Library/Qatar Foundation Partnership (BLQFP) Programme. She holds a master’s degree in postcolonial studies and has years of experience in discourse analysis and political and developmental research.
Vasiliki Prestidge - Finders keepers: finding and keeping amazing clients
Vasiliki Prestidge is a translator, interpreter, transcreator, blogger, consultant and director of Greek to Me Translations Ltd. She works with English, Greek and French primarily and her team covers other language combinations. Services facilitate the business operations of the legal, creative, marketing & advertising, fashion and media industries across the UK, Greece, and Cyprus. Her presentation covered marketing, strategy, networking, mindset and managing high quality client communications both on and offline.
See Vasiliki's presention here.
Vasiliki is a Chartered Linguist, member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL), the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI). She is registered with the Greek Consular Authorities in the United Kingdom as a certified translator and interpreter. She holds a BA in English Language and Linguistics and Masters in Business Translation and Interpreting. As a member of CIOL Council she oversees and supports the organisations' strategic goals.
She is a Lecturer in Legal Translation and Languages at the School of Business and Law, London Metropolitan University. Her mission is to help organisations and individuals achieve their goals through the power of words. Through The Translators Mentor, Vasiliki helps aspiring or young translators to overcome self-limiting beliefs, build a business mindset and achieve their highest potential. You can follow her on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
CIOL Council Panel - Navigating Change in the Language Profession
The final session of Translators Day 2025 featured a panel of CIOL Council Members discussing the day and the evolving landscape of the language industry, particularly focusing on the impact of AI and machine translation and the enduring value of professional linguists.
Steve Doswell, Chair of CIOL Council, was joined by CIOL Council members Dr Mariam Aboelezz, Vasiliki Prestidge, Anita van Adelsbergen (Vice Chair of CIOL Council) and Dom Hebblethwaite.
Despite the challenges posed by advancing technology, the panel expressed optimism about the profession's future. They encouraged translators to embrace their unique roles as ‘cultural bridges’ and to continue developing their skills, including in technology, platforms and AI, in an ever-evolving industry.
Presentations from CIOL Translators Day 2024 are available here
