Chartered Institute
of Linguists
NEWS & VOICES
By Carina Balbo
In my 25 years in the translation industry, I don’t think I’ve ever received as many scam emails as I have in the past few months. While many of us can spot an obvious scam, it’s clear that scammers are becoming increasingly savvy, presenting offers that can appear legitimate at first glance. As translators, we must stay vigilant, not only to protect...
by Gwenydd Jones
I’m writing today buried in the autumn leaves of blue-skied Andorra. This year, I’m using my digital nomadism for a winter of skiing and steaming mugs of Catalan: que nevi, que nevi, que nevi.
Freelancing online today is all change but three constants remain...
Excellence, marketing and diversification. On the days when I choose...
Lt Col John Cross (rtd) lives in Nepal and is in his fifth decade of CIOL membership.
He speaks a great many languages – including some very rare ones as you will read below – and has had several books published drawing from his 99 year life with languages, published by Pen & Sword Books https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/J-P-Cross/a/870.
In a significant...
Covert languages often start with children, as with the M language in Malaysia
What the clandestine M language of Malaysia can tell us about secret languages around the world
By Norhaniza Nuruddin
The phenomenon of hidden languages is truly intriguing. These confidential communication methods often develop within groups, serving purposes...
I first visited France in 1959 on my 11th birthday. Within minutes of stepping ashore I was stung by a wasp. The pain. The indignity. I was sure it had been waiting for me.
Things picked up after that. By the time of my year abroad (1969-70) as a British Council assistant in a Dijon lycée I had made a full recovery and was a 100% Francophile and Germanophile, following exchange...
Showcasing the science of language
By Rebecca Mitchell
National Linguistics Day is a new focal point in the year to get people thinking, talking and learning about the science of language. It is part of Linguistics HQ, a broader initiative aimed at sparking curiosity about linguistics and helping to integrate it into education.
The idea for...
When a multilingual graduate doesn't want to work in Translation, Teaching or Interpreting I always recommend that they just put pen to paper, brainstorm roles and sectors that may require them and research potential roles that may be of interest...
Some graduates don't use their language skills and the majority that do will go into Translation, Teaching or...
As AI innovation snowballs, some developers are calling for a moratorium on new services. We asked stakeholders if the launch of new language-related AI should be put on hold.
John Worne, CIOL CEO
As language professionals, we find ourselves at what feels like a crossroads, where artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming our context. The...
As Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, I was particularly encouraged by an important new study that brings robust evidence to a question that has long interested linguists: what is the impact of multilingualism on academic achievement?
The research, published in the International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism,...
Translator and interpreter Andreja Milošević with display cabinet showing traditional Serbian artefacts produced by vulnerable groups
Gender Sensitive Language
Serbia adopted its first National Strategy for Improving the Position of Women and Promoting Gender Equality in 2009 (Stevanovic, 2023). It took ten more years before the Gender Sensitive Language...