Chartered Institute
of Linguists
NEWS & VOICES
Thoughts from the steering group of the CIOL Scottish Society
In many ways, Scotland is a great place to be a linguist. It is a multilingual, multicultural and inclusive society. Linguistic diversity is part of the national identity: while English is the main language, over 150 other languages are spoken in Scottish homes.
Historically, Gaelic was the main language...
Mentoring in troubled times
By Steve Doswell, CIOL Chair of Council
Today, 17 January 2024, is International Mentoring Day – a day to celebrate the power and impact of mentoring in personal growth and development, our working lives, education and in building our communities.
CIOL offers a free Mentoring platform, supported by an expert UK-based third-...
By Mark Robinson
I like to think that we’re ahead of the AI (artificial intelligence) curve in the world of professional translation. We have had a form of AI – neural machine translation – around for a few years now, and it has become a helpful tool for professional linguists - in certain circumstances only, and for appropriate projects with careful checking. The large...
By Dr Joseph Lambert
"Happy robots” - AI and robots are now literally everywhere..! Photo from Joseph’s recent trip to Copenhagen.
What are the biggest threats and opportunities to you as a professional freelance translator today? Are you happy with your rates of pay and working conditions? What is the longer-term outlook for the...
By Giulia Lucania
Food conveys history, identity and tradition. These aren’t just empty terms, they symbolise worlds whose stories are just waiting to be told.
Translating and writing for the food and beverage industry isn’t always a piece of cake. It has two main flavours, technical and creative. This sector is brimming with lots of different text types,...
By Diana Singureanu
This article is written in response to WIRED's Pro Interpreters vs AI Challenge, referenced within the article
Translators and interpreters have been conscious of the threat of AI for some time. Many view the question of whether machine interpretation will take our jobs as a when rather than an if. I must also declare I'm sceptical that machine...
By Anna Ostrovsky
How languages shape our identity
Growing up in Germany as a Russian native speaker I would work diligently on eliminating my jarring Russian accent. From reciting Rilke to pre-meditating set phrases until I would feel safe enough to speak up in class: self-conscious and attuned to the slightest reaction to the slightest nuance in my speech, I would make...
By Professor Michelle Sheehan
What is important about linguistics in successful language teaching, and how can the new Manifesto from the Linguistics in Modern Foreign Languages Project help to promote that?
Learning to speak a language is intoxicatingly wonderful. As a lifelong language-learning addict, I like nothing better than realising I can express...
By Dr Mariam Aboelezz
Before I moved to the UK 16 years ago, I used to work as a legal translator in the UAE. I was a ‘sworn’ translator; that is, I had passed rigorous examination and taken an oath at the UAE Ministry of Justice to allow me to provide certified translations. It is a professional practice found in many countries to ensure the quality of high-stakes translations...
By Vasiliki Prestidge
If you are a translator who provides certified translation, I am sure you have spent endless hours explaining to your clients what certified translation means, how it is done, what is an Apostille stamp and more. So much so that you are possibly tired and do not want another phone call from a client asking the same thing again and again.
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