Chartered Institute
of Linguists
NEWS & VOICES
In her presentation at The Language Show in November 2024, CIOL Council Member Dr Mariam Aboelezz of the University of Liverpool explored how translators can contribute to more inclusive and equitable cultural heritage practices.
CIOL Chief Executive, John Worne writes: listening to Mariam’s talk at The Language Show brought home some key insights for me on...
I recently took my family on holiday to Paris, to show them some of my old haunts (I lived in the Convention-Vaugirard area for a brief period fifteen years ago). Being countryside dwellers, the change of pace in the city was a bit of a shock for them – but more of a surprise was my ‘personality change’, which started to set in the minute we passed border control....
By John Franks
We never expect to eat anything when we’re interpreting at the dinner table. We might be able to take a sip from our glass between breaths, but our food will just sit there and get cold. If you’ve been around a while, I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know, but humour me, please, for a moment and read on. As the diners get merrier, we, of...
‘WoLLoW’, an answer to the teaching of languages in primary schools?
By John Claughton
The National Curriculum sets out the purpose of language teaching in our schools like this.
‘A high-quality languages education should foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. The teaching should enable pupils to express...
By Professor Paul Bishop
Abercromby Street in the Calton district of Glasgow is home to the Calton Weavers’ Cemetry, an historical burial ground established in 1787 by the Calton Incorporation of Weavers. Pride of place in the cemetery is a monument to the “Martyrs,” or those Weavers who were killed during the strike of 1787.
In the eighteenth and...
By Regina Seelos, German/English translator
Like the global markets, especially in the translation sector, the German market is in uproar or turmoil. There’s still tonnes of work out there, but tech companies want to make us – and also our customers – believe that freelance translators will be out of work soon because AI can do it all. Many colleagues have also...
By John Worne
In their recent publication Languages in UK Education Wendy Ayres-Bennett and Charles Forsdick present a fascinating summary of language education in the UK, capturing distinct approaches across its four nations from which policymakers can learn.
Diverging Policies, Common Challenges
England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern...
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...