John Worne CIOL CEO writes:
A new report from the Higher Education Policy Institute, ‘A Languages Crisis: Arresting decline’ by Megan Bowler (HEPI Report 192) and sponsored by Duolingo, shows a big drop in formal language learning in the UK.
Key Stats
The report sets out the current state of language learning in UK’s schools and universities...
By Tom Crook, CIOL Qualifications Client Services Officer.
The Chartered Institute of Linguists is a not-for-profit organisation and has always had a public purpose to enhance the recognition and promote the value of languages and language skills in the public interest, and we work to do so by encouraging the effective study and practice of languages.
...Ross McCalden receiving his award from CIOL Royal Patron HRH Prince Michael of Kent
Congratulations to Ross McCalden, 2025 winner of the Best Candidate Award for CIOL's Master's level qualification, the Diploma in Translation - the long-established translation qualification, which sets the ‘gold standard’ for professional translators worldwide.
The DipTrans...
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...
Plague in the house of Sir Jordan Fitz-Eisulf Part 3, Stained glass window Photo © Julian P Guffogg
Dr Eyhab Bader Eddin brings to life the fascinating story of how the English language rose to power from the ashes of the Black Death
From calamity to catalyst
In the centuries following the Norman Conquest of 1066, the English language...
By Dom Hebblethwaite
CIOL roundtable on freelance careers in a changing professionThe Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL) recently hosted an online roundtable addressing key questions about freelance careers in the language services industry. The event drew significant interest with over 850 registrations and 367 live attendees, reflecting the importance and widespread...
We all have daily habits so natural that they slip under our radar. Breathing, eating, sleeping — these are the first three essentials we rarely think about. But there’s a fourth, just as vital, that often goes unnoticed: language. The words we speak, the stories we tell, the way we make sense of the world — language is the silent engine driving much of what we do....
By Teresa Simone
When you change language, you're not just translating words. You're rewriting yourself.
Those who live between languages know it well: speaking is never just about communication. It's about inhabiting a world, a body, a way of thinking.
Take two examples: Italian and Danish.
Italian has high...
Amina Saif is a Chartered Linguist and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Linguists. Just back from a major interpreting assignment at the G7 meeting in Canada, which she describes as ‘a career milestone, and a moment of reflection on how far I’ve come in this journey..’, she shares with us what it takes to work with world leaders, interpreting on the international...
If you look at today’s leadership playbook, you’ll see a lot of talk about empathy and emotional intelligence (EQ). These are, of course, crucial. But as the world grows more diverse and interconnected, it’s becoming clear that the next big leap in leadership isn’t just about feeling what others feel — it’s about being truly eclectic: blending, adapting, and drawing...
The Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL), Incorporated by Royal Charter, Registered in England and Wales Number RC 000808 and the IoL Educational Trust (IoLET), trading as CIOL Qualifications, Company limited by Guarantee, Registered in England and Wales Number 04297497 and Registered Charity Number 1090263. CIOL is a not-for-profit organisation.