Chartered Institute
of Linguists
NEWS & VOICES
By Karl McLaughlin
Translating inflight magazines and why it is the perfect gig for translators with wanderlust!
Who has not read a travel magazine or supplement and felt jealous of the writers who are paid to visit appetising destinations? Among linguists, such travel possibilities tend to be associated with conference interpreters lucky enough to be...
By Clare Richards
For Clare Richards, translation and autism are interwoven, but until she started an online forum for disabled translators she didn’t realise how many others felt the same way
It’s almost exactly a year ago and I am walking towards London’s Southbank to meet a fellow literary translator. One sensory onslaught is replaced by another –...
By Philippe Muriel
Is public service interpreting the ‘poor relative’ of the interpreting profession, and how can we change that?
I must confess, I am a fan of interpreters’ chat groups on social media. Interpreting is a lonely job and it is rare for us to meet up with colleagues for a chat. Few of us have a mentor to whom we can turn for guidance or advice...
Jo Tillotson considers the language needs of the Girl Guides and how the organisation is delivering globally
The week I turned 7 years old, I joined Brownies for the first time: a group of 20 or so girls in brown dresses in a suburban church hall. I had no idea that I was starting an adventure that would last over 35 years, and which continues today. That adventure has taken...
Justine Raymond argues that change will only come when translators start to openly discuss their rates
A recent conversation with a well-known translator about the reluctance of people generally to talk about how much they earn got me thinking about the pervasiveness of poor remuneration in the translation profession. Pointing out the tendency for earnings to be on the paltry side in...
At an event to mark a new collaboration between CIOL and Duolingo, guests sat in on a conversation between the CEOs of the two organisations
CIOL’s motto is ‘universal understanding’ and Duolingo’s mission is to make language learning universally accessible, so working together makes perfect sense. One practical way of doing that is to share what we know about language learning...
When we hear about fixers for the media, it is often about supporting foreign journalists in conflict zones. However, another area of the media that makes extensive use of bilingual fixers is TV (and radio) coverage of sports events. This can represent a rich opportunity for work and memorable experiences for linguists – especially if, like me, you’re also a sports fan.
A translator and...
Bokani Hart considers how language gaps are impeding the UN’s peacekeeping mission in eastern Congo.
Once again, the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are on a knife edge. And, once again, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) is in the firing line for allegedly not doing enough to protect civilians from the armed groups that have...
The sports journalist and broadcaster explains how his knowledge of French, German, Spanish and Mandarin gives him the edge in a brutal industry.
Could you tell us a bit about your language background, Chris?Well, it’s pretty unremarkable actually, John. I’d have loved to have been raised bilingually, or had a parent from another country, but they were both British and there...
What can the interpreter do when faced with hybrid and unusual language use in court, asks Andrew Belisle
As a Spanish-English interpreter in the US, I encounter some fascinating challenges in my day-to-day work. The kind of language I handle in my sector – community interpreting – is vastly different from what you might witness in the conference or diplomatic world. I believe one of...