The Linguist is a languages magazine for professional linguists, translators, interpreters, language professionals, language teachers, trainers, students and academics with articles on translation, interpreting, business, government, technology
Issue link: https://thelinguist.uberflip.com/i/1077738
My holiday reading this Christmas was Milkman – Anna Burns' brilliant portrayal of paranoia in a 'no-go' area of Northern Ireland during the Troubles. The protagonist is singled out as being "beyond- the-pale" – her French classes are a case in point. The way Burns uses language learning as an instructive contrast to the dangerous small-mindedness of the paramilitary enclave is both inspiring and inspired, the French teacher pushing the class to change their ridiculously narrow perspectives. Such myopic views are becoming more prevalent in the UK and across Europe, and in that context it may be more important than ever to increase engagement in language study. New research into different methods for teaching reading produced some interesting findings about how to motivate pupils and improve attainment (p.20). In its inaugural year, CIOL's Real Lives exam has already been shown to encourage languages students. Our six-page Awards Focus includes articles by the first Real Lives prizewinner (p.13); the founder of a scheme buddying non-English-speaking pupils with their more established classmates (p.12); and the leader of an undergraduate volunteer interpreting project (p.10). The renowned Arabist, BBC correspondent Frank Gardner, talks to us about the importance of languages to his award-winning work. As migrants continue to suffer human rights abuses due to a chronic lack of languages services (p.17), I hope you will find Routes, an initiative using drama to teach migrant women English (p.7), as inspiring as I did. Miranda Moore 4 The Linguist Vol/58 No/1 2019 ciol.org.uk/tl NEWS & EDITORIAL CHAIR OF COUNCIL'S NOTES My life with languages was influenced by two decisive factors: my school education and the people around me. News bulletins frequently report on the decline of language learning and, sadly, this was already emerging 30 years ago. I was the only student in my German class and there were only two of us for French. Fortunately, our teacher was passionate about both languages and taught with great dedication and energy. My school awarded me a small scholarship, with which I bought my first French dictionary, and subsidised my first visit abroad. During my post-graduate education, my German professor encouraged me to pack my bags again, this time for Frankfurt, with his parting words ringing in my ears: Geh nach Deutschland, Mädel ('Go to Germany, girl'). I have now been there for over 30 years. Schools and teaching play a major role in educating, supporting and motivating young people. The foundations they build, and the inspiration they give, are real enablers of language learning. The impact of Brexit on the availability of skilled workers with language skills, as well as unrestricted movement between the UK and continental Europe, remains to be seen, but CIOL members revealed some of their hopes and fears on the subject in our recent membership survey (p.22). As a membership organisation, representing the interests of linguists is at the heart of all CIOL does. Cooperation with our HE Language Partners is seeing increased engagement from student linguists, which is a huge positive in attracting new entrants to the language world. The fledgling CIOL mentoring programme continues to flourish, providing young professionals with the opportunity to engage with experienced linguists for career guidance and support. In times of uncertainty, qualifications and standards are an anchor of professionalism – don't miss out on the opportunity to sign up for regular alerts from our eCPD platform, which offers an extensive list of learning resources. As a professional body, CIOL continues to strengthen our external engagement activities, and we are currently gearing up for the 2019 AGM and Members' Day on 16 March. The application deadline for nominations to Council has closed and we are again encouraged to receive nine applications. Being part of Council offers a chance to shape the direction of CIOL, and the personal learning journey is immense. I urge as many of you as possible to exercise your right to vote, and help to shape the future of our profession, by the 15 February deadline. I recently rediscovered the French dictionary that had been hidden among my belongings all these years, and which still symbolises the kindness of all who have supported my language journey. As our world becomes increasingly global, target- driven and competitive, and human interaction gets swept away on a tide of digitalisation, kindness among business leaders can be a scarce commodity. As language ambassadors, we all can play a role in speaking out about the vital importance of language skills, and help others to climb the language career ladder. judith.gabler@ciol.org.uk Judith Gabler EDITOR'S LETTER Share your views: linguist.editor@ciol.org.uk