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/1124479
Haruki Marukami's latest novel, Killing Commendatore, gave me cause to think about the visibility of the (literary) translator. It is unusual to be so aware of a translation – not due to a 'foreign feel' transferred from the original but because of the use of American English – an interesting issue that could be avoided by a more neutral tone (is "a ways away" really necessary?). Research into what types of book are selected for translation for the UK market suggests that readers seek a sense of the 'foreign' (p.18). Marukami offers this in spades, but that makes the constant nod to American culture (through the choice of English) a little jarring to the British reader. For more on British vs. American English, see Carolina Casado Parras's analysis on page 25. I was fortunate to be able to attend Members' Day this year (p.32) and meet some of the attendees in person. Bernadette O'Rourke's Threlford Lecture covered a phenomenon that is extremely concerning: the increase in linguistic prejudice following the election of Donald Trump in the US, the EU referendum in the UK and the rise of the far right globally. I hope you find the text version (p.8), written specially for The Linguist, as interesting and useful a reference as I do. Another oft-quoted impact of Brexit is an increase in negative attitudes towards modern foreign language (MFL) learning in the UK. Although there is now some evidence of this (see 'Brexit Attitudes', TL58,2), there have also been many unsubstantiated claims in the media. Ursula Lanvers warns of the dangers posed to language education by false reports of anti-MFL feeling (p.16). Miranda Moore 4 The Linguist Vol/58 No/3 2019 ciol.org.uk/tl NEWS & EDITORIAL CHAIR OF COUNCIL'S NOTES It was an honour to address Members' Day earlier this year for the first time as CIOL Chair and I'd like to share my thoughts on our challenging environment with the wider readership of The Linguist. Language learning in the 1980s was in a more controlled environment than it is today, with a stronger emphasis on repetitive learning of grammar, syntax and vocabulary. As a language student at the University of Manchester, I spent excessively long hours at the John Rylands Library, hoping that each hardback learning resource I needed was still available. Looking back, it seems unimaginable now that by the time I got my first job I had never used a computer, never heard of the internet and never anticipated mobile-assisted language learning. Since then, technology has changed our world on a scale that transcends the boundaries of imagination. The digital revolution – or Industrialisation 4.0 – is fundamentally changing how we work, live and relate to one another. The scale, scope and complexity are unlike anything we have experienced before. E-learning and machine translation are powerful, free of charge and accessible 24/7. By 2017, Google Translate was serving more than 500 million users daily. The explosion of social media, WhatsApp and the overuse of emoticons all impact on how communication and language interaction are changing business and social environments. Quantity rather than quality seems an overriding force. Nobody knows what the future has in store but at least we are not alone – it is not just the language profession, but every industry in every country that is being challenged by the disruption of traditional working models. To become more resilient, CIOL is driving external engagement in order to forge stronger links with other professional bodies and government departments, and to join national policy debates. We are continuing to develop our non-UK range of qualifications and services, and in 2017/18 we attracted 31% more new members from outside the UK compared with the previous year. We are engaging more with businesses so they understand that globalisation also means that the workforce can speak the language of the market. Competitive value is a must and each organisation needs a unique selling point (USP) in order to survive, particularly in disruptive times. Chartership is one of CIOL's unique differentiators, as internationally we are the only chartered body for language practitioners. When I am travelling around Europe, I am asked about the value of a Royal Charter, especially in the current political climate. My answer is that while a Charter has its roots in the UK, CIOL is a professional body with an international reach; our work transcends geographical boundaries and our standards are endorsed by language partners everywhere, who recognise the value of professional linguists and Chartership. I am proud to be a member of CIOL and to build my own USP as a Chartered Linguist. Judith Gabler EDITOR'S LETTER Share your views: linguist.editor@ciol.org.uk