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
Translation entered my work as a marketing project manager organically, especially after I moved to the UK in 2010, but because I did not have training as a translator, I never felt entitled to call myself that. In 2017, I decided to change this. I wanted to be able to demonstrate my skills without having to study for a degree and quickly settled on the Diploma in Translation (DipTrans). I signed up for the 2018 exams and became a CIOL Career Affiliate. With six months to prepare, I downloaded exam reports and past exam papers in my chosen topics (business and social science) from the CIOL website. I regarded the exam as a new client, and the exam reports as a briefing. Some clients want you to stay very close to the source text, others welcome a more liberal approach. The reports assess examples of good and bad translations, giving general recommendations and pass rates. The past papers gave me an idea of potential topics, but also of how random they can be. They included newspaper articles and journal essays, which I don't usually translate, so it was useful practice. Although I was confident in my translation abilities, I registered on an online course with linguisttraining.com to get a better idea of what was expected. It gave an overview of the exam (similar to that on the CIOL website), and an introduction to translation techniques, a code of conduct, and tips such as how to build a glossary. Past exam papers were also provided. My work was reviewed and rated by a tutor, including a live session. Receiving feedback on my translations written in exam conditions (i.e. within a time limit, using offline resources only) was helpful. It was on the day of my citizenship ceremony that I received the news that I had won the Fred Brandeis Trophy 2018 for best English-to-German DipTrans candidate. Passing the exam and becoming a full CIOL member has strengthened my confidence; I appreciate being part of this network. 30 The Linguist Vol/58 No/3 2019 ciol.org.uk/tl OPINION & COMMENT COUNCIL NEWS Chair of Council Judith Gabler reports on the April meeting The first Council meeting after the AGM is the first opportunity to integrate newly elected members into Council, and our April meeting was no exception. Held at the prestigious University of London, the day started with governance and financial training to initiate our three new members into the fiduciary responsibilities of Council, before full Council started with the day's business. If you haven't already done so, you can meet us all virtually at www.ciol.org.uk/governance. The agenda, packed as always, included regular items of business such as receiving updated Terms of Reference for our boards and committees, and the minutes of their most recent meetings. The 2019-20 overview of our divisional membership was also noted, with specific thanks to chairs Judith Ridgeway FCIL (BPG), Christine Pocock FCIL (ID) and Karine Chevalier-Watts MCIL CL (TD), and their respective teams, for all their hard work. Underpinning our ever-evolving governance structure is a transparent and robust disciplinary framework, and the various strands of conduct, disciplinary action and appeals were also approved, along with updated Standing Orders for conducting Council business. Our 2019 renewals campaign closed at the end of March with 93% of members renewing. The earlier renewal trend has had a positive financial impact on our bottom line. The number of Chartered Linguists continues to rise, standing at 549 at the end of March, with our pipeline figures showing that 50% of new fellows and 33% of new members also apply for Chartership. Driving new membership opportunities and partnerships is a key element of our business development and we are increasingly focused on expanding non-UK markets and developing our products and services. The annual Strategy Meeting followed the next day, when Council convened with senior CIOL staff and IoL Educational Trust Board members to review our strategic focus. The outcomes of this important meeting will be reported in due course. judith.gabler@ciol.org.uk The successful student An award-winning DipTrans candidate shares her top tips for preparing for the exam CONNIE OETTING Connie Oetting MCIL won the Fred Brandeis Trophy 2018. TL © CHRIS CHRISTODOULOU