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/1229313
Q. Why did you study languages? A. Nobody in my family speaks another language but my parents taught me to be open to other people's opinions and cultures. I never assumed I would go to university – I wanted to be a geologist but my back-up plan was to start a manicure business. It was while looking into university that I made up my mind: I could spend four years staring at rocks or four years talking to people. As a chatty person, it was a no brainer! the course at Portsmouth was unlike most as it was centred around the practical uses of languages, which gave me a sense of purpose. Q. Did you always want to use languages in your career? A. I put a lot of hard work and effort into learning French and Spanish, so the last thing I wanted was to go into a job where I'd never use that knowledge. It wasn't until my final year of university that I decided to go into teaching. It was the one job I said I'd never do, but I love every second! It is such a rewarding profession: imparting your knowledge to other students, watching them learn and grow with confidence. Q. Tell us about your role as Lector at Limoges University… A. classes in France start at 8am and my day ends by 5pm. I head to the university for 7.30am and make sure I have all the materials for my classes. It's compulsory for humanities students to learn english, and these classes can be challenging as you have students of very different levels. the classes for the english specialists are my favourites as the students are so motivated. I'm also studying for an MA in cultural transfer and translation, and it's challenging to juggle that with work. Q. What were the challenges when relocating to France? A. I'd never been to Limoges and didn't know anybody here, so it was daunting to have just 10 days to find somewhere to live. Another challenge was the bureaucracy: there's always paperwork in France. It's important to be patient with the system and remind them if you don't get a reply. Q. How did your Brit Abroad book come about? A. It began as a blog until I realised that this kind of information would be really useful to other students. I wanted the book to be more like a survival guide containing my experiences and tips for how to make the most of the Year Abroad. Q. Will you continue to use languages in your work? A. Yes, definitely! My contract has just been extended for another year. Maybe I'll stay permanently in Limoges or return to the uk to teach translation at university level, or go to Spain to teach english there. You have to grab opportunities when they arise! How Applied Languages graduate Abigail Nobes found her role as Lector at Limoges University Just the job @Linguist_CIOL APrIL/MAY The Linguist 29 OPINION & COMMENT translators need to develop customer service skills, emotional intelligence and an array of interpersonal skills to be able to work with people of different backgrounds and deliver the required service. Linguists clearly have valuable knowledge and skills at their disposal, which they can utilise to their advantage. the Future of Jobs survey outlines the characteristics that will be in demand and decline by 2022 (see below). Some of the skills that are essential to linguist roles, for example active learning/learning strategies, problem-solving, emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills, are expected to be trending in 2022. We should not, therefore, lose heart that some language sectors are losing ground, because the need for our skills is expected to persist or rise in the years to come. We have no control over changes to the markets, and should instead focus on sharpening the skills and knowledge that will be needed regardless of those changes. While waiting to see how, exactly, the digital revolution will change our industry, we can widen our horizons and utilise our skills as part of our portfolio of work, applying them to other sectors and industries. this approach to a career is already common in other sectors, such as the creative industries. Actors, writers and poets often have a combination of creative work as part of their portfolio. Skills such as preparedness to learn and interpersonal skills are not industry-bound or dependent on specialist knowledge. A portfolio career is often viewed as being restricted to freelance work or demonised as an unstable career path adopted after traditional routes have failed, but by looking at the role of a portfolio linguist from the perspective of applying knowledge and skills to the jobs market, a positive thread appears. Dr Reza Navaei FCIL is a lecturer of Language Studies. He is Vice- Chair of CIOL Council and of its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. TL