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
@Linguist_CIOL 'War of Words as Nigerian English Recognised by Oxford English Dictionary', 1/3/20 The OED's move has divided opinion in the former British colony of 200 million people, who between them speak more than 250 languages. English is the official language in this polyglot nation and the one used in schools. There are those who think the idea that an expert sitting in Oxford can define how it is spoken is outmoded… But there are the fundamentalists befuddled by what they consider 'street words' having made it into the dictionary… Some of the words now included in the OED, for example 'sef', 'chop- chop' and 'gist', have derived their meaning from the way that Pidgin speakers use them. What the papers say… 'Piers Morgan's "Mocking" of Chinese Language Sees ITV Issue Apology One Month On', 5/3/20 An influx of complaints came in after Piers and his co-host Susanna Reid were discussing the Queen's eldest grandson Peter Phillips appearing in a TV advert for state milk in China… He said: "At the next royal event, can you imagine Christmas at Sandringham is like – 'I'm sorry your majesty, but I only drink yang yank yong ying ming milk." '"I Photographed 35 Women, 10 are Still Alive": Tragedy of the Isle of Women', 4/3/20 The people speak a dialect, Kinhu kiel, which was suppressed by the Soviets. A little like Finnish, it is rich in words describing weather, particularly its impact on the sea and ice. For example, tie is ice that is good for crossing; tuulõeauk is thin ice, too dangerous for walking on. The latest from the languages world A translators' register A new register of public sector translators has been launched in the UK to offer the same standards and protections as the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI). As with NRPSI, the National Register of Public Service Translators (NRPST) is an open-access online register that is free to search by users, with Full status granted to experienced public sector translators who meet the criteria, and Interim categories for part-qualified translators and translation students. NRPSI Ltd, the non-profit voluntary regulator of linguists working in the public sector, consulted specialist translators and interpreters to establish criteria for NRPST, NEWS & EDITORIAL and to ensure registered translators meet the requirements of the public services to the same standards as registered interpreters. Consultations with stakeholders had revealed that they were using NRPSI to source translators, suggesting a desire to work with fully qualified and experienced practitioners, and a need for a distinct register. The NRPST Code of Professional Conduct follows the NRPSI code and uses the same complaints procedures. Links between the two registers enable users to see which linguists are on both. Registration will be free for the first year and there will then be a 50% discount for NRPSI-registered professionals. For registration criteria, see nrpst.org.uk. The European Commission is recruiting a bank of Irish language translators to meet expected demand when Irish becomes a full working language of the EU in 2022. The 50 new members of the Irish Language Unit will be based in Co. Meath and Brussels. Irish has been an official language of the EU since 2007, but there has been no requirement to translate all documents into the language. APRIL/MAY The Linguist 5 EU employs 50 Irish linguists There was a growth in reported language industry scams in 2019, according to the annual report of the Translator Scammers Directory. This follows a year-on-year decrease since 2014, when the grassroots organisation was established. The increase was attributed to several factors, including a rise in the number of both scammers and scammer IDs, and more linguists reporting scams. Translator scams increase © SHUTTERSTOCK