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/1296004
I have to confess that I remember little of issue TL45,4. Granted, I put it together more than 13 years ago, but there is another reason that my memory is a little hazy. My oldest child was born just two months before the production schedule began and I edited most of the issue while cradling him in one arm – something I didn't mentioned to my colleagues. In our parenting column looking at aspects of raising children while working with languages (p.29), we consider why freelancers keep silent about our childcare commitments. This is one of two new columns that have emerged from changes to working conditions during the pandemic. In the last issue, I asked interpreters how the crisis was affecting them and many noted that their hobbies were helping. I hope our short series on how pastimes can support linguists in their work (and beyond) may be helpful (p.28). We cover some fascinating fields of work in this issue, including a six-hour session to localise an ad campaign (p.8) and efforts to decipher trilingual ancient scripts (p.22). Perhaps the most unusual involves working for international beauty contests, where interpreters are expected to comfort and advocate for their clients (p.12). The pressure on linguists at these events is immense, and some have even experienced social media pile-ons from disgruntled fans. On page 6, Ann Carlisle reflects on developments in the language professions during her time as CEO. The Linguist has very much benefited from her wisdom, insights and attention to detail, as have I, and we wish her all the best for the future. Miranda Moore 4 The Linguist Vol/59 No/5 2020 thelinguist.uberflip.com NEWS & EDITORIAL CHAIR OF COUNCIL'S NOTES Ann Carlisle will be stepping down from her role as CEO this autumn. For as long as I have known Ann, she has been a passionate advocate for all matters related to languages. This includes cultural diversity and intercultural communication, as well as the promotion of the value of languages to the economy, to civil society, to individuals and to communities in order to ensure that the importance of languages retains a firm anchor in our post-Brexit world. On behalf of CIOL Council, the Educational Trust Board and its Chair Bernardette Holmes MBE, our committees and divisions, I would like to thank Ann for all her achievements during her seven years as CEO and wish her all the very best for her future. The recruitment process is now complete and we extend a very warm welcome to Ann's successor, John Worne, who takes the helm as CEO in October (see p.6). Despite the rapid advances of technology and digitalisation, people remain at the heart of everything we do, and together with our very engaged staff team, we are orchestrating many initiatives to support our profession. Supporting each other as linguists and nurturing our professional network can be a strong foundation for us all during the pandemic. Our Membership Committee continues to be the custodian of our entry standards. Special thanks go to Alison Garne MCIL CL and Judith Ridgway FCIL, who recently completed two three-year terms on the committee (see p.32 for a short article by Judith). The German Society has moved online with the help of Romana Sustar MCIL CL, and been renamed the German Language Society, in order to make it more accessible both in and outside the UK to members from all German-speaking countries. The innovative Cafelingo, hosted by the Midlands Network, premiered in August, connecting more than 25 geographically dispersed linguists in separate chatrooms – all engaging in the language of their choice from a pre-select menu. It was a feat of organisation and great fun! These are just a few examples of our recent activities. On an equally positive note, and in response to ongoing concern over the lack of specialist linguists available to meet the UK's requirements post-Brexit, five organisations led by the British Academy have published a call 'Towards a National Language Strategy: Education and skills'. The summary proposals make explicit reference to CIOL and our commitment to creating an accessible cross- sector framework for language competency and qualifications. Judith Gabler, judith.gabler@web.de EDITOR'S LETTER Share your views: linguist.editor@ciol.org.uk The recruitment process is now complete and we extend a very warm welcome to Ann's successor