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
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6 The Linguist Vol/59 No/5 2020 thelinguist.uberflip.com NEWS & EDITORIAL In the media PHILIP HARDING-ESCH The exams debacle in the UK won't have escaped anyone's attention, but within the chaos, modern foreign languages (MFL) was actually a good news story. "The proportion of A-level students securing an A* rose significantly in Spanish, French and German" reported the TES. In fact, languages recorded the joint-highest increase in top grades among all subjects. Scratch beneath the surface, however, and the picture is less rosy. The main reason MFL was graded more highly is that hardly any A-level MFL cohorts have 15 or more students – the threshold above which the infamous algorithm was applied – such is the extent of the decline in uptake. This was compounded by a collapse in entries for 'other languages' such as Urdu and Russian. Ofqual's decision to drop oral exams from MFL GCSEs next year led to disbelief among some commentators. The Telegraph reported that universities may need to offer "catch-up classes" and warned against giving "the impression that being able to speak the language is irrelevant". The launch of the British Academy's long-awaited National Languages Strategy received good press coverage. The BBC picked up on the proposal that schools could receive financial incentives for increasing A-level MFL uptake. It was interesting to see how differently the vital role of translation in public policy is treated depending on the context. When Baroness Verma told the House of Lords that thousands of people in Leicester have never been sent information about Covid-19 in their own language, The Sun called it a "disgrace": "Safety advice must be spelled out loud and clear in every language whatever the cost." However, when it comes to protecting people's right to interpretation in their own language in the criminal justice system, The Telegraph scoffed that "Britain spends half a million a week on language experts to help criminals who don't speak English". Philip Harding-Esch is a freelance languages project manager and consultant. UK 'fails' its native tongues CIOL welcomes new Chief Exec The Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL) has appointed John Worne as its new Chief Executive Officer, as Ann Carlisle retires from the position after seven years. Describing CIOL's role in promoting the professional status of linguists and supporting high-quality qualifications as "hugely powerful", he said it was "an honour and a privilege" to join the organisation. Worne previously held senior leadership roles at the Royal College of Art and King's College London, and spent eight years promoting languages and culture as Director of Strategy for the British Council. ciol.org.uk/new-ceo-ciol-john-worne T he world has changed dramatically and probably irreversibly in recent months, but looking back on a language career spanning 40 years – the last seven with CIOL – change has been a constant backdrop. The recent report 'Towards a National Languages Strategy' was a sharp reminder of the need for sustainable change, as it was only in 2002 that the last National Languages Strategy had provided a wake-up call for a national effort to stop language decline in the UK. Working as a business development officer for languages at the Polytechnic of North London in 1989, it was a call from British Rail that set my career path in motion and gave it focus: "Is it easier to take a train driver and teach him French, or take a linguist and teach him how to drive a train?" (I'd add "or her".) The interplay of work and languages has been at the core of my professional activities ever since and this nuanced question still touches many of the issues CIOL works with today. The joy of a language career is the interface with many other worlds. I hear from linguists whose professional lives have touch points with prominent politicians, the wine industry, our law courts, travel and aviation, nuclear power, the Olympics, to name just a few. If I hadn't been a linguist I would likely never have travelled through the Channel Tunnel in the cab of a Eurostar, sat inside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran or been held in a central London police cell as a detainee (simulation only!). Yet against this varied and wide-ranging landscape of opportunity, energising and motivating young people to learn languages remains a challenge. The value of language skills and the benefit they bring to the UK, economically, socially, politically and culturally, has a comprehensive evidence base. This is shown in significant The British government is failing to sufficiently support its indigenous languages 20 years after signing the European Charter on Regional or Minority Languages, according to a new report. The Council of Europe found that although "considerable progress" has been made, Cornish, Irish and Ulster Scots still lack support in UK public life, government and media. In Northern Ireland, discourse in parliament is not translated into Irish and it is illegal to speak the language in court, despite provisions in the Good Friday Agreement. Among its 20 recommendations, the report said funding and responsibility for the promotion of Cornish should be devolved to Cornwall and more Irish-speaking teachers should be trained in Northern Ireland. See search.coe.int/cm/Pages/result_details .aspx?ObjectId=0900001680948544 As she retires as CEO, UK during a 40-year Four de