The Linguist

@Linguist_CIOL DECEMBER/JANUARY The Linguist 31 OPINION & COMMENT Of libraries and languages Britain is known as the home of excellent public libraries which are all free. Ever since their growth in the 19th century, they have developed to suit all ages and requirements. My own library, in Cheltenham, has a brilliant foreign language section, offering books, usually fiction, in some eight languages, including Hindi and Urdu. I regularly take out books in French, Spanish and Italian, as I can read these easily, and sometimes in Polish and German, where I need to use a dictionary. When I first saw this selection I was delighted that speakers of foreign languages were catered for, but then I learned that the books were intended for native speakers of the languages offered. I realised that many of the books were translations of British and American authors. The aim was to introduce foreign visitors to English-language writers. I was disappointed until I saw that books by native speakers were key texts and very good indeed. I read, in Spanish, several books by Juan José Millás, the incisive El Pais columnist, and Isabel Allende. Every so often, the books, which are supplied by an organisation called Bright Books, are refreshed so I know there will always be something new to read. If any readers do not have this facility at their local library, they should request it. Librarians are some of the unsung heroes of our time and are always willing to help. Maurice Varney FCIL Why parenting skills are transferable skills DEBBIE GARRICK Nothing in life can prepare you for being a parent. It takes time to figure out what works for you and your child. The good news is that the skills you learn in parenting equip you well for freelance business. Let's start with keeping your cool in a crisis. If there's one quality all children share, it's that they are unpredictable. Your youngest rips her toenail off when you're already late for school? No problem. You learn to cope, get everyone where they need to be and take control – perfect for managing a deadline crisis, calming a stressed-out client or learning to think outside the box. Next there's time management. Scheduling activities, appointments, play dates, haircuts and a host of activities for your family makes you a brilliant organiser. You know exactly how much you can fit into your day and what you need to juggle to make it happen. When it comes to soft skills for business, your kids are the world's best trainers. You learn 20 ways of phrasing every request, and how to manage a situation to get different personalities on board without anyone feeling overly put out. This is a great exercise in knowing your target market and writing to their needs. You practise the art of negotiation daily (two more bites of broccoli; yes you do need to wear your wellies), so why not try it out with your clients? A close-of-play deadline can easily be switched to 9am the next day if the project manager trusts you, which means you can work once the kids are in bed. Then there's the ability to focus while everything around you is crumbling. I've had to learn to tune out the distractions of kids arguing, a messy kitchen, the baby sleeping on me, and just get on with the job. I can also work anywhere while waiting for my kids. Another very useful skill is motivation. As the main carer in my household, the whole family's mood feeds off mine. Motivating everyone to get up and out of the house in the morning is a never-ending challenge. Being a freelancer means being extremely self-motivated, and if you can motivate a whole family, motivating yourself becomes a breath of fresh air. When it comes to making people happy, no one is as hard to please as your offspring, so use those people-pleasing skills to get project managers and clients in your corner. My kids have taught me a great deal. They've turned me into a multitasking machine – which only occasionally drops the ball. They've introduced me to a whole new vocabulary – from baby items to the latest TikTok trends – so keeping up with language developments, fashion and popular culture requires almost no effort. Most of all, they've taught me that I'm blessed to have a job I love and can fit around family life. It's often manic but I wouldn't change it for the world. Debbie Garrick MCIL is a French/ Spanish > English translator and copywriter; garricktranslations.com TL En famille R 1 A 2 V E 3 N T 4 H A 5 I C M I 6 A 7 E L E 8 T R U S C A N L 9 A P P I O I E S V 10 I E 11 T N A M E S E E V U C P 12 V 13 L A A M S 14 S 15 L O V A K Y P I P R P 16 O R T U G 17 U E S E F 18 R I A N S 19 O F A N 20 A Z A R 21 E T H M T S A U A W 22 O K E H 23 E L L O Crossword solution Puzzle page 29 IMAGES © SHUTTERSTOCK

• Cover