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/1379045
I receive a lot of press releases and most of them go unread. Grabbing an editor's attention is a tricky business. Try as they might to be creative, press officers follow a formula of sorts, and their missives are easy to avoid. Capturing this formula (and therefore meeting clients' requisites and expectations) while also 'breaking' it so the story has more chance of being picked up (and therefore meeting clients' requisites and expectations) is an incredible challenge for a translator, as Katherina Polig describes (p.14). The requirements and expectations for stand-by interpreting may seem equally elusive, so perhaps it is inevitable that Eloísa Monteoliva-García asks more questions about this under-researched mode than can be answered at the present time (p.12). Her findings do, however, shed some light on how decisions are made about what to interpret and the difficulties involved. Our short series about climate change has given me pause for thought, and I hope readers also find it useful when assessing what we can do as individuals. In this issue, Mariana Roccia examines the emerging field of ecolinguistics, which calls for an educational element to language work (p.18). Among our stories looking at language teaching methods that spark joy and boost confidence, we look at inspirational outreach work (p.22), how to motivate home language use (p.27) and translanguaging methods (p.24). Reza Shirmarz's analysis of gaming as a learning tool (p.16) will come as a relief to those of us who engage in daily battles over screen time! Miranda Moore 4 The Linguist Vol/60 No/3 2021 thelinguist.uberflip.com NEWS & EDITORIAL CHAIR OF COUNCIL'S NOTES I've now been a member of CIOL for almost 25 years. I had many reasons for joining – having my qualifications endorsed, developing my skills, peer networking, as well as career ambition to get letters behind my name and strengthen my employability. I believe these reasons for continuing to be part of a global language community are as relevant as ever today. From my Council News report (p.34) you will see that the language community is thriving, but not without its challenges, and our 'OneCIOL' strategic review is addressing these. Yet if there is one undertaking that makes me outstandingly proud, it is the aspiration of CIOL, and hence by default of all linguists, of Universal Understanding. Our crest has been marginally adapted to accentuate this, in line with our modern and forward-thinking ambition (see below). The intrinsic message of Universal Understanding is to foster international goodwill and facilitate human discourse beyond physical, geographical and psychological boundaries. To connect people irrespective of disruptive trends, and to make 'global' relevant in a local context. Artificial intelligence and technology are becoming increasingly sophisticated and developing at an unstoppable pace; for us linguists they present both opportunities and threats. Film technology has been blurring the boundaries between humans and machines for years, take for example the Marvel super/anti-hero with super skills, super energy and just about super everything. Within this context, as well as other challenges facing the linguists of today and tomorrow, Council and IoLET Trustees pooled their expertise at the April Awayday to debate our strategic priorities. In a complex world, the concept of Universal Understanding clearly needs to be flexible and elastic, in particular where there are political, societal or racial tensions. During the pandemic, the role of language and unequivocal meaning could not be more important in helping refugees, migrants and non-native speakers to understand and make informed choices about the best way to protect themselves. The role of linguists to translate the word, the culture and the value, and invoke trust and confidence, meets the basic human needs to understand and be understood, to trust in the heard, spoken and written word. Linguists are not alone in needing to adapt to hybrid ways of learning, to working with and interacting with clients. Specialisms within a whole portfolio of skills will be essential. We will continue to address all of this within our strategic review. Universal is inclusive. While we should not forget that technology is an essential tool, it is the linguist who is the human superhero at the heart of business. At the end of the day it's all about people. Judith Gabler, judith.gabler@web.de EDITOR'S LETTER Share your views: linguist.editor@ciol.org.uk