The Linguist

@Linguist_CIOL AUGUST/SEPTEMBER The Linguist 27 OPINION & COMMENT Our new cover: have your say Eloísa Monteoliva-García's interesting article on the challenges of 'stand-by' interpreting (TL60,3) brought back memories of my days working in the diplomatic field, when such situations were regularly encountered. World leaders would often (try to) speak to each other without interpretation but call upon the interpreter when they became stuck. Strange as it may seem, this was often more taxing mentally than interpreting the entire time, as you had no working rhythm. Despite the appearance of having a rest, the need for full concentration to follow the conversation and be able to react swiftly to offer the missing term could prove very tiring. Moreover, due to their more limited grasp of the language, the client would often use constructions you would not have chosen to convey the idea and painted you into a corner linguistically when you were summoned to fill the gap. On a lighter note, on one memorable occasion I was sitting across the table from two well-known leaders at a large official dinner (not between them, as was often the case in such settings). I realised that my then boss was trying to catch my attention with a hand gesture (tapping his cheek repeatedly with the fingers of his open hand while holding my gaze). This Spanish gesture commonly means caradura ('you cheeky sod!'). In fact, he was explaining that his favourite fish dish was kokotxas de merluza ('hake cheeks') but he did not know the word 'cheeks' and wanted me to intervene. I did not realise what he was asking as I could not hear the conversation clearly. From the hand gesture, I believed I had done something very wrong and was being rebuked. Karl McLaughlin FCIL CL Update: ESIT survey In our news item 'Interpreters Find "Remote" Harder' (TL60,3), we said that the majority of interpreters reported that fees were the same or lower for remote simultaneous interpreting (RSI) than for on-site RSI. This information was provided by the ESIT summary of its report. It would have been clearer to give the full data: 66% of respondents said fees were the same, 11% lower and 17% higher. The cheek of it! The Linguist had a major redesign more than a decade ago and (with several design tweaks along the way) we feel it has stood the test of time. However, along with recent updates to the CIOL crest and logo, it seems a good time to refresh the cover. Our team has selected two options, both in keeping with the current style, and would love to hear your feedback. Option 1 modernises the overall look, overlaying the text on the image, while option 2 gives the red banner a more contemporary feel. View the options online and let us know what you think by 31 August: ciol.org.uk/linguist-new-cover. The CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF LINGUISTS ISSUE 60/2 | APRIL MAY 2021 Gaming it Are videogames the perfect tool for language learning? Permission to breathe Why your wellbeing is key to global sustainability goals On stand-by When to interpret and when not to interpret while using this under- researched mode Linguist 30507 Linguist Cover Ideas-gamer v3.indd 2 08/07/2021 17:12 CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF LINGUISTS ISSUE 60/2 | APRIL MAY 2021 Gaming it Permission to breathe Why your wellbeing is key to global sustainability goals On stand-by When to interpret and when not to interpret while using this under-researched mode Are videogames the perfect tool for language learning? the linguist 30507 Linguist Cover Ideas-gamer v3.indd 1 08/07/2021 17:12 Option 1 Option 2 István (Stephen) Vizinczey's delightful little book, In Praise of Older Women, expresses – in its title – exactly what I am intending to do in this letter: praise the lovely ladies who have stuck it out. I am of course talking about the small translation agencies, which seem to be run by women around my age. They are doing a fabulous job in defiance of the market trends and large organisations. What really made me reach for the pen (or keyboard) is the way they are running their businesses. From what I can see, they are one-woman shows, meaning I only speak to one person – be it confirmation of assignments, invoicing or anything that needs clarification, along with the weather, our dogs and our children. I do not have to log on to innumerable portals, use overly complicated login systems, remember where and how I have to invoice, or consider how the various translation memory jungles operate. I do not have to waste vast amounts of time clicking to confirm this, that or something else. Oh, and they usually pay substantially more – and much faster – than their multinational counterparts. So please, go and read Vizinczey's book, knit, garden or even learn a language instead of further complicating our lives with more passwords and opaque mazes of departments. Learn from the wonderful older women this letter is in praise of (you know who you are). Keep going! Hanna Heffner MCIL In praise of older women

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