Megan Stockwell, Career Affiliate
For me, the
conference
represented a
wonderful mix of
speakers and
attendees from
different backgrounds
and experiences,
brought together by
their love of language and open-minded
outlook. I was both fascinated and grateful to
have the chance to make their acquaintance
during coffee and lunch breaks, and hear
more about each person's story.
The keynote speakers at the start and
end of each day were so engaging, and
really set the level of energy and enthusiasm
that echoed through the entire event. I also
really appreciated the opportunity for
discussions to develop organically between
speakers and the audience at the end of
each presentation, as it brought everyone
together and helped to personalise the
theme of each talk further.
I learnt that the entirety of our diverse skills
and experiences can be applied to bring
value to a freelance business in the language
services industry. Examples that were
28 The Linguist Vol/61 No/3 2022
thelinguist.uberflip.com
INSTITUTE MATTERS
TOGETHER AGAIN
1. Nahed Arafat speaks about public service
interpreting challenges, focusing on mental
health and immigration
2. An inspiring keynote from Paul Hughes
3. Royal Patron Prince Michael of Kent presents
a Special Commendation to the Hackney
Spanish Initiative during the prizegiving
4. Attendees discuss the day's sessions
5. Questions from an audience member at
Jaquelina Guardamagna's talk
6. Mohammed Habdar networks during a break
Three members share their highlights from CIOL Conference 2022
Motivated and refreshed
particularly relevant to my own situation
included first-hand experiences of the
demand for private language tuition in the
UK, how reliable it is, and how and why it
may vary as an additional income stream.
Other presentations highlighted the
importance of accruing business acumen and
industry knowledge, as well as CPD within
your specialisms.
Hearing about the expectations of those in
the legal world when it comes to working with
interpreters added depth to themes I had
studied during my Master's. Similarly, learning
about how the pandemic has affected the
language services industry, but also helped
those working within it to demonstrate their
flexibility, perseverance and professionalism,
proved reassuring and motivating.
Lastly, discussions surrounding the variety of
changes that are on-going within the context
of public service interpreting in different
sectors and countries helped me to set my
sights on future CPD courses, and work out
where and how to develop my specialisms.
The conference as a whole served as an
important reminder that we are surrounded
by kind, caring, supportive colleagues even
when we are working from home, alone with
our desks and computer screens.
There was a tangible air of excitement at
etc.venues St Paul's when the doors opened
on 11 March to CIOL's Conference 2022 and
around 200 delegates arrived on day one of
what, for many, was their first in-person
event in over two years. The video crew and
photographer captured the ambiance of the
two-day event in central London.
CEO John Worne welcomed members
and non-members before handing over to
the first keynote. Paul Hughes spoke about
learning to overcome fear to become the
person you want to be. Delegates then
made their way to breakout rooms for a
wide range of presentations on all things
language related.
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