The Linguist

34 The Linguist Vol/62 No/1 thelinguist.uberflip.com INSTITUTE MATTERS disappoint them. So I would say "keep calm and carry on studying languages, it will see you well." What has most surprised you about being a linguist? The impact our work can have on the well-being of those we work with. José Eduardo Agualusa, one of the great writers of our time, tells a story that stresses the importance of speaking to people in their home language. At the Singapore/Malaysia border, he leaves his bus and makes his way to customs, but when he returns for his bags he faces a sea of identical buses. He approaches a policeman and tries to explain the problem in English. Catching sight of his passport, the officer suddenly hugs him; he is from the Malaysian city of Malaca, which has a population of Portuguese origin, and is overjoyed to speak Portuguese. The officer's change of attitude shows the empathy that sharing a common heritage can have and illustrates the impact of translators. The same goes for language policy makers, teachers and researchers – all important stakeholders in improving cross-cultural communication and empathy. What inspires or moves you at work? I am always truly moved by the effort parents make to bring their children to Portuguese after-school classes. When I started a community school in Southampton, some parents brought their children from Guildford or Brighton, driving over 60 miles every Saturday just to be around people who spoke the same language. That sense of togetherness and well-being moves me. How does CIOL membership fit in? It has contributed to my learning and professional development in more ways than one. I have developed a network of connections in translation and interpreting, mainly since I completed my DipTrans. I also value the access to up-to-date information about my areas of interest, and about what is going on in the world of languages, through the website, online platforms and magazine. I am an avid reader of The Linguist. What are your plans for the next 10 years? I would like to be a significant contributor to the development of the requirement that every school has a bespoke language policy. Where 20% of pupils speak a language other than English at home, a language policy for each school would aid educational progress for all. It would need to be created collaboratively, by a team of diverse people, from various levels and areas of educational activity and authority. They would need to access multiple types of data and a combination of perspectives in their analysis. I believe this would contribute to more positive and egalitarian valuations of languages and their speakers in schools and in society. Marina Burgess Marina Burgess MCIL has worked as a language teacher and interpreter in Russia, Hungary and the UK for over 30 years. She now works principally as a public service interpreter, specialising in commercial, legal and medical translation. See p.13 Beverley Costa Dr Beverley Costa is a psychotherapist and Senior Practitioner Fellow at Birkbeck, University of London. She founded the Mothertongue multi-ethnic counselling service and the Pásalo Project, and her latest book is Other Tongues. See p.13 Alexandre Huillet-Raffi Dr Alexandre Huillet-Raffi MCIL CL is a sworn certified translator-interpreter in France and Luxembourg and a sworn certified translator in Belgium. He is an expert with the Chambéry Court of appeal, Supreme Court of Justice in Luxembourg and Brussels Court of Appeal. See p.22 Zora Jackman Zora Jackman MCIL is a qualified public service interpreter with over 15 years' experience. A tutor on PSI courses at Cardiff University, she facilitates reflective practice support groups for interpreters dealing with difficult situations. See p.13 Irene Macías Dr Irene Macías MCIL CL is a Senior Lecturer in Spanish and Applied Linguistics at the University of Bath. She is currently working on decolonisation, specifically the teaching of Spanish in Spain's former African colonies. Her latest publication is Reading the Spanish-Speaking World. See p.16 Irina Norton Irina Norton is a public service and conference interpreter with over 17 years' experience in the industry. She also works as a business consultant. See p.13 Jenny Patterson A midwifery lecturer at Edinburgh Napier, Jenny Patterson has a particular interest in traumatic birth experiences and midwives' work-related trauma. See p.18 Gerard Pitt Gerard Pitt is the Welsh Government lead for international languages in the school curriculum, and has worked on curriculum programmes for over 20 years. See p.20 Justine Raymond Justine Raymond MCIL is a freelance Spanish>English translator, primarily working for law firms specialising in immigration law based in the US and UK; jrtranslation.com; justine@jr-ts.com. See p.7 Charlotte Ryland Charlotte Ryland is Director of the Stephen Spender Trust and Queen's College Translation Exchange, which run competitions and workshops for thousands of young linguists every year. See p.10 Şebnem Susam-Saraeva Dr Şebnem Susam-Saraeva MCIL CL is a Senior Lecturer in Translation Studies at the University of Edinburgh, focusing on translation and (maternal) health. She is also a practising doula. See p.18 CONTRIBUTORS

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