The Linguist

@CIOL_Linguists What the papers say… King Linguist: How many languages does King Charles speak? 30/3/23 King Charles speaks four languages in a variety of proficiency. These languages are English, Welsh, French and German… It is also rumoured that King Charles is speaking Greek fluently… In 1991 King Charles learned some Gaelic so he could read his children [sic] book The Old Man of Lochnagar on Scottish TV. Manchester Library's Most Borrowed Foreign Language Books Revealed, 2/3/23 The most borrowed book in Manchester Central Library not in English is the Arabic title Qasas Un Nabiyeen (or Stories of the Prophets) by Syed Saeed Ali Shah… The library, which opened in 1934, has also delved into its records for the past three decades and revealed what the most popular books to be borrowed in 14 other languages are… [They include] Bengali: g o (Nutritional quality of food and eating habits) by Harun-ar-Rashid. French: Sépharade by Éliette Abécassis. The latest from the languages world Philip Harding-Esch reports on fears that former British Army interpreters could be deported The UK's treatment of Afghan interpreters who have worked with the British Army has again been thrown into the spotlight, as the government's immigration policy – particularly its plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda – continues to face criticism and legal challenges. After an Afghan war veteran was threatened with deportation to Rwanda, the activist Mohammad Rafi Hottak, who previously worked as an interpreter for the British Army in Afghanistan, raised concerns about the impact of closing asylum routes. This comes as the Army had to "apologise unreservedly" for telling Afghan interpreters in hiding that they could come to the UK, but only if they first asked the Taliban to approve their documents. "Afghan asylum NEWS & EDITORIAL cases should be handled with empathy and consideration," said Hottak, who came to the UK in 2011. Despite receiving death threats, he only won his case for citizenship after an appeal, and has been campaigning for better treatment from the UK government ever since. In another case, compensation was denied to Jamal Barak, who was shot twice – in the chest and the back – while working for eight years with the British Army as an interpreter, starting when he was 17. After fleeing Afghanistan he was told he was ineligible for the UK government's compensation scheme even though he has difficulty walking, requires daily pain relief and is not able to work as a result of his injuries. SUMMER 2023 The Linguist 5 'Hidden' Bible Chapter Discovered Using UV Light, 12/4/23 The lost section represents one of the earliest translations of the Gospels, according to the study published recently in the journal New Testament Studies. Ultraviolet photography was used to find the chapter hidden underneath two layers of text… "This discovery proves how productive and important the interplay between modern digital technologies and basic research can be when dealing with medieval manuscripts," said Claudia Rapp, director of the Institute for Medieval Research at the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Afghan asylum fears £4m for teacher recruitment The Department for Education (DfE) has designated £4 million to help schools in England to recruit language teachers from abroad. Starting in September, this trial initiative aims to tackle a growing recruitment problem, with only 66% of language teacher vacancies filled last year. The pilot fund will offer a "relocation premium" of £10,000 for up to 400 overseas teachers to work in England as language teachers. Open to trainee and established teachers of any language other than English, the premium will be paid at the end of their first term of work. © SHUTTERSTOCK

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