The Linguist

When I was learning Spanish in Guatemala a quarter of a century ago, communications from the language school were addressed to 'Compañer@s' and I quickly learnt that the arroba (@) was commonly used to avoid the generic masculine. The problem, of course, was that there was no way of pronouncing this modification, making it useful only in writing. Cut ahead to today and Georgia Meakins looks at the progression of inclusive grammar in gendered languages such as Spanish and French, towards attempts to make them gender neutral (p.16). In doing so, she reveals the new grammar that linguists need to be aware of in their work. Listening to Aston University's excellent Writing Wrongs podcast on forensic linguistics recently, I learnt more about the ways media reporting on scams increases the sense of shame that victims often feel, which can make it harder to extricate themselves from long cons. Translators are particularly targeted by work-related scams that rely on 'sunk costs' (here, an investment of time and energy). Refusing to let the scammers get her down, Charlotte Hale-Burgess reveals what she learnt from the experience on page 8. Also in this issue are articles on approaches to translating Shakespeare in Chinese (p.18); the collaborative, sleuth-like work of CLIL translators (p.10); and advice on using metrics and performance data to prove your worth to clients (p.30). Finally, if you've ever wondered what it takes to be an influencer, Jonathan Downie provides some insights, and makes a plea for more linguists to get involved (p.14). Miranda Moore 4 The Linguist Vol/64 No/2 ciol.org.uk/thelinguist NEWS & EDITORIAL CHAIR OF COUNCIL'S NOTES For CIOL there are at least three points in the year when, for reasons of tradition or operational need, a new year begins. One of those is a cultural new year rooted in religious or social custom and, as we know, this can vary considerably. For many of us, it would be 1 January in the Gregorian calendar. For our many members who observe Chinese, Orthodox, Islamic, Jewish or other traditions the new year begins at other times. You may wonder why new years are in CIOL's thoughts at the moment. Well, we just held our Annual General Meeting (AGM), one of the two annual points when we think of the start of a new year for operational reasons – the other being the financial year, which for CIOL runs from September to August. Not entirely dissimilar to the way different cultures have their own particular seasons and festivals, CIOL's constitutional and financial years have their own seasonality with fixed points, none more prominent than the AGM. (In fact CIOL comprises two constituent legal entities, so we have two AGMs – our qualifications arm, CIOLQ, is governed by an educational trust board with its own AGM.) The CIOL AGM sets the counter for the beginning or completion of the terms of service of members elected to CIOL Council. As a professional and qualification- awarding body, we set rigorous standards not just for those who sit our exams and seek qualification as linguists, but also for those members who put themselves forward to play roles in the governance of our Institute. Those who serve on Council do so in the knowledge that they can serve for a term of three years, renewable for one further term. I have long believed in renewal in governance bodies. After working in voluntary environments for over 30 years, I am convinced that term limits for governance role-holders are essential to ensure the organisations they govern benefit from a regular supply of fresh thinking, heterogeneous perspectives born of diverse backgrounds and experiences, and renewable personal energy! At our most recent AGM in April, members voted overwhelmingly to approve the changes Council proposed to both the language and, in a few cases, the substance of the rules governing CIOL. These changes were largely to replace some archaic and occasionally confusing language, and to make the texts leaner and their meaning clear and unambiguous. Changes to the substance of certain rules were also approved. While these were mostly minor revisions, they included a shift of responsibility – from the AGM to Council – to approve changes to membership fees. Since Council bears a responsibility within its oversight to maintain the financial wellbeing of CIOL, it seemed logical and a sensible move to give it a proper hand-hold on this important financial lever. I was gratified by the clear signal of support for CIOL's leadership and confidence in its governing Council at the AGM. As I enter my third and final year as Chair of Council, I am more than satisfied that our governance is fit for purpose and that those who serve the Institute by providing that governance do so in the best interests of CIOL and its members. Long may this continue. Steve Doswell EDITOR'S LETTER Share your views: linguist.editor@ciol.org.uk

• Cover