Chartered Institute of Linguists
SUMMER 2026 The Linguist 21
FEATURES
battle cry Slava Ukraini! ('Glory to Ukraine!'), which
promotes Ukrainian sovereignty and opposes
foreign aggression.
Tech problems seem to be a recurring theme.
Everyone is apparently used to swapping between their
laptops and phones to try to maintain an internet
connection. This can also make it impossible to
download the documents they need, which meant
Olena and I couldn't check the students' write-up of the
session as planned. I felt humbled when she thanked me
for my "patience and understanding"; I can't imagine
trying to work in the difficult conditions they have to
cope with on a daily basis.
My talk was, in part, concerned with challenges in
legal interpreting, such as the need to constantly update
legal terminology glossaries, and the nature of
intellectually and emotionally challenging legal work.
However, for these students, the most significant
challenge is just surviving the war. Now in its fifth year,
the invasion shows no sign of abating any time soon,
and Olena tells me that several lectures have been
cancelled as a result of recent attacks.
Assuming students can successfully complete their
courses, their problems won't end there. Future on-site
interpreting assignments might be interrupted or
cancelled due to attacks. Remote interpreting jobs, too,
are suffering due to disrupted internet connections,
making them unattractive to clients whether they are
based in Ukraine or elsewhere.
The usual advice about having back-up equipment
and two internet connections probably won't help
them. General advice about the uncertainties and
vagaries involved in a freelance career will be water off a
duck's back, because their lives are already subject to
such uncertainty. Responding promptly to job offers
could also be problematic when there is a loss of
power. Where they do manage to secure jobs which
require advance preparation of legal documents, if their
internet connections are not functioning properly, they
may not be able to access materials in good time, or
even at all.
I can only hope and pray that they will all make it
through the war to have the careers they are working
towards. Needless to say, I didn't charge for my time. It
was a privilege to e-meet these brave and positive
students and lecturers. I wish them every success –
what they have achieved so far, and in a war zone, is
quite remarkable!
BOMB THREAT
Living close to the
fighting means regularly
losing electricity and
internet connection,
evacuations to bomb
shelters, and studying
under threat of bombing.
A school in Chernihiv
hit by a Russian strike
(main image); a
destroyed residential
building in the city
(above); and a student
works in the dark due to
a power outage (top)
SHUTTERSTOCK
/
KUTSENKO
VOLODYMYR
©
SHUTTERSTOCK
/
DROP
OF
LIGHT
©
SHUTTERSTOCK
/
DIKUSHIN
DMITRY
