The Linguist

I've been helping my daughter recently with her Spanish GCSE and the question of which words meet the exam criteria keeps coming up. She was once told that Mexican vocabulary (her paternal family is from Chiapas) would be marked 'incorrect'. Sascha Stollhans outlines the difficulties of including language variety in exams (p.32), but there is a difference between the vocab teachers teach (a narrower set of words) and the words pupils can learn independently and use correctly. When it comes to gender-neutral language (the subject of Stollhans' article), there is an argument that this can be taught where it is relevant. After all, if my daughter is asked about her best friend, who is non-binary, she won't be able to answer unless she knows the Spanish pronouns. Ultimately, if we want to enthuse young people about language learning, we probably need to give them the vocabulary that relates to their daily lives – something Anna Rioland, who discusses the need for creativity in the classroom (p.28), and children's author Caroline Lawrence, who excites children about the ancient world via her books and outreach (p.18), know well. Also in this issue, we look at the human systems that are required for AI to work effectively (p.26) and a maternity department's attempt to reduce patient inequality by introducing AI language services (p.20). The translators of a memoir smuggled out of Iran's infamous Evin prison reveal the difficulties of editing the text into a coherent yet powerful narrative (p.10) and Christian Elongue gives a step-by-step approach to professionalising the language industry in Africa (p.14). Miranda Moore 4 The Linguist Vol/65 No/3 ciol.org.uk/thelinguist NEWS & EDITORIAL CHAIR OF COUNCIL'S NOTES As this issue reaches you, I have completed my first six months as Chair of CIOL Council. During that time, one question that comes up regularly when I speak to linguists who are not members is: why should I join CIOL? It is a fair question, and one that has prompted me to reflect on my own journey. Before joining Council six years ago, I was a regular CIOL member, just like many thousands of other colleagues across the language professions. I joined because I wanted to be part of an internationally recognised body that promotes high standards and demonstrates commitment to professional practice. That remains true today. For me, joining a Royal Chartered body was, and still is, a sign of professionalism – both personally and for my clients. CIOL membership signals to clients, colleagues and the wider public that we take our work seriously and that we are committed to maintaining and developing our skills. Outside the UK, CIOL membership is also powerful evidence of English language skills. But I also value the long- standing reputation, the efforts CIOL makes to promote the role of linguists and language learning in the UK and around the globe, the networking opportunities, and the interesting and affordable CPD and events. These are all reasons why I decided to submit my application all those years ago. As some of you will know, I am based in the Netherlands. Like many linguists, I am required to undertake continuing professional development throughout my career. Finding relevant and affordable CPD is not always easy, particularly in a profession where financial pressures can be significant. This is something Council discusses regularly. We are committed to ensuring that CIOL continues to offer high-quality resources, webinars and events that are free to access wherever possible and as accessible as we can make them. One of the benefits I value most is the CIOL webinar library, which has hundreds of recordings covering a wide range of professional topics, allowing me and other members to learn at a time that suits us. I also look forward each year to our annual conferences – face-to-face and online – which bring together practitioners, educators and linguists from all walks of life. Planning for next year's in-person event is already well underway and I am very confident it will once again offer an engaging and diverse programme. Ultimately, organisations like CIOL are only as strong as our membership. The expertise, commitment and support of our members are what enable us to maintain professional standards, advocate for the profession and continue providing resources and services. If you are reading this and not yet a CIOL member, can I encourage you to explore the options available? Every application is carefully reviewed – helping to ensure that the high standards associated with CIOL membership continue to be upheld – but the more linguists who join us the greater the difference we can make. Anita van Adelsbergen EDITOR'S LETTER Share your views: linguist.editor@ciol.org.uk

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