The Linguist is a languages magazine for professional linguists, translators, interpreters, language professionals, language teachers, trainers, students and academics with articles on translation, interpreting, business, government, technology
Issue link: https://thelinguist.uberflip.com/i/220935
INSTITUTE MATTERS CONTRIBUTORS Helen Astley Helen Astley has worked with languages in qualifications and standards development, and as a teacher, examiner, inspector and adviser. She is leading the EGPS project. See p.20 Martyn Bond POSITIVE ETHOS A Visiting Professor at the University of London, Dr Martyn Bond HonFCIL is also a press correspondent for the Council of Europe. Among his media and EU roles, he has been Head of the European Parliament Office in the UK. See p.8 Ela at her desk in the Institute's new open-plan office at Dunstan House The right candidate Dragoș Ciobanu WHY NO TWO WORK DAYS ARE THE SAME FOR EXAMINATION ADMINISTRATION CONTROLLER ELA KWASNY-SPECHKO I arrived at the Institute in June 2001 having accepted a two-week temporary placement working as PA to the Director of Examinations. With no previous experience of this type of work, I was not sure how long I would last. Twelve years later, I am still here. The expression 'in the right place at the right time' sums it up nicely. I haven't looked back since. As Examination Administration Controller, I manage the Central Registration Department (CRD), and activities relating to both candidates and examination centres. I consider CRD to be at the heart of the Educational Trust (IoLET). It is a relatively small department, which handles a large volume of diverse work across all IoLET qualifications. The level of knowledge within the department is second to none. Two key members of staff – Jo Vehbi, Examination Supervisor, and Isobel O'Driscoll, Candidate Manager – have nearly 63 years of examination experience between them, gained working solely for the Institute. Daryl Lucas, Examiner Manager, joined the team in 2008 and has made an invaluable contribution. The most admirable characteristic of the CRD team is the positive, 'can do' attitude. They never complain that they are too busy to take on additional work or unable to meet tight deadlines. More often than not, CRD is the first point of contact for potential candidates. The team is highly adaptable when 34 The Linguist dealing with people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. We support candidates at each stage of the examination process, from registration to certification. The low turnover of staff has ensured strong working relationships with past and present candidates and centres. When possible, the level of support is tailored to meet the needs of those who contact us asking for assistance. My role has changed completely over the years, and continues to do so. No two days are ever the same. One month, I may be concentrating on project managing the installation of our new examination database, the following I may be making arrangements and planning delivery of one of the IoLET examinations. In between, I handle a variety of complex queries from candidates and centres. There is a strong element of unpredictability to my work and my working day, especially during busy examination periods. I have learnt to manage and cope with the unexpected quite successfully, and I am especially proud of this. The CRD team embraces change and the Institute's move to new offices at Dunstan House could not have been smoother. With the imminent introduction of a new database over the coming months, further changes to working practices will gradually be introduced, which I am confident will be embraced as enthusiastically as ever. DECEMBER 2013/JANUARY 2014 Dr Dragoș Ciobanu is a Lecturer in Translation Studies at the University of Leeds and is investigating how language professionals can benefit from developments in computer-assisted and machine translation. See p.14 Donald A DePalma With more than 30 years' experience in the fields of technology, language services and market research, Dr Don DePalma is Chief Strategist and Founder of the Common Sense Advisory. He is the author of Business Without Borders. See p.12 Ranjeeta Johnson Known to her colleagues as RJ, Ranjeeta Johnson MCIL is the first qualified Nepalese interpreter and translator in the UK. She specialises in the fields of military, police and law. See p.18 Dominic Luddy Editorial Board member Dominic Luddy managed the national languages campaign Speak to the future before training to teach and qualifying as a language teacher in 2013. See p.22 Angelika Zerfaß Translator Angelika Zerfaß has spent the last 15 years as a consultant, trainer and technical support person for users of translation tools. She is based in Germany and mostly works with SDL Trados and memoQ. See p.16 www.iol.org.uk