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
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Vol/52 No/1 2013 FEBRUARY/MARCH The Linguist 17 PRIZEWINNERS 2012 University, has been leading the NNT. Our immediate remit was to promote careers in interpreting and translation among UK language learners. The networks have subsumed the 'Professional Languages' association. Promoting the study of languages among British languages learners was naturally part of our mission, though the overall fostering of the study of languages has been carried out by the Routes programme, which brought together some 75 HEIs in the UK, under the leadership of its Director (and a true champion for languages) Mike Kelly. The networks undertook the task with great enthusiasm and passion. Hefce funds helped us to launch a massive nationwide outreach programme and to complement these activities with engaging and informative web resources. The NNI web project also helped in securing EU funding for a project to develop online interpreter training resources. I currently lead the resulting ORCIT project (see 'Classroom Without Walls', TL51,5). A rescue plan The crisis in language learning in the UK has been well documented. The Routes programme was meant to provide a rescue plan, and Hefce announced another call for bids last month for a follow-up programme. We are witnessing the impact of the previous Government's decision to make languages non-compulsory in schools with the closure of language departments at schools and HEIs. The introduction of high fees for undergraduate courses is causing recruitment problems for postgraduate courses, as graduates cannot afford to go deeper into debt. Recruitment for 2011/12 to T/I courses in some cases dropped by half or more. To add to the current challenges, we often find ourselves having to justify the unique nature of our postgraduate programmes. These demand extra resources, including professional input, the need for selection, links with industry, career guidance and extra administrative support. It is very difficult to convince our institutions that interpreting courses, for example, cannot be aligned with discipline-based courses in terms of course structure, curriculum, contact hours, staff- student ratio and administrative support, and that the quality of interpreting or translation training should not be compromised. In the last decade, we have consolidated our expertise and knowledge to demonstrate to young people that learning a language really enhances their chances of securing exciting careers. By 2011, we saw the fruits of our activities in the increased number of applications to our courses. There is a steady flow of our graduates into the interpreting and translation job markets, at home and abroad. But we hope that the removal of important government funding for the HE sector, including postgraduate provision, and sometimes irrational economy drives do not undo our hard-earned achievements. Notes 1 UCG is part of the International Annual Meeting on Language Arrangements, Documentation and Publications (Iamladp) and its Working Group on Training. Chaired by the UN, Iamladp represents all major international organisations and meets once a year to discuss issues affecting them. Svetlana Carsten won the David Crystal Award for fostering the study of languages. AT THE CEREMONY (Clockwise from l): Svetlana talks with CIOL Royal Patron Prince Michael of Kent; Nick Bowen (r) meets Gaya Noble (Jaffar Hamid Cup winner) and her guest; (l-r) CIOL Chair of Council Keith Moffitt, Vice-President Tim Connell, President Nick Bowen and CEO Hilary Maxwell-Hyslop; and, from Arsenal Double Club, (l-r) Angeliki Petrits, Samir Singh, Steve Eadon and John Evans with the Threlford Cup undertook. (UCG's achievements can be seen at www.iamladp.org.) This collaboration has served us well, as employers have generously provided support for our courses in the form of bursaries, traineeships, pedagogical assistance, staff training schemes and career guidance to students Whatever has been achieved in promoting the profession of interpreting and translation, raising awareness of training standards and fostering the study of languages is thanks to the strong collaboration of dedicated individuals, groups and associations, and employers. Professional Languages and our links with employers served as the basis on which we bid for Hefce (Higher Education Funding Council for England) funds from its outreach programme Routes into Languages. This was the next stage of our activities. Routes provided a very strong platform for the two newly created national networks, one for interpreting (NNI) and the other for translation (NNT). They included seven Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) offering professional postgraduate T/I courses, who were to collaborate with other UK course providers. I have been leading the NNI for nearly six years and Myriam Salama-Carr, at Salford A LL PHOTOS : © C HRIS C HRISTODOULOU