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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32 The Linguist FEBRUARY/MARCH www.iol.org.uk INSTITUTE MATTERS An exciting opportunity CHRISTINE POCOCK REPORTS ON THE INTERPRETING DIVISION'S 'TOURIST GUIDING' EVENT IN NOVEMBER DIVISIONS & SOCIETIES The Interpreting Division Committee has been conscious, over the last year in particular, of a requirement for some members to change career pathways – especially our PSI (public service interpreting) members, who, since the award of the new MoJ Framework Agreement to ALS in 2011, have been thoroughly dissatisfied with the reduced rates of pay and terms and conditions for legal sector work. With this in mind, we invited the Institute of Tourist Guiding (ITG) and a practising Blue Badge guide to speak at our first CPD event of the 2012/13 programme: 'Tourist guiding: An exciting opportunity', held at the Novotel, London City South on 10 November. In the first session, entitled 'Training to be a Foreign Language Blue Badge Tourist Guide', Isabel Moore, ITG President, gave an excellent overview of the pathway to qualifying as a foreign language Blue Badge Guide. Isabel became a Blue Badge tour guide for London in 2006, initially working in English. She went on to pass the institute's French and Italian examinations at the end of 2006 and now works predominantly in those languages. The ITG was founded in April 2002 as the standard-setting body for the whole tourist guiding sector, and in 2008 received the prestigious David Crystal Award from the CIOL for fostering the study of languages. It has its own code of professional conduct and, as an Ofqual-recognised awarding organisation, offers examinations (with a view to uniform tourist guide qualifications and standards of competence), accredits training programmes and maintains a register of qualification holders. It is also the owner of the Blue Badge and Green Badge trademarks. Isabel's presentation gave an excellent overview of the three levels of qualification: level 2 is site-specific (eg St Paul's Cathedral), level 3 (Green Badge) qualifies guides to lead tours in towns and small cities, and level 4 (Blue Badge) qualifies them to guide in large metropolitan areas, eg, London or South-West England. Its other qualifications include additional endorsements for qualified guides, such as those working at the Palace of Westminster. Last, but certainly not least, the institute offers examinations for guiding in a foreign language. Zuzana Cartwright, MITG, led our second session: 'A Day in the Life of a Foreign Language Blue Badge Tourist Guide'. Zuzana qualified as a lawyer in Prague but her love of history, architecture and people led to a very different career portfolio. She was registered as a Slovak Blue Badge guide for London in 1996 and is currently the only guide registered for that language. Her mother tongues are Czech and Slovak, and she is also fluent in Russian. Zuzana spoke dynamically, amusingly and passionately about the many strands of her job, from city walking and coach tours, to guiding for longer holiday trips and for smaller private groups. Although she enjoys the work enormously, there are many challenges, particularly on longer trips where the guide is often expected not only to talk about the places they are visiting but also to resolve a myriad of other issues. The over-optimistic scheduling by travel companies is a frequent logistical hurdle, and the varying way in which different nationalities interpret the meaning of 'punctuality', in terms of returning to coaches and meeting places, is a recurring issue for both speakers. Isabel and Zuzana outlined some of their coping strategies for this problem, which involved a lot of diplomacy and adaptation – and occasionally leaving certain members of the tour group behind. Both speakers emphasised the constant need to research news topics and keep existing knowledge up-to-date. Zuzana's statement 'guiding's not only my job but my passion' clearly applied to Isabel too. After our usual networking lunch in the hotel restaurant, Zuzana led a guided city walking tour along the Thames from Southwark Bridge. Not only did those who went on the walk say how much they enjoyed it, but they were also very impressed by the amount of knowledge required to do it. Even the inclement weather cheered up, so the customary tourist guide brolly wasn't needed to ward off the rain after all. ON TOUR Blue Badge guide for London, Sara Colclough, takes a group of tourists to Horse Guards Parade, site of the annual Trooping the Colour ceremonies © T INA E NGSTRÖM