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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thelinguist.uberflip.com DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016 The Linguist 29 OPINION & COMMENT Michelle Homden MCIL is a translator at the Directorate- General for Translation in Brussels. TL Why studying a new language is all in a day's work MICHELLE HOMDEN Working for Europe Tuesdays and Thursdays require an early start. My bike ride takes me through Parc du Cinquantenaire, under the arch that commemorates the founding of Belgium, to join the traffic skirting Place Schuman. It continues past the cruciform Berlaymont building, headquarters of the European Commission, and through the European Quarter to the EU's Learning Centre and my 8.30am Greek class. Over summer, the corridors were quieter in the English department of the Directorate- General for Translation. Colleagues were scattered across Europe, from Copenhagen to Kraków, Santorini to Dubrovnik, on intensive language courses. In September, following eight months of translating, I joined the team responsible for English in IATE, the EU's terminology database, for the final month of my probation. Terminology is not about terms but concepts. A term can have multiple entries in the database but each must describe a single concept. For example, I discovered that the term 'decant oil' can refer to two different oil industry by-products: one also known as 'clarified slurry oil' or 'FCC bottom oil'; the other as 'slurry oil' or 'decant oil sludge'. That enriched my vocabulary. My professional background in information management had been useful preparation for terminology work. Such transferable skills had helped me in the recruitment process. Another advantage was having twice taken courses in Guarani, the indigenous language of Paraguay. For translators aspiring to work for the European Commission, it is vital to demonstrate a willingness to acquire new – and difficult – languages. I have colleagues who translate from up to a dozen languages and continue to acquire more. One who was recruited with German and Spanish has moved on to Estonian and Polish. Another who began with French and Hungarian subsequently learned Croatian in time for that country's accession to the EU. Intensive courses are currently running in Lithuanian, Finnish and Romanian. Learning a new language is not compulsory but, as one colleague put it, "If you're a linguist, it's what you do." Before arriving in Brussels last January, I had studied for several years at London's Hellenic Centre. As a freelancer, I never quite had the resources to get my Greek to professional level. Now, with classes twice a week, I expect to start translating from Greek after Christmas, beginning with easy documents to be revised by experienced colleagues. All my adult life I have attended language classes. Here, they are part of my job. My probation is over, I intend to stay. It is three years since I started reviewing the media for this column, and I have been variously fascinated, amused, disgusted and surprised at the range of stories which focus on languages. I am also beginning to see some patterns emerging. Here are my top ten – highly unscientific – conclusions from my observations of language stories from tabloid, broadsheet and online media: 1 Although they often report on 'negative' situations, education stories are invariably well-disposed towards the idea of studying languages. They never say language learning is a bad thing. 2 Similarly, business stories demonstrate an awareness that language skills are needed to improve the UK's performance in global markets. 3 And there is an awareness that language skills benefit job prospects – 16% of job applicants have apparently falsely claimed to speak a language on their CV! 4 Celebrities, including football managers, royals, the Pope and Mark Zuckerberg, are providing positive role models of language use. But is the fact that these are exceptional people giving the message that language skills are somehow out of the ordinary? 5 At the same time, there is often criticism of celebrities' language skills (remember David Beckham's Spanish?). Do we set the bar too high in expecting perfection? 6 There is a fascination with mapping the UK's changing linguistic landscape. 7 But also difficulties with coming to terms with it – community languages are often portrayed as a threat to social cohesion, and translation and interpreting as a waste of 'taxpayers' money'. 8 Languages are often used as a marker of difference and used negatively in stories about migrants, the EU etc. 9 Weird and wacky stories about languages reveal a general ignorance about the nature of language/language learning. 10 Finally, there are many technological solutions that will come to our rescue! Teresa Tinsley is Director of Alcantara Communications; www.alcantaracoms.com TERESA TINSLEY