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The Lingist thelinguist.uberflip.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 The Linguist 29 OPINION & COMMENT My first semester on the e-learning course has come to an end; it's time for a well- earned break in the Balkans. But, as they say, nothing in life comes for free. It's assessment season and frayed nerves are powering the campus. The discussion boards are drying up. Naturally, we are keeping our best ideas to ourselves – and scared of looking like fools by asking questions four days before deadline. The truth is, we should be talking more often during independent study. The e-learning structure can amplify what is already an isolating period as we concentrate on our own projects – I wonder whether a student-only social networking platform would encourage engagement. On a couple of occasions, I've bitten the bullet and spoken up; likewise, I've appreciated colleagues who are brave enough just to ask. Even emailed grimaces to and from colleagues help: they mean that I'm not the only one second-guessing myself. If a few useful resources are exchanged, even better. It's nobody's fault that discussion quietens at assessment time: on top of an increased workload, we have other responsibilities – including, for some, full-time jobs. Across 7 To blind (6) 8 Point in an orbit furthest 'from Earth' – Greek (6) 9 British philosopher (born yesterday in Spain?) (4) 10 International airline, translated as 'Air fleet' (8) 11 Greek sea-god, from which we derive an adjective meaning 'versatile, mutable' (7) 13 Language known as Dari in Afghanistan, spoken by more than 100 million people (5) 15 100th of a rouble (5) 17 A collective farm in the USSR (7) 20 Early trombones, from Spanish 'to pull a pipe' (8) 21 The French call it a papillon de nuit (4) 22 African nation where the Baganda form the largest ethnic group (6) 23 Model of the solar system named after an earl (6) Down 1 Hungarian in Hungarian (6) 2 Title of the Russian emperor (4) 3 After Russia and Ukraine, country with largest population of Russian speakers (7) 4 New Zealand is known as Aoteroa in this language (5) 5 Perhaps your car has one when you go on holiday (4-4) 6 Formerly Indian soldiers, taken from 13 across (6) 12 Runner-up word of the year in 2013, and infamously how Miley Cyrus was dancing in a video (8) 14 One of the most famous Russian authors (7) 16 Anthony Burgess drew on Russian vocabulary in The Clockwork ______ (6) 18 Armpits (6) 19 System of forced labour camps in the Soviet Union (5) 21 Philosopher and inspiration of the Russian revolution (4) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Crossword no.15 Solution, page 25 Why the assessment period can be even more isolating on an e-learning course Master in the making Hannah Embleton-Smith is an MA Translation student at the University of Bristol. TL As for the assessment itself, I've enjoyed the combination of practice and theoretical analysis. Subtitling, in particular, has been a dynamic element of the course, with technical challenges giving me a separate set of parameters for discussing my work, as well as a fresh perspective on what constitutes appropriateness in translation. I feel that training in audiovisual translation will strengthen my CV; demand is growing. Another key strength of the Bristol course is the learning log that all students are required to submit. The log is a reflective practice, mirroring approaches to CPD in the profession. Keeping track of the difficulties I've experienced, alongside my developing strengths, has supported my approach to translation work. Reflective learning is at once humbling and empowering: the learning log pushes me to work on weaknesses and builds my confidence to overcome them. As a result, I am becoming a more assertive translator and feel increasingly prepared for life after the Masters course. HANNAH EMBLETON-SMITH STUDY BREAK Hannah visits Shkoder, Albania