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/786024
Back in May 2016, I wrote on the CIOL blog, "Between us, we have a vast array of knowledge and expertise and I'd like to find more ways for members to support and learn from each other." During many conversations and meetings over the last few months, I've been impressed by the diverse range of expertise and experience CIOL members bring to their work, and their willingness to share their knowledge with fellow linguists. The range of topics being covered in events planned by our member networks is a case in point. Members in Scotland, for example, can take their pick of marketing workshops in Glasgow, sign language research in Dundee and confidentiality for translators and interpreters in Perth. Further south, the Business, Professions and Government Division will be exploring the work of the UN and delving into the terminology of recycling in Birmingham and Bicester respectively, while the Lincolnshire Society's regular networking events will cover subjects ranging from Brexit to theatre translation. The commitment and professionalism shown by the members who lead our networks in the UK, Germany, Spain, Hong Kong and, most recently, China are exemplary – please do support their efforts (see p.30-31). I'm delighted to see that same commitment from all 13 members standing for election to Council this year and look forward to working with the six successful candidates. Council members play a vital role in CIOL, providing financial oversight, representing members' views in policymaking and strategic planning, and promoting our mission and objectives (see page 34 for Council member Tom Gale's story). If you haven't already voted, either online or by post, you have until 24 February. New Council members will be joining us at an exciting time, with membership increasing, the membership pathway now well established, and plans in place to extend and promote Chartered Linguist registration and refresh our Continuing Professional Development programme. 2017 marks a major step in our strategic planning process as we develop our plan for the next three years and beyond, building on the discussions held in June 2016. Four common themes emerged: the role and impact of technology, cultural shifts, the importance of branding and positioning, and the need to develop partnerships and collaboration. Members can read a summary of the key points at ciol.org.uk/about. These themes, current developments in the languages sector and the potential impact of the decision to leave the European Union will inform our thinking when we meet as a new Council for our next strategic planning day in April. Finally, we will be holding our new, combined Members' Day and AGM at the QEII Conference Centre in central London on 25 March: I look forward to seeing you there. Karen Stokes Despite working in the creative industries, I would count myself as an empiricist: I want to know that theories and methods for any given subject are supported by thorough (and ongoing) research. In this issue, we look at two areas where research is lacking – the first concerning translation into a non-native language, as literary translator Marta Dziurosz argues that strict adherence to the 'native translator' model is biased against 'bilingual translators' (those working both out of and into a non-native language). And there is certainly a case for greater research to assess whether the quality of the translation is affected (p.26). The second area is the gender bias in interpreting, where the ratio of women to men is reportedly 3:1. A quick search of the industry's online forums shows that there are strong beliefs about the reasons for this imbalance, invariably based on perceived feminine vs. masculine skills sets. Rachael Ryan's investigation could be seen as a starting point – looking, as it does, at the male perspective (p.18). It would be interesting for further studies to explore the female perspective and the role gender stereotyping itself has to play in people's career choices. Interestingly, one member of the Editorial Board notes that, in her work for the Norwegian offshore industry, there are more male interpreters than female. In our Awards Focus we hear from two 'language champions' who have had to adapt to cuts in Government funding for languages, but continue to promote and inspire language learning today (p.10-15). Our cover story, looking at the challenges of interpreting for victims of female genital mutilation, also raises some important issues (p.8). Miranda Moore 4 The Linguist Vol/56 No/1 2017 www.ciol.org.uk NEWS & EDITORIAL CHAIR OF COUNCIL'S NOTES EDITOR'S LETTER New Council members will be joining us at an exciting time, with membership increasing