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/914406
At the CBI's annual conference at the start of November, the Prime Minister Theresa May said that the government is working to provide the "right frameworks" for business investment ahead of the publication of its White Paper on Industrial Strategy. The CBI stressed that its members are calling for a "'leapfrog' strategy, aimed at the UK overtaking competitors, not just catching up". However, during the consultation phase in April, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Modern Languages pointed out that the government's Industrial Strategy Green Paper made no mention of language skills – an area where the UK already falls behind its competitors. Key points from the APPG's response included: • Evidence that language skills are associated with greater economic performance, and concern that the British Chambers of Commerce found that 96% of English exporters had no foreign language ability for the markets they serve, with the largest deficits in the fastest-growing markets. • A reduction in the government's provision of language support for UK exporters. • A call to build foreign languages into strategies for technical education, and throughout the education system. • Concerns that the education system is not providing adequate access to language skills, with just 9% of British 15-year-olds competent in a foreign language, compared to 42% Europe. • Evidence that regional weaknesses in participation and attainment in foreign languages correlate with poor productivity and low skill levels as a whole. In the North- East in 2016, only 43% sat a language GCSE, compared to 65% in Inner London. • A need to capitalise on the 1 million school pupils who are bilingual in a range of strategically and economically important languages; these languages are poorly served in the education system. The APPG was also concerned that the Green Paper made little mention of specific sectors of the economy, such as tourism, transport and the creative industries, while professional and public services were not mentioned at all. The group called for a 'sector deal' for the language industry – including interpreters, translators, teachers and researchers – within the parameters described in the Industrial Strategy. The language industry across the EU as a whole is estimated to be worth over €20bn and is growing fast. The Industrial Strategy White Paper was due for publication as we went to press. 6 The Linguist Vol/56 No/6 2017 www.ciol.org.uk NEWS & EDITORIAL Philip Harding-Esch considers the all-party group's response to the government's Industrial Strategy Inside parliament Philip Harding-Esch works on behalf of the British Council to support the APPG on Modern Languages. TL © SHUTTERSTOCK 'Irish Language Act: Stormont sources indicate "definite shift" in mood', 7/9/17 As recently as Sunday, DUP MP Gregory Campbell said unambiguously: "Gerry Adams has emphatically stated that if there is no Irish language act, there will be no Stormont… If we take Mr Adams at face value and he means what he says, then there will be no Stormont."… There have been rumours that, despite Mr Campbell's hardline rhetoric, the DUP could accept a stand-alone Irish language act incorporating a more moderate version of what Sinn Fein initially wanted… It is understood that over the summer the DUP contacted other UK jurisdictions about how they implement their language legislation. What the papers say… 'The Man who "Discovered" 780 Indian Languages', 27/10/17 [Ganesh Devy] found that the nomadic communities in the desert state of Rajasthan used a large number of words to describe the barren landscape, including ones for how man and animal separately experience the sandy nothingness… Seven years ago, he launched his ambitious People's Linguistic Survey of India (PLSI), which he called a "right-based movement for carrying out a nation-wide survey of Indian languages as people perceive them". 'Here's How to Say the Hogwarts Houses in Other Languages', 25/7/17 Despite using a different alphabet, the Arabic and Greek translations keep the same pronunciation of all the Hogwarts houses… Italian, French, Welsh and Hungarian have completely changed some of the houses to make their onomatopoeic quality more obvious for their audience. 'Slytherin' became Serpentard in French and in Welsh, translators went for the descriptive Slaffenog. 'Hufflepuff', the house represented by a badger, became Tassorosso in Italian, Poufsouffle in French and Wfftiwff [sic] in Welsh.