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/933479
M ore than 18 months after the British vote to leave the European Union and the country appears to be heading for a hard Brexit. There is a possibility that we may leave without a deal and revert to trading under World Trade Organization rules, making Britain the only country in the world to have no bilateral or multilateral trade agreements, with the exception of Mauritania. This seemed a good time to ask colleagues and clients in the translation industry about their post-referendum experiences and their expectations for the future. I also wanted to know what translators and commercial companies were doing to future-proof their businesses against a likely recession and possible trade barriers after the UK leaves. From growth to decline My informal survey involved 47 translators: 21 from CIOL TransNet and 26 from a Facebook group of translators working in the UK and Europe. A small number stated that they had experienced no change in their work, that they were not expecting any and that they were not making any preparations. On the other end of the spectrum, some colleagues in Britain are so concerned that they are taking precautions including setting up a branch of their business in the EU, 1 moving to an EU27 country or applying for dual nationality. Leaving the UK is harder for translators who are nearing pension age and cannot afford to live on their British pension entitlements in the EU. Continuing uncertainties regarding details such as access to medical services and regulations for paying pensions to Brits living in the EU, are making it hard for them to predict and plan. The majority of colleagues have experienced a change in their work, but that 18 The Linguist Vol/57 No/1 2018 www.ciol.org.uk A TRANSLATOR'S BREXIT Erika Baker asks translators working between Britain and Europe about the impact of Brexit on them so far, and their concerns for the future analyses of existing contracts with a focus on termination clauses and dispute resolution; and more translations of personal documents for relocation, permanent residence and naturalisation. Translations of qualifications and personal documents for relocation to the UK are dropping. Large international companies have tended to put major investment decisions on hold for as long as possible. The falling pound The biggest change has been due to the falling value of the pound. Most British translators working for EU clients report that although they are earning more, they are also paying more for books, software and Leaving EU : for has been different depending on the sectors they work in. There has been increasing work from financial institutions, pharmaceutical companies and banks from Germany, the US, Austria and Switzerland, as well as a rise in legal work. At the same time, the overall client base has decreased for some. For translators working largely for direct clients, the focus of work has shifted. Companies are less forward- looking, there are fewer website translations, fewer new product portfolios, fewer long- term agreements. Many of the texts include provisos that points cannot be finalised until the terms of Brexit are known. There are more translations in connection with staff/office relocations to the EU; more