Chartered Institute
of Linguists
NEWS & VOICES
‘WoLLoW’, an answer to the teaching of languages in primary schools?
By John Claughton
The National Curriculum sets out the purpose of language teaching in our schools like this.
‘A high-quality languages education should foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. The teaching should enable pupils to express...
By Professor Paul Bishop
Abercromby Street in the Calton district of Glasgow is home to the Calton Weavers’ Cemetry, an historical burial ground established in 1787 by the Calton Incorporation of Weavers. Pride of place in the cemetery is a monument to the “Martyrs,” or those Weavers who were killed during the strike of 1787.
In the eighteenth and...
By Regina Seelos, German/English translator
Like the global markets, especially in the translation sector, the German market is in uproar or turmoil. There’s still tonnes of work out there, but tech companies want to make us – and also our customers – believe that freelance translators will be out of work soon because AI can do it all. Many colleagues have also...
By John Worne
In their recent publication Languages in UK Education Wendy Ayres-Bennett and Charles Forsdick present a fascinating summary of language education in the UK, capturing distinct approaches across its four nations from which policymakers can learn.
Diverging Policies, Common Challenges
England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern...
By Carina Balbo
In my 25 years in the translation industry, I don’t think I’ve ever received as many scam emails as I have in the past few months. While many of us can spot an obvious scam, it’s clear that scammers are becoming increasingly savvy, presenting offers that can appear legitimate at first glance. As translators, we must stay vigilant, not only to protect...
by Gwenydd Jones
I’m writing today buried in the autumn leaves of blue-skied Andorra. This year, I’m using my digital nomadism for a winter of skiing and steaming mugs of Catalan: que nevi, que nevi, que nevi.
Freelancing online today is all change but three constants remain...
Excellence, marketing and diversification. On the days when I choose...
Lt Col John Cross (rtd) lives in Nepal and is in his fifth decade of CIOL membership.
He speaks a great many languages – including some very rare ones as you will read below – and has had several books published drawing from his 99 year life with languages, published by Pen & Sword Books https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/J-P-Cross/a/870.
In a significant...
I first visited France in 1959 on my 11th birthday. Within minutes of stepping ashore I was stung by a wasp. The pain. The indignity. I was sure it had been waiting for me.
Things picked up after that. By the time of my year abroad (1969-70) as a British Council assistant in a Dijon lycée I had made a full recovery and was a 100% Francophile and Germanophile, following exchange...
Showcasing the science of language
By Rebecca Mitchell
National Linguistics Day is a new focal point in the year to get people thinking, talking and learning about the science of language. It is part of Linguistics HQ, a broader initiative aimed at sparking curiosity about linguistics and helping to integrate it into education.
The idea for...
When a multilingual graduate doesn't want to work in Translation, Teaching or Interpreting I always recommend that they just put pen to paper, brainstorm roles and sectors that may require them and research potential roles that may be of interest...
Some graduates don't use their language skills and the majority that do will go into Translation, Teaching or...