Chartered Institute
of Linguists
NEWS & VOICES
The new Chair of the UK Parliament’s languages group on how judgements over his Geordie roots, a year abroad in post-Pinochet Chile and a love of language learning contributed to his political awakening and dedication to sociolinguistics
So, Darren, what made you want to join the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages (APPG ML)?I was first elected as...
What versions of ‘The Girl from Ipanema’ reveal about the conflicting needs of song translation.
By Vivian Federicci
Anyone who’s heard the iconic jazz tune ‘The Girl from Ipanema’ – or, more precisely, the bossa nova classic – can instantly drift away on its smooth melody to a sun-soaked beach in Rio de Janeiro. You can practically feel the tropical...
Julie Barber is an enthusiast of CIOL's electronic 'certified translation' stamps and explains here why more translators should use them
The Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL) provides members with a range of electronic stamps and logos. The stamps – which come in several designs and colours – can be found by logging in to the website and heading to the...
Illustration by Maxfield Parrish for Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
Are you sitting comfortably? Eyhab Baden Eddin on the challenges of translating Arabic short stories
Translating literature is never just about words – it is about carrying stories across cultures without letting their essence fall through the cracks. Arabic short stories come wrapped...
Why each language version tells a different story, and the power dynamics behind the platform. By Guilherme Fians
Few would disagree that the airplane is one of the great marvels of modern engineering – and we could confidently call that a consensus. But consult Wikipedia about who invented it and the answer depends on the language you read. On the English-...
When in Rome...
Why phrases tell us as much about our shared human experiences as they do about our differences. By Antonio Muñoz Barragán
Idioms, proverbs and other phrases
Phraseology, which includes idioms, proverbs and other types of set phrases, is known to pose a challenge to translators due to the specific properties these structures convey. But...
Could linguists become influencers like people in other fields? Jonathan Downie tries to widen his social media reach
While YouTube has made stars of engineers, scientists, artists, food experts, and even people who video themselves unboxing things, language professionals have not done so well. Sure, there are channels on language learning, some on linguistics...
The Linguist Editorial Board member Professor Binhua Wang invited several MA translation master’s students in Chinese to translate one feature article from each of the four issues of The Linguist in the past year. Each translation has been translated by one, then revised by another, and then proof-read by their translation tutor.
Binhua’s initiative seeks...
Using metrics and corporate speak to make the case for localisation to clients in language they understand
By Melanie Morawetz
As localisation specialists in 2025, we are navigating a landscape of relentless, unforgiving change. What once felt like steady, incremental progress in CAT tools and neural machine translation (NMT) has collapsed under...
“I knew it was a scam – but I needed it to be real.” Charlotte Hale-Burgess examines a growing problem
When I left a successful sales career to become a freelance translator, I brought with me a sense of purpose, excitement and the (potentially dangerous) need to prove myself. I had made a bold decision to follow a long-held passion and turn it into a...