Chartered Institute
of Linguists

NEWS & VOICES

Category:
The Linguist

By Maureen Cohen

 

 
Translators of popular science are, in a sense, translating a translation...

Scientists speak a dialect of their own, with both terminology specific to their field of inquiry and a broader idiom shared by the community as a whole. Science communicators approach their subject matter with many of the same basic problems as translators: How can I...

Published on Friday, 5 January 2024 - 10:58am
Category:
The Linguist
Category:
The Linguist

By Anita van Adelsbergen


The inventor of the languages game League of the Lexicon discusses his passion for words and why it is all about being curious. He explains all to CIOL Council member Anita van Adelsbergen.
 

 

Joshua, you’re a game publisher, a marketing specialist, a photographer and designer, you’ve co-founded an art gallery and written a book...

Published on Monday, 6 November 2023 - 12:33pm
Category:
The Linguist
Category:
The Linguist

Sara Horcas-Rufián

Tell us about your early experiences. Have you always had a passion for languages?

I vividly recall my fascination with the (big) wide world long before I could articulate it in words. As a child, I felt an exhilarating sense of adventure watching the cartoon Around the World with Willy Fog. I began writing short stories and for three years in a row I...

Published on Tuesday, 24 October 2023 - 4:40pm
Category:
The Linguist
Category:
The Linguist

By Karl McLaughlin


Translating inflight magazines and why it is the perfect gig for translators with wanderlust!
 


Who has not read a travel magazine or supplement and felt jealous of the writers who are paid to visit appetising destinations? Among linguists, such travel possibilities tend to be associated with conference interpreters lucky enough to be...

Published on Friday, 6 October 2023 - 11:47am
Category:
The Linguist
Category:
The Linguist

By Clare Richards


For Clare Richards, translation and autism are interwoven, but until she started an online forum for disabled translators she didn’t realise how many others felt the same way


It’s almost exactly a year ago and I am walking towards London’s Southbank to meet a fellow literary translator. One sensory onslaught is replaced by another –...

Published on Friday, 11 August 2023 - 1:10pm
Category:
The Linguist
Category:
The Linguist

By Philippe Muriel
 

Is public service interpreting the ‘poor relative’ of the interpreting profession, and how can we change that?


I must confess, I am a fan of interpreters’ chat groups on social media. Interpreting is a lonely job and it is rare for us to meet up with colleagues for a chat. Few of us have a mentor to whom we can turn for guidance or advice...

Published on Wednesday, 26 July 2023 - 1:18pm
Category:
The Linguist
Category:
The Linguist

Jo Tillotson considers the language needs of the Girl Guides and how the organisation is delivering globally

The week I turned 7 years old, I joined Brownies for the first time: a group of 20 or so girls in brown dresses in a suburban church hall. I had no idea that I was starting an adventure that would last over 35 years, and which continues today. That adventure has taken...

Published on Monday, 10 July 2023 - 2:50pm
Category:
The Linguist
Category:
The Linguist

Justine Raymond argues that change will only come when translators start to openly discuss their rates

A recent conversation with a well-known translator about the reluctance of people generally to talk about how much they earn got me thinking about the pervasiveness of poor remuneration in the translation profession. Pointing out the tendency for earnings to be on the paltry side in...

Published on Friday, 31 March 2023 - 4:58pm
Category:
The Linguist
Category:
The Linguist

At an event to mark a new collaboration between CIOL and Duolingo, guests sat in on a conversation between the CEOs of the two organisations

CIOL’s motto is ‘universal understanding’ and Duolingo’s mission is to make language learning universally accessible, so working together makes perfect sense. One practical way of doing that is to share what we know about language learning...

Published on Friday, 13 January 2023 - 2:27pm
Category:
The Linguist
Category:
The Linguist

When we hear about fixers for the media, it is often about supporting foreign journalists in conflict zones. However, another area of the media that makes extensive use of bilingual fixers is TV (and radio) coverage of sports events. This can represent a rich opportunity for work and memorable experiences for linguists – especially if, like me, you’re also a sports fan.

A translator and...

Published on Friday, 23 December 2022 - 10:14am
Category:
The Linguist