Chartered Institute
of Linguists
NEWS & VOICES
It’s an age-old question. Well maybe not age-old actually, but it has been a question since at least 1954, when the authors of a Georgetown–IBM Machine Translation demo – with an IBM701 mainframe computer, using a rules-based system and an operator punching Romanised Russian sentences onto cards – confidently predicted that Machine Translation (MT) would be solved within the...
The International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC) has issued this important press release. For updates on the situation see their website and twitter.
The International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC) prides itself on being a diligent social partner with the EU Institutions where it has had Collective Agreements for over half a century,...
CIOL CEO John Worne was delighted to be interviewed recently by Gwenydd Jones of The Translator's Studio about the CertTrans.
Gwen asked John what it is, why we created it, who it's for, how it compares to the DipTrans and MAs in Translation and lots more interesting questions, which you can see in the full interview on YouTube here or by clicking on the image...
Some of the work done by the Institute of Fiscal Studies on the impact of undergraduate degrees on lifetime earnings makes for sobering reading for linguists. Their report from a couple of years ago, for instance, suggested that the discounted average lifetime total returns for women in arts and humanities subjects such as creative arts, languages, and philosophy were negative or near-...
R B Lemberg considers their translations of Ukrainian war poets, which reflect their own emotional response to the original poems.
On 24 February 2022, the Russian Federation mounted a brutal, full-scale military invasion against Ukraine. Like many members of the Ukrainian diaspora, I was glued to my smartphone, following the fierce Ukrainian resistance with awe and gratitude,...
Amazingly that is a question we get asked a lot. Our answer is of course – yes! We are often surprised that a mentor would even question their value just because they are retired. The sad fact is that retirement means that for many organisations and professions a wealth of knowledge and experience walks out of the door along with the retiree.
This of course needn’t be the case;...
Deciding to take Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (DPSI) exams was one of the most important decisions I have ever made in my life.
Back in 2014, I held a Level-3 Community Interpreting Qualification and I thought it was alright. I enjoyed working for hospitals, schools, and social services although it never really was a full-time job. I, like many newbies in the...
Sue Leschen and Rosalind Howarth outline their distinct perspectives of a murder case across two venues, as interpreters for court and counsel
During a recent assignment on a murder case, Sue Leschen was booked ‘off contract’ (directly by the court and not by the Ministry of Justice’s outsourcing agency) as the ‘court interpreter’ and Rosalind Howarth was booked by the defendant’s...
Our divisions, societies and networks are run by members, for members, and offer a unique opportunity for language practitioners to come together to network, share ideas, offer support and guidance. Three of our groups; the Interpreting Division, the Business, Professions and Government Division and the Scottish Society are looking for volunteers to join their steering groups. You can be part...
The CIOL team have been working hard to create a new level 6 translation qualification to meet demand: staff members from different departments explain what the CertTrans means to them
Rob Beswick, Head of Membership
From a membership perspective, I am really pleased to see the development of the CertTrans (Certificate in Translation). For established translators it can be a...