Chartered Institute
of Linguists
NEWS & VOICES
by Annie Rutherford
Why Annie Rutherford added linguistic diversity to her translation of The Peacock, and how she approached the Scots text
It’s a strange thing: as a reading public, we think nothing of British novels set in Botswana, France or Brazil – and yet with translated books there’s an expectation for them to function as ambassadors for the countries they’re from. When...
by Sophie Llewellyn Smith*
Sophie Llewellyn Smith offers her advice on self-assessing a C language, and effective approaches to turning it into a B language
An interpreter’s quest for rock solid passive languages is never-ending. How can you assess the lacunae in your passive or ‘C’ languages and design an action plan to address your weaknesses?
Resources for foreign...
How are bilingual Welsh-English shows made? Miranda Moore speaks to the makers of Keeping Faith and Hidden to find out
Faith Howells is one of those roles that actors dream of playing. Relatable, funny, empassioned and complex, the character had viewers gripped as she struggled to make sense of her husband’s disappearance in the surprise BBC hit Keeping Faith. Eve Myles brought...
By Claire Storey
Why is it important for children to have access to books in translation? Claire Storey reports on World Kid Lit.
Over the last 18 months, countries around the world have seen borders closing and restrictions imposed on travel. Against this backdrop, interest in children’s books in translation appears to be growing, and 2020 was the most successful year to date...
By Romana Sustar
Romana Sustar meets bestselling novellist Mario Giordano.
I discovered Mario Giordano at a Graz train station on my way back to London. It was a freezing morning and it started to snow. I got myself a cup of coffee, sat down in the waiting room and found a book that somebody had left there: Tante Poldi und die sizilianischen Löwen (Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian...
By Eloísa Monteoliva-García
When we talk about interpreting, whether related to interpreting practice, research or interpreter training, it is often conceptualised as an activity which primarily functions as a bridge between two parties who would otherwise be disconnected because they cannot access each other’s language. The interpreter is typically the bilingual participant in the room...
By Reza Shirmarz
Is gaming really a waste of time or could it be one of our greatest aids to language learning? Reza Shirmarz investigates.
Games have always been an efficient way to master new kinaesthetic and linguistic skills, especially for our youngsters. Computers and digital technology have not only revolutionised education systems, but also provided young people...
By Theo Merz
More people are listening to and making podcasts than ever before. BBC Sounds, the British national broadcaster’s radio and music app, reported around half a billion podcast plays in 2020; globally, there are some 1.7 million podcasts offering discussions and reports on topics ranging from true crime to ceramics, space travel, sex, gardening, left-wing literary analysis and...
By Debbie Garrick
Debbie Garrick takes us inside the varied, evolving and growing field of cosmetics and skincare translation
The cosmetics industry is worth billions worldwide. Germany, the UK and France are the biggest consumers of cosmetics and personal care items in Europe,1 and with €79.8 billion in retail sales in 2019, Europe is the largest cosmetics market in the world....
By Lucy Makepeace
Lucy Makepeace travels to the West African nation to help improve the way Ewe-speaking pupils are taught French
When I went to Senegal on a humanitarian mission in 2018, the level of poverty among the street children and communities I worked with was heartbreaking but sadly not unexpected. What really shocked me was that citizens were expected to speak French...