Chartered Institute
of Linguists
NEWS & VOICES
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 –...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...