CHARTEREDINSTITUTEOFLINGUISTS 60/3 JUNE/JULY 2021

The Linguist
Gaming it
Are videogames the perfect
tool for language learning?

Permission
to breathe
Why your wellbeing is key
to global sustainability goals

On stand-by
When to interpret and when
not to interpret while using
this under-researched mode
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TRAINING

FREE WEBINARS
for language professionals

How to translate marketing text

18 June 11am-12pm (UK time)
With Katherine Hornsby

Where refugees meet life

in the UK
25 June 11am-12pm (UK time)
International Organisation for Migration

Translators in the
wonderful world of filming
16 July 11am-12pm (UK time)
With Yelena McCafferty

Book your place and explore the list of titles available exclusively to
CIOL members in our free webinar library at:

ciol.org.uk/ciol-training
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CONTENTS

The Linguist The Linguist, formerly

The Incorporated
Linguist, is the official
journal of the Chartered
Institute of Linguists

8 EMBASSY INSIGHTS . . . . . . 21
The UK’s new Anglo-Portuguese state school

INSPIRING STUDY . . . . . . . . 22
How a new outreach programme is increasing
interest in A level and university languages

BIAS IN CLASS . . . . . . . . . . 24
Why translanguaging training could help
teachers to validate students’ language skills

Reviews
BOOKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
© SHUTTERSTOCK

Opinion & comment

News & editorial
ASTON UNI SET TO
AXE LANGUAGES . . . . . . . . 5
Plus news stories from around the world
IN THE MEDIA . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Analysis of the articles in the press this spring
TOGETHER REMOTELY . . . 10
Reflections on the huge task of moving the
CIOL Conference online; and members share
their highlights from the three-day event
READY, SET… INTERPRET? . 12
When should ‘stand-by’ interpreters step in?
Examining this under-researched mode
EN FAMILLE . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Practical tips on how to motivate children
when they refuse to use their home language
A MACHINE MODEL . . . . . . 28
In marketing, is the successful use of MT
post-editing reliant on a new pricing model?
LETTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

FAST AND CURIOUS . . . . . 14

Features
THE TRAILBLAZERS . . . . . . . 7
Insights into Patricia Crampton’s life in the
first of a series looking at pioneering linguists
LIVING SUSTAINABLY . . . . . 8
Why your wellbeing and psychological capital
as a linguist are vital to the UN’s sustainability
goals. A Threlford Lecture special
Why translators often need to completely Institute matters
rewrite press releases for the target audience
A LIFE WITH LANGUAGES . 32
GAMING TO SUCCESS . . . . 16 Ivan Hon MCIL shares his story in Cantonese
Could playing videogames be an effective
and engaging tool for language learning? GLOUCESTERSHIRE
GETS CONNECTED . . . . . . . 33
A GREEN APPROACH . . . . . 18 Setting up a network during lockdown
A look at the growing field of ecolinguistics
and how it applies to language professionals COUNCIL NEWS . . . . . . . . . 34

FRONT COVER © SHUTTERSTOCK

Editor M Moore linguist.editor@ciol.org.uk 7th Floor, 167 Fleet Street, London EC4A 2EA; info@ciol.org.uk; +44 (0) 20 7940 3100; www.ciol.org.uk
Sales D Butler +44 (0) 20 7940 3100; deborah.butler@ciol.org.uk
Printed by The Pureprint Group, www.pureprint.com. Published six times a year and distributed free of charge to
Editorial Board Career Affiliates and higher grades of membership. Student and IoLET Affiliate members have access to the digital copy.
Chair J Guardamagna BA MCIL CL (Translator) IAPTI APARU
Annual subscription £48 post free. Overseas subscription £63 (airmail Europe), £67 (airmail rest of world). ISSN 0268-5965
D Butler BA (Hons) (ex officio)
C Fairfoull BA MA ACIL MCIPD AIRP
K McLaughlin BA PhD FCIL CL FHEA The Linguist is online at tl.ciol.org.uk; Subscribe at www.ciol.org.uk/subscriptions
M Moore BA (ex officio) Apply to become a CIOL member at www.ciol.org.uk/membership
J Oppedisano BA MA DPSI MCIL
E Pavlopoulos LLB MAEd PGCE
K Trotman BA MA DipTrans MCIL The editor reserves the right to edit all material submitted. Views expressed in The Linguist are not necessarily
J Worne (ex officio) the official views of the Chartered Institute of Linguists. All rights of reproduction, translation and adaptation
A Zafar BA MA CIOL Career Affiliate reserved for all countries. CIOL, The Linguist and officers accept no responsibility collectively or individually for
For a list of Council and committee members, the service of agencies or persons advertised or announced in the pages of this journal. The good faith with
see www.ciol.org.uk/council which we publish offers no implied/implicit guarantee.

@Linguist_CIOL JUNE/JULY The Linguist 3

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NEWS & EDITORIAL

CHAIR OF EDITOR’S
COUNCIL’S NOTES LETTER
I’ve now been a member of CIOL for almost 25 I receive a lot of
years. I had many reasons for joining – having my press releases
qualifications endorsed, developing my skills, peer and most of
networking, as well as career ambition to get letters them go unread.
behind my name and strengthen my employability. Grabbing an
I believe these reasons for continuing to be part of a editor’s attention
global language community are as relevant as ever is a tricky
today. From my Council News report (p.34) you business. Try as
will see that the language community is thriving, but not without its challenges, they might to be creative, press officers
and our ‘OneCIOL’ strategic review is addressing these. follow a formula of sorts, and their missives
Yet if there is one undertaking that makes me outstandingly proud, it is the are easy to avoid. Capturing this formula (and
aspiration of CIOL, and hence by default of all linguists, of Universal therefore meeting clients’ requisites and
Understanding. Our crest has been marginally adapted to accentuate this, in line expectations) while also ‘breaking’ it so the
with our modern and forward-thinking ambition (see below). The intrinsic story has more chance of being picked up
message of Universal Understanding is to foster international goodwill and (and therefore meeting clients’ requisites and
facilitate human discourse beyond physical, geographical and psychological expectations) is an incredible challenge for a
boundaries. To connect people irrespective of disruptive trends, and to make translator, as Katherina Polig describes (p.14).
‘global’ relevant in a local context. The requirements and expectations for
Artificial intelligence and technology are becoming increasingly sophisticated stand-by interpreting may seem equally
and developing at an unstoppable pace; for us linguists they present both elusive, so perhaps it is inevitable that Eloísa
opportunities and threats. Film technology has been blurring the boundaries Monteoliva-García asks more questions
between humans and machines for years, take for example the Marvel about this under-researched mode than can
super/anti-hero with super skills, super energy and just about super everything. be answered at the present time (p.12). Her
Within this context, as well as other challenges facing the linguists of today and findings do, however, shed some light on
tomorrow, Council and IoLET Trustees pooled their expertise at the April how decisions are made about what to
Awayday to debate our strategic priorities. interpret and the difficulties involved.
In a complex world, the concept of Universal Understanding clearly needs to be Our short series about climate change has
flexible and elastic, in particular where there are political, societal or racial tensions. given me pause for thought, and I hope
During the pandemic, the role of language and unequivocal meaning could not readers also find it useful when assessing what
be more important in helping refugees, migrants and non-native speakers to we can do as individuals. In this issue, Mariana
understand and make informed choices about the best way to protect themselves. Roccia examines the emerging field of
The role of linguists to translate the word, the culture and the value, and invoke ecolinguistics, which calls for an educational
trust and confidence, meets the basic human needs to understand and be element to language work (p.18).
understood, to trust in the heard, spoken and written word. Among our stories looking at language
Linguists are not alone in needing to adapt to hybrid ways teaching methods that spark joy and boost
of learning, to working with and interacting with clients. confidence, we look at inspirational outreach
Specialisms within a whole portfolio of skills will be essential. work (p.22), how to motivate home language
We will continue to address all of this within our strategic use (p.27) and translanguaging methods
review. Universal is inclusive. While we should not forget that (p.24). Reza Shirmarz’s analysis of gaming as
technology is an essential tool, it is the linguist who is the a learning tool (p.16) will come as a relief to
human superhero at the heart of business. At the end of the those of us who engage in daily battles over
day it’s all about people. screen time!

Miranda Moore

Judith Gabler, judith.gabler@web.de Share your views: linguist.editor@ciol.org.uk

4 The Linguist Vol/60 No/3 2021 thelinguist.uberflip.com

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The latest from the languages world
‘ASTON UNIVERSITY MAIN BUILDING’, CHRISTOPHE FINOT VIA WIKIPEDIA (CC BY-SA 3.0|)
Aston Uni set to axe languages
Aston University has announced plans to close
its language department to new students in
September. The University and College
Union (UCU) vowed to resist the move after
its members voted unanimously to fight it.
Calling it “reckless academic vandalism”,
they pointed out that the proposed closure
would also put the Routes into Languages
outreach programme at risk in the West
Midlands, and increase barriers to inclusion.
Interpreters find Aztec script:
‘remote’ harder new revelations
A survey of interpreters has confirmed that
most professionals find remote simultaneous
interpreting (RSI) harder than in-person work,
while half believe they do not perform as well
remotely. More than 850 interpreters in 19
countries responded to the École Supérieure
d’Interprètes et de Traducteurs (ESIT)
questionnaire, with 83% stating that RSI was
‘more difficult’. The majority consider remote
working conditions to be worse than on-site
conditions and reported that the fees are the
same or lower for RSI. Zoom was identified as
the leading platform, with 73% using it for
more than half of their RSI work. Yet despite
the challenges, 64% of respondents said they
wanted to continue with remote assignments.
cutt.ly/ESIT_RSI
@Linguist_CIOL
The history department is also set to close,
with 11 undergraduate courses and 24 staff
positions affected in total. If the move goes
ahead all language courses will end by 2026.
Aston is among the few UK institutions that
have maintained a focus on high-level
language work and the decision will have “far
reaching implications for these important
disciplines”. Thousands have signed a petition
opposing the cuts (see cutt.ly/Aston_UCU).
Aztec hieroglyphs, previously dismissed as a
simple form of communication, are in fact a
highly sophisticated writing system, according
to linguistic anthropologist Gordon Whittaker.
His groundbreaking research claims that rather
than signifying a limited number of words
and numerals, the characters map to every
syllable in the Nahuatl language, and may
therefore express tens of thousands of words.
“Sadly, many scholars over the centuries
have tended to dismiss the Aztecs’
hieroglyphic system because it looked to
Europeans like picture-writing,” explained
Professor Whittaker, who has been studying
the script for 20 years. A reluctance to put
Aztec literature on an “equal footing” with
Western literature “played a role”, he added.
NEWS & EDITORIAL
What the
papers say…
Call My Subtitler! And she’d better be able
to swear in several languages, 14/3/21
The [Call My Agent!] dialogue is machinegun
fast. There are jokes that rely on whether
people address each other as vous or tu –
and yet Britons, and many others round the
world, are in stitches. For this – and for much
foreign-language lockdown viewing pleasure,
from Lupin to the Deutschland series – we
must thank the subtitlers, the unsung heroes
of some really good telly. Their task is far
from straightforward.
Māori are Trying to Save their Language
from Big Tech, 28/4/21
The small staff of Māori language
broadcasters and one engineer were about
to become pioneers in indigenous speech
recognition technology. But building the tools
was only half the battle. Te Hiku soon found
itself fending off corporate entities trying to
develop their own indigenous data sets and
resisting detrimental western approaches to
data sharing. Guarding their data became
the priority because the only people truly
interested in revitalising the Māori language
were the Māori people, themselves.
‘Snowdon’ May Have its own Beauty, But Yr
Wyddfa is the Name I’ll be Using, 30/4/21
It shouldn’t be a cause for comment, but
language is political, with painful memories
of colonialism and language suppression
by the English in the Welsh collective
consciousness… To use the name Yr Wyddfa,
which has been spoken on the lips of
those who have lived on and around the
mountain for far longer than history can
record, is to resist attempts to annihilate our
linguistic identity.
JUNE/JULY The Linguist 5
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NEWS & EDITORIAL
Multilinguals
‘learn quicker’
A study has found that multilingual people
acquire new languages more easily than
bilingual people. This provides neuroscientific
evidence for the hypothesis that through
learning three or more languages, the brain
learns how to acquire languages in general.
Using fMRI (functional magnetic resonance
imaging), researchers studied the brain activity
of 21 bilingual and 28 multilingual native
Japanese speakers as they tried to decipher
grammar rules in an unknown language
(Kazakh). The multilingual participants did
better in the tasks and there were notable
differences in their brain activity. This supports
the cumulative-enhancement model, which
states that language acquisition is additive.
cutt.ly/Umejima_et_al
MCCRACKEN/HARRISONS VIA FLICKR (CC BY-ND 2.0)
‘NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY’, AARON
Translation hub
for N Ireland
PM under fire
over briefings
A translation hub for Irish and Ulster-Scots has
been launched by the devolved government
of Northern Ireland. A commitment of the
2020 New Decade, New Approach (NDNA)
agreement, it will provide translation services
for the Executive’s departments and public
bodies. The NDNA also includes provision
for new Irish language laws, stipulating that a
strategy should be produced within six
months. Conradh na Gaeilge (CnaG), an Irish
language campaign group, is now taking the
government to court over its failure to deliver
on this promise after 14 months, claiming it
has “little other choice”.
6 The Linguist Vol/60 No/3 2021
© SHUTTERSTOCK
TRANSLATING WHALE SONG
Researchers at Texas A&M University have
created a corpus of sperm whale vocalisations
and believe they will soon be able to decipher
their complex communication system using
artificial intelligence and machine translation.
Francophones
fail French test
Concerns have been raised about Quebec’s
French proficiency test for migrants after a
native French speaker failed the exam. Truck
driver Yohan Flaman from Limoges, France,
was not the first Francophone to be denied
permanent residency status on this basis. In
2019, French PhD student Emilie Dubois was
told her language skills were inadequate.
This comes as the Quebecois government
U-turned on a language policy that would
have forced hundreds of temporary workers
and overseas students to leave Canada.
The UK government is being challenged over
its continued failure to provide British Sign
Language (BSL) interpreting at its Covid-19
briefings, despite spending £2.6 million on a
new press room. Shadow Minister for
Disabled People Vicky Foxcroft became the
first MP to use BSL during Prime Minister’s
Questions as she signed: “Why no interpreter
in-room briefings, why is this not sorted?”
Around 300 Deaf citizens have brought three
legal cases against the government.
In the media
PHILIP HARDING-ESCH
Language policy continued to generate
controversy this spring. The Financial Times
reported that “new post-Brexit regulations
tighten recruitment of assistants and raise
costs”, with examples of long-standing
arrangements being severely disrupted.
The implementation of the new Turing
scheme in the place of Erasmus+ made
headlines. Schoolsweek reported that
“funding set aside for overseas trips [has
been] slashed by two thirds” under Turing,
and that “schools will be the biggest
losers” as universities take the lion’s share
of funding due to unclear guidelines.
FE Week’s comparison of the schemes
identified opportunities gained (such as new
destinations) and lost (no funding for staff or
collaborative projects). The SNP’s campaign
to rejoin Erasmus+ in Scotland was covered
by the BBC, while The Independent looked
at Wales’s £65 million commitment to plug
the gaps left by Erasmus over several years.
In England, the government announced
a major reform of the language GCSE.
“Pupils will be ‘expected to know’ up to
1,700 different words” based on frequency,
according to Schoolsweek, though
consultation on the reforms is ongoing.
The TES picked up on the government’s
confirmation that it will not reverse
“dramatic cuts” to bursaries for trainee
languages teachers, as well as the ongoing
issue of community language exams being
withdrawn for the second year running for
many thousands of “devastated” students.
More positively, the TES shared results of
a Cambridge University study showing that
secondary language pupil “interventions”
about the value of languages improve
attitudes towards the subject. Researchers
called for this approach to be integrated
into the curriculum to boost uptake.
iNews followed the under-reported
news that “deaf people will no longer be
excluded from jury service,” as new rules
will allow “sign language interpreters
inside jury rooms for the first time”.
Philip Harding-Esch is a freelance languages
project manager and consultant.
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The trailblazers
In a new series looking at linguists through the ages, Josephine Murray
celebrates literary translator and “forger of the future” Patricia Crampton
The British Archive for Contemporary Writing
at UEA includes 34 letters written by Patricia
Crampton while she was working as a
translator at the Nuremberg War Trials aged
just 21. Reading one of these letters, and
listening to an interview she gave in 1997,1 I
discovered a tenacious, lively woman with a
fierce intellect, who championed translators’
rights and children’s literature. She translated
over 200 children’s books and 50 adult books
into English from French, German, Swedish,
Danish, Norwegian, Dutch and Spanish,
including Dick Bruna’s ‘Miffy’ series from Dutch
and Astrid Lindgren books from Swedish.
Born in India in 1925, she spoke Hindi as
well as nine European languages, starting
French at school aged 5 after her family
returned to England. While studying German,
French and Russian at Oxford she met a group
of Swedish army officers, which led to a trip
to Sweden; she fell in love with the language.
Translating documents from German into
English at Nuremberg was her very first job. It
included horrific evidence from survivors, Nazi
records, and papers in the Doctors’ Trial and
trial of IG Farben, a pharmaceutical company.
“I had an amazing two years – privileged,
shocking, life-changing – spent all my spare
@Linguist_CIOL
FEATURES
time with a very special group of friends, and FREEDOM FIGHTER
returned in 1949 to my own beloved country Patricia Crampton ice-skating in Nuremberg,
where everyone, including my own parents, 1948 (left); and Miffy, who she translated
preferred not to ask, not to think, not to know
anything at all about the death camps and She was involved with the International
everything that preceded them,” she wrote.2 Board on Books for Young People, travelling
Before becoming a literary translator in the all over the world to speak about the
1960s, Crampton worked for two international importance of children’s books. This non-
companies and the NATO Parliamentary profit organisation aims to promote
Assembly, as well as starting a family with her international understanding through children’s
husband, the sculptor Sean Crampton. For books and give children everywhere access to
her translation work and service to children’s books with high literary and artistic standards.
literature, she was awarded several honours, After her death on 1 December 2016,
including the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, Crampton’s obituary from the Fédération
Marsh Award and Eleanor Farjeon Award. Internationale des Traducteurs described her
A successful campaigner for translators’ as “a superlative translator… a freedom
rights, she worked on the ‘Recommendation fighter, risk-taker and forger of the future”.
on the Legal Protection of Translators and
Translations and the Practical Means to Notes
Improve the Status of Translators’, adopted by 1 IWM Patricia Crampton Oral History;
Unesco in 1976. She represented translators in cutt.ly/IWM_Crampton
a campaign for public lending rights, which led 2 Crampton, P (2008) ‘Round the World in Sixty
to authors and translators receiving payment Years’. In Swedish Book Review, Norvik Press
when their books are borrowed from public
libraries; and advocated for the Translators’ Josephine Murray MCIL is studying for an
Model Contract as Chair of the Translators’ MA in Literary Translation at UEA. She has
Association, ensuring it was kept up to date written more about Patricia Crampton at
and in line with legal requirements. cutt.ly/PCrampton
JUNE/JULY The Linguist 7
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FEATURES
Living sustainably
In her Threlford Lecture, Séverine Hubscher-Davidson considers why
wellbeing is at the heart of sustainable careers and economic success
I
n 2000, the United Nations published its
ambitious millennium development goals,
but it was in 2016 when there was a shift
towards an aspirational, people-centred and
globally focused development agenda with
the launch of its sustainable development
goals (SDGs). These highlighted 17 areas that
require urgent action, including wellbeing and
healthy living, decent work, and inclusiveness.
So what is meant by wellbeing exactly and
why is it a fundamental requirement for good
health? In the past, good health might simply
have suggested an absence of disease. The
focus was on removing problems, so health and
safety in the workplace was about preventing
dangers. Then, in 2007, the World Health
Organization (WHO) published a definition of
wellbeing as “a state of complete physical,
mental, spiritual and social wellbeing”, shifting
the focus to positives and promoting growth.
Wellbeing is considered an essential part of
professional life. There has been a recent
realisation that “economic well-being in the
West has grown steadily since the Second
World War but, in contrast, the degree of
satisfaction and psychological well-being of
individuals has not.”1 So are the language
professions as concerned with wellbeing as
other professions – and should they be? There
is evidence that it is becoming a priority for
both researchers and practitioners.
Our working environment is increasingly
unstable. CIOL’s Insights Report 2021 noted:
“In recent years there have been consistent
reports of downward pressure on prices,
potentially at the expense of the quality of the
work produced. The increasing use of
technology and limited public understanding
of the added value offered by professional
linguists are other challenges faced by today’s
8 The Linguist Vol/60 No/3 2021
practitioners.”2 Significant changes to the adaptive response. People who believe that
labour market include a rise in short-term their talents can be developed – through hard
contracts, flexible forms of employment, and work, good strategies and input from other
job insecurity. people – develop more positive behaviours
Self-employed workers are particularly in the face of challenges than those who see
affected. Job-specific stressors for linguists their talents as fixed. Therefore research is
include technological changes, low rates of looking at ways of fostering people’s talents
pay and fast-paced places of work. The and personal resources, often referred to as
changing nature of our work has led to psychological capital (PsyCap).
concerns about the sustainability of the PsyCap is concerned with who you are and
profession and whether the linguists of who you are becoming.3 As such, it is an
tomorrow can have thriving and rewarding augmentation of other forms of capital, such
careers. This has led to increases in pressure, as social and cultural capital, which are more
occupational stress, uncertainty and illness. concerned with what you know, who you
know and what you own. An individual’s
Psychological capital psychological state is viewed as a kind of
But it’s not all doom and gloom. To address capital that can lead to better performance
these issues, a new field of study has and competitive advantage. PsyCap is
emerged called the psychology of relevant for attitudes to work, job satisfaction,
sustainability and sustainable development. performance, employee engagement, career
It’s an applied field of science-based practice, progression, perceptions of employability
which focuses on regeneration and positivity. and behaviour. It is therefore increasingly
The concept of sustainability has been seen as a priority in occupational psychology.
extended to encompass the psychological There are four established components of
dimension of human development. PsyCap (although others, such as emotional
Research in this area aims to understand intelligence, are being considered):
how psychological processes can improve the 1 Optimism: making a positive attribution
quality of life for individuals and communities. about succeeding now
The take-away is that a positive working and in the future
environment, which promotes employee
health, wellbeing and performance, is essential
to our quality of life. The psychology of
sustainability is concerned with how that can
happen; how we can have meaningful work
experiences in a challenging environment.
Occupational psychologists now promote a
focus on building relationships, regenerating
resources, creating positive experiences and
growth. In this framework, challenges are
viewed as opportunities that require an
08-09_Threlford short.qxp_Layout 1 15/05/2021 00:12 Page 9
2 Hope: persevering towards goals and
redirecting paths to goals
3 Self-efficacy (self-belief): having confidence
to take on challenging tasks and put in the
effort to succeed at them
4 Resilience: the ability to ‘bounce back’.
Translators regularly talk about work being
detrimental to their mental health. Discussing
an assignment about child soldiers, Nicole
Fenwick confided: “We so often work under
the cloak of confidentiality but for projects of
this nature it is really important to talk about
the content during the process so that you
are properly able to disassociate the content
from your everyday reality.”4
In this context, a lack of psychological
capital can have a devastating impact on a
practitioner’s health. Linguists have reported
migraines, blurred vision, headaches and other
physical symptoms when working on traumatic
or complex materials. The pandemic has
created additional challenges, but for many
linguists it has also brought a renewed sense
of self-worth, as they report feeling proud to
work on documents such as patient surveys
and ventilation manuals. Finding meaning in
the work and taking regular breaks is vital.
Building soft skills
How can we ensure professional sustainability
in the long-term? CIOL’s Insights Report
concludes that “a commitment to continuing
professional development will be critical as a
means of responding to the rapid changes
taking place in the sector and adapting to
external events – for example, by acquiring
new technological and soft skills, and honing
specialist knowledge of specific subject areas.”
Soft skills are often forgotten, yet an
understanding of one’s own strengths and
weaknesses, and an ability to leverage these,
will become as critical as specialist knowledge
for linguists in the coming years. So how can
one develop psychological capital?
1 Engage with your professional community;
make an effort to form relationships. Studies
show that being connected with other
professionals helps you to learn and grow.
2 Reflect on what meaningful work entails
for you. We often jump from one task to
the next, but it is vital to gain an
overview of what we’re doing and
why. Taking time to reflect is not self-
indulgent; it’s key to a healthy lifestyle.
3 Take a preventative approach and
incorporate wellbeing into your
routine. Exercise and yoga are often
mentioned but something else may
FEATURES
work for you. Having a regular work
schedule can help you to set aside time for
other activities.
4 Commit to relevant CPD. PsyCap can be
trained; it is important to undertake CPD in
soft skills as well as in other areas.
Research areas
There remains a number of avenues for further
research and training. For instance, we need
to identify which personal traits and resources
are most predictive of professional success in
the language professions. Could self-belief be
more important than optimism in some types
of language work? It would also be useful to
understand how the PsyCap needed by
linguists might differ from that required by
other professionals. Research could also
identify potential facilitators and barriers:
what helps us to grow and what doesn’t? In
this way, the findings could inform training.
I’d like to encourage the creation of more
space for psychological reflection regarding
what is sustainable for linguists. Fostering
PsyCap can encourage a more sustainable
construction of language-related careers, and
help to achieve the UN’s people-centred
development agenda. As Robert Jones noted
in this sobering but motivating observation:
“By understanding our psychological
limitations, we will be able to realistically make
the best of things, whether by successful
adaptation or by preparation for extinction.”5
Notes
1 Leporello, E and Santi, G (2019) ‘From
Psychology of Sustainability to Sustainability of
Urban Spaces: Promoting a primary prevention
approach for well-being in the healthy city
designing. A waterfront case study in Livorno’.
In Sustainability, MDPI, 11(3), 1-18
2 ciol.org.uk/ciol-insights-languages-professions
3 Luthans, F and Youssef-Morgan, CM (2015)
‘Psychological Capital and Well-being’. In Stress
and Health, 31(3): 180-8
4 coleytranslates.com
5 Jones, RG (2020) The Applied Psychology of
Sustainability, Routledge, 2
This is a short version of the Threlford
Lecture. To access the full lecture, visit
cutt.ly/Threlford2021.
JUNE/JULY The Linguist 9
10-11_Conference 2021.qxp_Layout 1 15/05/2021 00:13 Page 10
FEATURES
Together remotely
Moving the CIOL Conference online was a challenge, but with more
participants than ever and a range of expert speakers, it was a great success
The delivery of the CIOL Conference during
lockdown in March was especially
challenging. In normal times, conferences
take almost a year of work, including finding
a venue, curating high level speakers, and
communicating this with the profession. Over
the planning period for this conference, we
had to change how we delivered the event
multiple times. We first looked at delivering a
hybrid event using the venue as a studio with
the speakers presenting in person. Once we
realised that travel to central London would
be impossible, we settled on a wholly online
event using Zoom, extending the proposed
two-day conference across three days, with
hundreds of delegates in attendance.
The speakers represented all aspects of
the linguist professions. The single-stream
format allowed delegates to enter and leave
as they pleased. For Carol Hogg MCIL,
10 The Linguist Vol/60 No/3 2021
running the online event over three full days
worked really well. “Every single presentation
provided valuable input and the event overall
has exuded a sense of realistic optimism in
these difficult times. A really positive
contribution to our profession,” she said.
As with everything, online delivery of the
conference has its pros and cons. A major
advantage was that a number of delegates
were able to attend for the first time remotely
– among them Graeme Lorimer MCIL CL.
“I live in Florence and have been a CIOL
member for many more years than I can
remember,” he shared. “Every spring I
wished to come in person but, for a reason or
another, never made it. Now, thanks to the
format due to Covid I finally could! The
conference was very interesting and useful.”
Joining from Greece, Vicky Tzivi MCIL CL
expressed gratitude “for all the knowledge
MAKING CONNECTIONS
Sarinya Wood delivers her talk entitled ‘From
Remote Interpreting to Hybrid Meetings’
I’ve had access to!” She added: “I’ll definitely
follow Jaquelina [Guardamagna]’s advice on
nurturing relationships – ‘our most valuable
and unique asset’.”
The biggest thing missed by delegates,
speakers and the CIOL team was the
opportunity to interact and network with each
other – something which has always been a
great strength of the event. This provides a
very good reason for bringing back the
physical form next March (depending on the
situation with Covid), and the search for next
year’s expert speakers has already begun!
Recordings of the three-day conference can
be purchased for £150 (non-members) and
£120 (members) via cutt.ly/Threlford2021.
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We asked three participants, including one first-time attendee and speaker, to share their highlights
Sobrina Soloman MCIL
I became a CIOL member in September after I
was asked to speak at the annual conference.
Before this I was unaware of such events and
the benefits of attending. My experience was
fruitful. Not only did I get to speak about
interpreting in mental health settings, but I
was also able to take away lots of interesting
ideas from the other amazing speakers, and I
was honoured to speak alongside them.
The highlight for me was learning about
different types of interpreting roles, such as
Tess Pike’s talk on working with languages as
a tourist guide. Similarly, I found the talk about
remote interpreting fascinating. Although I
work in public service settings, I could relate to
Sarinya Wood’s experiences of interpreting
for Fifa despite previously knowing little
about football. As interpreters we often have
to learn new things in preparation, so I
identify with the points she made.
Ignaty Dyakov’s talk on ‘Health for Linguists’
made me realise how beneficial it is to look
after ourselves, particularly in a job like ours.
Séverine Hubscher-Davidson’s lecture on
psychological capital also helped me to take
a step back and think about my emotional
and personal investment in my role, and the
ways my job affects me. The examples she
used were perceptive and eye-opening.
For me, the takeaway point came from
Ken Paver: never say to yourself that you are
“just an interpreter”; we add value to the
assignments we work on and without us
certain institutes could not fulfil their role.
@Linguist_CIOL
Will Maitland MCIL
This year we may have swapped the
conference hall for the couch, but that didn’t
affect the quality on offer. For me, Thursday’s
highlight was Tess Pike’s presentation on
working with languages as a blue badge tour
guide. I particularly enjoyed her insight into
the fast-paced work. With its terminology
research requirements, demanding
(occasionally hectic) travel requirements and
a host of exciting opportunities, the role gave
me pause to consider how I can bolster my
existing language services and add a smidge
more variety into my rather sedentary
working day as a medical translator.
Day two was also crammed full of
engaging linguistic topics with my Friday
favourite being Laura Bennett’s talk on the
translation of quotations. I could relate the
complex process she undertakes when
finding solutions for previously untranslated
quotations to elements of my own work. I,
too, often call upon numerous digital and
printed sources to find the correct contextual
use of a non-conventional medical acronym.
Saturday’s agenda again overflowed with
interesting presentations. My pick of the day
was Kev Paver’s advice on business strategies.
Of the ten tips, his invitation to continually
challenge myself and change the way clients
view my business truly struck a chord. I also
plan to institute differentiated rates into my
current and future business relationships.
Thanks for another fantastically engaging
conference, CIOL. See you all in 2022.
FEATURES
Natalie Soper MCIL CL
As I sat at home to watch the conference
virtually this year, it was strange to think that
this time last year we were all gathered in
one room. Fittingly, a recurring theme in this
year’s conference was adaptability –
something that even people who usually
work from home have been forced to do in
some way over the past 14 months.
In their talk, Carina Balbo and Hugh
Ottewell set out potential avenues for anyone
thinking of diversifying. They discussed
language-adjacent specialisations, such as
transcribing and voiceovers, plus activities that
we may already be doing for free, such as
blogging. They also covered opportunities like
public speaking, as well as the passive income
that comes with creating a course or e-book.
On day two, Karl McLaughlin shared his
experiences in media translation. As a cross
between translation, adaptation and
sometimes transcreation, this discipline
presents interesting challenges when it comes
to conveying the most pertinent information
in the most appropriate journalistic style.
Laura Bennett’s talk was useful: she
described approaches to finding a potential
existing translation for a quote, and when to
provide your own translation. Sharing her top
online resources, she also discussed how
much to charge, given the extra time and
research required.
In all, this was a varied conference which ran
very smoothly online – although I do hope we
will be back to face-to-face events next year!
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FEATURES
Ready, set…
interpret?
Eloísa Monteoliva-García considers the
stand-by mode, when the linguist has to
decide when to step in and interpret
W
hen 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.
However, interpreters and interpreting
service users can attest to the fact that the
interpreter is not always the only bilingual
person in an interpreter-mediated encounter.
Interpreting service users, whether at
international conferences or in public sector
settings, can also have knowledge of the
languages being used to varying degrees of
proficiency. A doctor may have some working
knowledge of Spanish; a patient may be able
to communicate in English for everyday
exchanges but need help in a formal setting.
When participants in an interpreted
encounter use the shared language with
intermittent interpreter participation the mode
is known as stand-by interpreting. In studies
of multilingualism, translation and interpreting,
linguistic repertoires that include several
languages at different levels and mix linguistic
features from different languages are
increasingly being acknowledged. Concepts
such as translanguaging and superdiversity
are channelling scholarly efforts to explore
12 The Linguist Vol/60 No/3 2021
and embrace the complexity, richness and
evolving nature of communicative
competencies among speakers in
multilingual encounters, including those
mediated by an interpreter.
Principles such as completeness and
accuracy govern our practice as interpreters.
When faced with service users who choose to
interact in the language they share, even if
not all of them are equally proficient in that
language, what does it mean for our role?
What does it mean for communication, and
for how interpreting is delivered?
In the UK context, should we disregard the
fact that a suspect, a patient or a witness can
speak some English and ask them to ‘switch
off’ their ability to understand and express
themselves in that language and rely fully on
the interpreter instead? Should we allow
each participant to use their range of
communicative resources? What challenges
do these different scenarios pose? What
opportunities? Who is best suited to assess
the best course of action? And, as time is of
the essence in most encounters in public
service settings, when should this assessment
be made?
These questions have not yet been
answered through empirical studies, and we
need to consider different factors in each
encounter. There are, however, some
features and findings that shed light on how
stand-by interpreting works and how it could
work when those competencies are
acknowledged rather than ‘switched off’ (if
that is even possible).
Interview dynamics
My PhD study looked into stand-by
interpreting in authentic video-recorded police
interviews with suspects in Scotland.1 The
suspects were native speakers of Spanish who
could understand and use English in everyday
interactions, although they had difficulties
understanding and expressing complex ideas.
Their proficiency was acknowledged as a
resource by the interviewing officers at the
beginning of the interviews and in the
presence of a professional interpreter. The
interpreter was introduced as being present
to make sure suspects could understand, and
both suspects interacted in English with the
on-and-off assistance of the interpreter.
As will be familiar to many professional
interpreters, the task of ‘making sure they
could understand’ is not as simple as it may
look when deciding what to interpret.
Interpreting in the stand-by mode is
selective, unlike an encounter in which each
participant, except for the interpreter, uses a
different language and every intervention is,
in principle, meant to be interpreted.
My study set out to explore a number of
questions that stem from that selective nature
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of interpreting. What is interpreted in a police
interview with stand-by interpreting and who
makes that decision? How does it affect
communication dynamics in the interview?
How are interpreting and the interpreter’s
role shaped when this mode is used?
We need to bear in mind that interview
models, power asymmetries and legal
requirements are all features that shape
police interviews. When it comes to who
decides what is interpreted, is the
interviewer, interpreter or service user in
charge? I observed that all participants share
the responsibility to different extents and,
arguably, for different reasons, but the
interpreter is primarily in charge of the task.
Non-verbal cues
Two features that stood out in my study were
the high degree of collaboration among
participants over communication issues and
the key role of non-verbal features. Both
verbal and non-verbal cues are crucial in any
encounter, but suspects resorted to non-
verbal actions much more than to verbal
requests for assistance when they could not
find a word or experienced comprehension
difficulties. The video-recorded interviews
allowed me to observe the central role of non-
verbal actions both to express meaning and
to coordinate actions surrounding the need
for interpreting. There were two key features:
@Linguist_CIOL
© SHUTTERSTOCK
Gaze. Both suspects and interviewers
directed their gaze towards the interpreter
when they required something to be
interpreted. The interviewers looked at
the interpreter when they felt that the
suspect had not understood or when they
wanted to make sure that something was
understood, even if there were no cues
of miscomprehension.
Hand gestures. The suspects sometimes
used hand gestures as expressive resources
when they could not find the word in English.
The interpreter filled the gap by providing
the missing term or phrase, often checking
beforehand by saying the missing word in
Spanish to get confirmation from the suspect.
The interviewers used hand gestures to
indicate to the interpreter that what had just
been said had to be interpreted. As with
gaze, these interventions were not always
triggered by observable miscomprehension.
The interviewers also asked the interpreter to
interpret key information related to legal and
procedural information, such as the police
caution and the statement explaining key
facts related to the suspected offence.
These observations show firstly that in
police interviews with the stand-by mode,
interpreting is used intermittently but not
only to address comprehension problems
or lack of expressive resources. Given
the investigative and evidentiary role of a
FEATURES
police interview, the nature and function
of what is being said is also a factor in
deciding whether interpreting is required.
Secondly, they indicate that all users share
the task of addressing problems or needs
arising in communication.
The task of monitoring
The study also revealed that the stand-by
mode involves a high degree of monitoring
and alertness on the part of the interpreter.
This does not mean that ‘standard’
interpreting does not require being alert but
rather that stand-by interpreting adds an
extra layer and makes the task of monitoring
communicative success more salient. The
interpreter is not only paying attention to
what is said and how to interpret it but is also
monitoring communication in order to
decide whether their intervention is required,
or to respond to a request to interpret.
Acknowledging the linguistic resources of
participants can be enabling and
empowering, but it also poses risks.
Identifying miscommunication and its sources
is not always an easy task and the stakes are
high. Interpreters may not be familiar with
this mode; some service users may feel at a
disadvantage if they are asked or invited to
use English; and police officers may see a
refusal to use English as a strategy to gain
time during the questioning.
Careful consideration of the pros and cons
is required, ideally before the interview, and
this needs to be revisited if problems emerge.
All parties need to be aware of their options
and of how communication will proceed.
More research is required, hopefully involving
interpreters and interpreting service users in
a variety of settings, in order to gain a better
understanding of the stand-by mode of
interpreting across settings.
Notes
1 Monteoliva-García, E (2017) ‘The Collaborative
Construction of the Stand-by Mode of
Interpreting in Police Interviews with Suspects’,
doctoral dissertation, Social Sciences. See also
Monteoliva-García, E (2020) ‘The Collaborative
and Selective Nature of Interpreting in Police
Interviews with Stand-by Interpreting’. In
Interpreting, 22(2), 262-287
JUNE/JULY The Linguist 13
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FEATURES

Fast and curious

The media in different countries have different expectations, making
translating press releases a specialised art, says Katherina Polig

W
hen it comes to publishing press
releases, timing is everything.
Whether a company wants to
introduce a novel product at an upcoming
trade fair, present their latest business figures
to the media or needs to issue crisis
communication, editors and public relations
(PR) teams often work under considerable time
pressure and the stakes are high. As the last
link in the chain when targeting international
audiences, translators working in PR need to
combine a range of skills that go beyond
accuracy and completeness of information.
So what skills does a translator need to
deliver a high-value translation in this area?
Press releases can have different structures
and styles in different countries. Every press
release has a headline and a lead paragraph
on top, followed by the main body and a
boilerplate (i.e. template text). However, the
way in which information is assembled into
those blocks of text can vary widely. In Italian,
for example, press releases are traditionally
very similar to newspaper articles, in terms of
both structure and style. Since they are
written mainly with journalists in mind, the
idea seems to be to “impress the journalist.
This means, to think like a journalist,”1 and
therefore to write like a journalist.
In German the approach is entirely different.
A well-written German press release is strictly
factual, written in clear and concise language,
and void of stylistic devices such as rhetorical
questions and ellipses, which are legitimate in
an Italian press release. The table below shows
the opening of an Italian press release, which
I had to completely restructure in German.
When the structure and style are
completely different from those expected by
the target audience, the translator must be
able to change the text – sometimes quite
radically. While many clients will be aware of
the need for such changes, newcomers to
the field may need to be advised. Translators
are best placed to provide this small but
important consultation work, and shouldn’t
shy away from putting on the consultant hat.
The style may also have to change when it
comes to persuasion. While a US press release
may typically use strong language to persuade
its readers (e.g. ‘revolutionise’, ‘transform’,
‘leader’), in German we may emphasise other
qualities to convey the value and relevance of
a company, product or event. In one release,
several references to the pharmaceutical
giant Bayer as “the leader in agriculture”,
“transforming sustainability” with its “industry-
leading innovations”, were rephrased in a
more conservative and passive way.
“Bayer transforms agricultural sustainability
with its industry-leading innovations” became
“Bayer unterstützt den Wandel des
Nahrungsmittelsystems durch Innovationen in

Original Italian release
Di integratori alimentari ce ne
sono un’infinità. Di naturali molti
di meno. Se poi li cerchiamo
sotto forma di chewing gum
senza zucchero, allora il numero
cala ulteriormente. E se
volessimo un alimento
funzionale, da masticare, al 100%
naturale? Non esiste. Anzi sì, da
oggi c’è. Si chiama Natur Gum
ed è stato sviluppato a Bolzano,
per la precisione all’interno del
NOI Techpark di via Volta, dalla
startup Functional Gums.
Literal translation (Eng)
There is an infinite number of
food supplements. Natural ones
are much less common. If we
want to find them in the form of
a sugar-free chewing gum, the
number goes down even further.
And if we wanted a functional,
chewable, and 100% natural
food? It doesn’t exist. Actually, as
of today, it does. It is called Natur
Gum and it has been developed
in Bolzano, at the NOI Techpark
in Via Volta to be precise, by
start-up Functional Gums.
German translation
Das Südtiroler Start-up
Functional Gums bringt mit
seinem jüngsten Produkt Natur
Gum eine Weltneuheit auf den
Markt. Das innovative
Unternehmen entwickelte im
Bozner NOI Techpark ein
Nahrungsergänzungsmittel zum
Kauen, das zu 100% aus
natürlichen Zutaten besteht,
zuckerfrei und biologisch
abbaubar ist.
Literal translation (Eng)
With its latest product, Natur
Gum, the South-Tyrolean start-
up Functional Gums brings a
global first to the market. At the
NOI Techpark in Bolzano, the
innovative company developed
a chewable food supplement
made of 100% natural
ingredients that is sugar-free
and biodegradable.

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14-15_Press releases.qxp_Layout 1 15/05/2021 00:16 Page 15
IMAGES © SHUTTERSTOCK
der Landwirtschaft” (‘Bayer supports the
transition in the food system through
agricultural innovations’). In the German,
Bayer is (only) supporting a transition (that is
going on regardless), and doing so through
(just) innovations, while ‘industry-leading’ was
left out altogether.
It’s all in the headline
Exciting news to share, but your headline
sounds somewhat dull? Too bad, because
your press release probably won’t be read by
many. The headline is the most important
element of a press release and should be
treated as such by translators too.
In order to write an engaging headline that
motivates action (in this case, to read further),
we often have to depart from the source text
and write something new in our target
language that is specifically aimed at grabbing
the attention of readers in the target industry
and culture. The English headline “Nuance
unveils new lightning engine”, for example,
became “Project Lightning – die blitzschnelle
KI-Innovation von Nuance” (‘Project Lightning
– the lightning-fast AI innovation from
Nuance’) in German, adding context and
using the trigger term ‘artificial intelligence’.
So how do we do this? As Nina Sattler-
Hovdar explains, the only way to know what
will pique our readers’ interest is to know our
audience, the topic and the industry very
well.2 When translating a press release in our
area of specialisation, the background
information we have accumulated will help us
to craft a compelling headline.
If there are gaps in our knowledge of the
subject area, we need to tap into the vast
general knowledge we have garnered over
@Linguist_CIOL
the course of our professional lives, and
research the topic thoroughly. The natural
curiosity many translators have is a valuable
asset that should not be underestimated.
Only with broad general knowledge will we
be able to grasp more specialist information
quickly when researching a topic.
A digital world
While press releases used to be geared
exclusively towards selected journalists and
editors, many companies and organisations
now publish their press releases directly on
their websites for everyone to see. This
means that search engine optimisation (SEO)
and the use of keywords are important.
It also means that publishing high-quality
translations is more important than ever, as
the internet never forgets. With the right
keywords, the translated press release may
be found by journalists, prospective
customers, partners and employees for
several years, and could therefore continue
to impact on the client’s reputation.
Translators need to be able to do some
basic keyword research. Tools like Google
Trends and Ubersuggest are free and
intuitive keyword research tools that can
provide valuable insights. When translating a
release for a cargobike manufacturer, for
example, it’s important to know what the
most commonly used term for such bikes is
in our target language. Is it Cargobike,
Lastenfahrrad or Lastenrad in Germany, and
is it the same in Switzerland?
A quick Google Trends search gives us a
clue (see graphs above), with Lastenrad
appearing to be used more widely in
Germany, and the picture being less clear for
FEATURES
BASIC KEYWORD RESEARCH: Use of terms for
‘cargobike’ in Germany (top) and Switzerland (bottom)
Switzerland. Depending on where the press
release will be published, and after some
more detailed research, we may opt to use
Lastenrad in the headline but try to place the
alternative terms elsewhere in the text,
provided the overall readability remains high.
Translating press releases is an interesting
and multi-faceted field. Except for crisis
communication, where press releases need
to be published within 24-48 hours, a typical
turnaround for translations may be 1-5 working
days. I try to combine PR translation work with
high-volume projects that stretch over several
weeks or months so that urgent jobs can be
accommodated. With the right skills and
experience, translators familiar with the
demands of the industry can provide clients
with a valuable service that no translation
machine will be able to offer any time soon.
Notes
1 carmineroca.it/come-si-scrive-comunicato
-stampa-struttura-modello-esempi
2 Sattler-Hovdar, N (2019) Get Fit for the Future
of Transcreation, Independently published
JUNE/JULY The Linguist 15
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FEATURES
Gaming to success
Is gaming really a waste of time or could it be one of our greatest
aids to language learning? Reza Shirmarz investigates
G
ames 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
with new forms of learning and learning
environments that are engaging and fun. As
child psychiatrist David Shaffer noted, “games
can bring together ways of knowing, ways of
doing, ways of being, and ways of caring.”1
It took a couple of decades, and
substantial technological, cinematic and
computer graphic advancements, for gaming
to transform from video games made of
simple moving objects into an extremely
complicated interactive and audiovisual
phenomenon. Today, games are considered
to be a means of cultural communication and
16 The Linguist Vol/60 No/3 2021
social interaction that can boost the
collaboration skills and technological abilities
of gamers.
English is now the main language used in
most internationally promoted games. Film,
theatre and TV have long been used as
supplementary resources for learning
languages, especially English, but in recent
years, gaming has surpassed them in terms of
helping young learners of English, particularly
in vocabulary and pronunciation.
This might also be the result of a
remarkable increase in gaming participants
over a very short period. From 2016 to 2019,
the number of gamers worldwide increased
by nearly 40% from 609 million to 850
million, according to Statista. In addition, the
time gamers allocate to gaming seems to be
much greater than the time movie fans
LINGUISTIC ADVANTAGE
Gameplay from Deponia (above); and a
gamer plays League of Legends (right),
both useful for language learners
spend watching films. This means gamers are
more exposed to the English language.
Many ed tech companies have capitalised
on this, applying the artistic and graphic tools
of gaming (which itself borrows heavily from
cinema, theatre and music) to create more
pleasurable learning environments. The
popular language-learning games Fluent,
Professor Garfield, Bubbles, Fable, Deponia
and Firewatch are good examples.
Evidence is emerging that the impact of
gaming on English language learning differs
around the world. Research from Vilnius
University, Lithuania showed that the majority
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of students who play video games are
influenced positively in terms of learning
English. In addition, a significant number of
students said that games such as Counter
Strike: Global offensive (a first-person shooter
game) and League of Legends (a multiplayer
online battle arena) were their main source of
English, while movies and cartoons were
secondary sources. They also found that most
gamers use the vocabulary they have acquired
through gaming in real-life communication.
By contrast, when I surveyed high school
students in Athens about the influence of
on-screen entertainment on their language
learning, most said they acquired English
mainly from films. Only 28% said their English
was remarkably influenced by video games.
Gaming is less popular in Greece than in
many other countries, so perhaps this is not
surprising. According to Statista, Greece has a
small share of the global games market (83rd
in the world), while low internet speeds mean
there is no real possibility of playing online.
Communication for the win
As an English teacher, I have observed several
benefits of gaming. In addition to acquiring
vocabulary (including single words, phrasal
verbs, collocations, idioms, expressions and
slang) and improving their pronunciation,
students subconsciously master grammatical
structures, enhancing their fluency. They also
tend to retain what they have learnt more than
those who have learnt through films, cartoons
and novels. Further research in this area is
required as much of the evidence, like my
own observations, is largely anecdotal.
One of my students, Vasilis, told me that
he frequently uses the language he picks up
through gaming in real-life situations. The
chunks and grammatical structures seem to
be engraved in his memory, so he can easily
recall them and use them confidently. In
interactive gaming environments, words and
phrases are repeated over and over through
a variety of tasks, instructions and actions,
which fosters a powerful language acquisition
process. While TV and film are passive
entertainment, gaming is active and repetitive.
Repetition is an effectual way for game
designers to help participants hone their skills.
The graphic design beefs up the digital event
@Linguist_CIOL
and makes the repetitive actions seem less
boring. In order to complete each task and
move successfully to the next one, the gamer
needs to read and understand passages of
varying length in English. Unlocking new
stages enables them to learn new vocabulary.
This might vary from beginner to advanced
level, including basic nouns, verbs and
adjectives such as ‘character’, ‘win’, ‘easy’,
‘quick’, ‘king’, ‘luck’, ‘map’ and ‘match’, and
more complicated words and phrases, for
example ‘cast a spell’, ‘fight for survival’, ‘hone
your skills’, ‘high stakes’, ‘rivalry’ and ‘hilarious’.
Cut-scenes (in-game cinematics) are created
as “dialogues between characters to set the
mood, reward the player, introduce new
gameplay elements, show the effects of a
player’s actions, create emotional connections,
improving pacing or foreshadowing future
events”.2 They can help gamers to enrich their
vocabulary, and improve their pronunciation.
Storytelling, especially in action-adventure
games such as The Legend of Zelda, Tomb
Raider and God of War, offers written
material with numerous storylines, characters
Words and phrases
are repeated over
and over through a
variety of actions,
tasks and instructions
FEATURES
and dialogues. The storyline is sometimes so
complicated that gamers need to read the
text and listen to the same dialogue several
times to gain a better understanding. In so
doing, they acquire several words and
chunks. This can also result in great
improvements in their speaking skills.
Interacting with other players
Online forums in multiplayer games,
especially mission-based ones, give gamers
the opportunity to boost their reading and
writing skills. In order to win games such as
Call of Duty (a first-person shooter game)
and PlayUnknown’s Battlegrounds (an online
multiplayer survival game) they need to
forge relationships with game characters
and communicate with other players, and
they need the language skills to do that
effectively. Through such goal-based
interactions they can identify and correct
grammatical errors, and this, in turn, can
greatly increase their chance of success in
the game.
Learning English in such a playful
environment is extremely effective because it
minimises any classroom stress and formality.
Accomplishing in-game objectives becomes
a strong motivation for learners to absorb
every linguistic aspect of the game and arrive
at a sufficient understanding of each stage.
Perhaps that is why recent language
teaching methods often have an increased
focus on games and activities. Games are
interactive, engaging and stress-free by
nature, and cement the reciprocal
relationship between teacher and students. I
always use fun activities to introduce new
linguistic skills in a friendly environment
where the level of stress is minimised. This is
a profoundly emotional experience, and what
we learn in an emotional environment we are
less prone to forget.
Notes
1 Shaffer, D, Halverson, R, James, PG and
Squire, KR (2005) ‘Video Games and the Future
of Learning’, WCER Working Paper No. 2005-4;
wcer.wisc.edu
2 Hancock, H (2002) ‘Better Gaming Design
Through Cutscenes’. In Gamasutra: The art and
business of making games; gamasutra.com
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A GREEN
APPROACH
Mariana Roccia argues that linguists should incorporate
ecolinguistics into their work, and suggests where to start
L
ong before Covid-19, the world was already facing
a global crisis. Environmental concerns have been
in the public sphere for a while, but only in recent
years has talk about sustainability officially permeated
the agenda of leaders around the world. Yet talking
about environmental problems, such as climate change,
is extremely problematic.
Firstly, there is the issue of the scale: climate change
affects us all differently, making it hard to grasp how
collective actions play a role, for better or for worse. As
cognitive scholar George Lakoff points out,1 we may still
lack the mental frames that allow us to understand the
magnitude of the problem. Secondly, clearly defining
what is and isn’t an environmental problem is vital. The
truth is that every decision we make – from what we eat
to what we wear – will certainly have an impact on the
planet, and may very well fall into the category of an
environmental problem in the long run.
In this sense, the relatively young field of ecolinguistics
can offer some useful insights on the role of language in
reframing our connection with the natural world.
Ecolinguistics draws on discourse analysis and cognitive
theories to produce a critical linguistic framework
whereby harmful discourses can be revealed and resisted.
At the same time, it searches for inspiring sources that
help us to rethink what a more ecologically just society
would look like. This involves taking a linguistic activist
18 The Linguist Vol/60 No/3 2021
role in our daily lives by challenging those discourses that
do not resonate with our ecosophy – the set of ecological
principles and values we pursue as individuals.2
Ecolinguistics dates back to the 1960s when American
scholars first used the term to draw connections between
language and ecology, particularly in connection to
endangered languages, multilingualism and language
contact. However, it was not until the 1990s that the
term began to be used more widely to explore the role
of language in the interactions of humans within wider
ecosystems, not only in their social context.
THE BIOSPHERE Although ecolinguistics can be more visibly applied in
The International educational and corporate settings, it can also be
Ecolinguistics extended to a variety of professional contexts where
Association focuses on language is directly involved, such as copywriting,
“language and the life- translation, content writing and editing. For instance, when
sustaining interactions faced with an advertising campaign that encourages
of humans, other people to consume genetically modified foods, content
species and the writers can use ecolinguistic techniques to reveal why
physical environment”. this should be resisted. This might involve showing the
Our interactions with relevant stakeholders linguistic evidence, such as how
bees and frogs (above) facts, events and participants are represented, in order
are key examples to reveal how the campaign promotes an activity that is
harmful to health and the environment.
To tackle environmental problems effectively, it is crucial
to transcend the world of academia, and more efforts are
needed to make knowledge accessible to everyone. The
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International Ecolinguistics Association,3 a network of more
than 1,000 members, has been central to spreading
information and making it freely available, including
through a free online course.4 Participants can access a
wide range of resources, including short video clips,
economics textbooks and media publications to help
them put the theoretical knowledge into practice.
They are introduced to eight types of story (or mental
model): ideologies, framings, metaphors, evaluations,
identities, convictions, erasure and salience. Such stories
are useful for revealing whether a discourse is ecologically
beneficial, ambivalent or destructive by means of their
linguistic manifestation. For example, if nature is framed
as an enemy, its linguistic manifestation would entail the
use of trigger words that activate the ‘war frame’ in the
reader. Words such as ‘battle’, ‘destroy’, ‘tame’,
‘domination’ and ‘exploitation’ might come to mind.
Course participants reported an improved ability to
analyse texts critically and use language effectively to
address ecological issues. For instance, members of staff
of an environmental consultancy agency revealed that
they now use more challenging language in the blogs
and articles they edit, and use more precise terminology
when analysing their clients’ environmental activities.
CHANGING CLIENTS’ MINDS
Since climate change is ultimately everyone’s
responsibility, we all have a clear opportunity post-Covid
to rebuild a more equal society. Pandemics offer a
unique opportunity for understanding the complexity of
how an ecological system works. According to Laura
Spinney, a pandemic “[…] is a social phenomenon as
much as it is a biological one; it cannot be separated
from its historical, geographical and cultural context”.5
@Linguist_CIOL
But for that to happen, the world will need responses
from various disciplines and actors.
Translators have an important task in making these
responses available to everyone – whether by translating
new research or by enabling that research to go beyond
academia. Another crucial role is highlighting ecologically
unhelpful language choices and translating the voices of
those who have been marginalised so they can be taken
into account in the development of new responses.
To this effect, ecolinguistics can offer practical tools to
help us contribute to this change more efficiently. The
production of palm oil is a practical example of how
linguistic patterns can both reveal unhelpful discourses
and promote beneficial ones. Palm oil is traditionally used
in cosmetics, food manufacturing and biofuel, but it has
a devastating environmental impact. A corpus from the
English and Spanish websites of two food multinationals
shows how companies conveniently reframe their palm oil
sourcing policies to make their production ‘sustainable’.6
In the corpus, the overall evaluation is that ‘sustainable
palm oil is good’ and that its mass production should
continue even if the system is flawed and company targets
IMAGES © SHUTTERSTOCK
have not been met. Evaluations are areas in people’s
minds which are characterised as negative or positive, and
this is achieved linguistically by means of appraisal items.7
In this example, items such as “it brings money, trade and
jobs” and “can contribute to economic development and
poverty alleviation” activate a positive economic frame GET INVOLVED
on the reader. A positive appraisal is also achieved by Everyone from
highlighting the versatility of palm oil over its alternatives translators working
with the use of superlatives and adverbs: “a highly from home (top) to
productive crop”, “the most land efficient crop”. language teachers
On the other hand, the parties involved and the areas (above) can play a
affected by deforestation are overlooked and given  part in ecolinguistics
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FEATURES
 little specificity in the corpus. Erasure is reflected in
the use of indefinite determiners, collective nouns and
the passive voice, as in the following example: “In some
regions of the world, the rapid expansion of palm oil
production has threatened environmentally sensitive areas
of tropical forests and peatlands and has resulted in some
incidents where the rights of workers and indigenous
peoples have been infringed.” Such vagueness is also
reflected in the Spanish version. These linguistic patterns
fail to give visibility to those who are affected and mask
the responsibility of the companies causing the damage.
A more helpful way to portray the participants is to
avoid homogenisation by giving them salience. For
instance, this can be done by using the active voice and
basic-level words, such as ‘orangutans’, ‘elephants’ and
‘rhinos’, to activate images and emotions in order to raise
awareness. Similarly, naming the indigenous peoples
affected by palm oil production – the Ibans people and
the Orang Rimba – foregrounds their uniqueness.
With this knowledge, we can be better equipped to
help clients make informed decisions for future projects
and warn them when the source text may be promoting
ecologically harmful messages. One approach to
educating clients is to clearly outline the problem and
provide them with a couple of recommended solutions
or text options, and to specify whether content editing,
transcreation or other drastic measures may be required.
TEACHING FUTURE GENERATIONS
Language teachers also have an important role to play.
The TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) field
has often been criticised for encouraging linguistic
imperialism and spreading consumerist ideas that can
undermine local ecological knowledge. Language
20 The Linguist Vol/60 No/3 2021
teachers can find in ecolinguistics a useful linguistic
framework that can help them critically engage with
environmental content in their language classes and
assess their teaching materials. Similarly, teachers can use
this framework for identifying positive stories that can
bring a change to the language class by adapting content
to their local context. Goulah and Katunich, for instance,
offer useful insights on how environmental content can –
and should – be included in the language curriculum.8
Overall, ecolinguistics offers some useful insights into
the deep connections that exist between language and
ecology. People of all backgrounds can engage with the MAKING AN
field and discover how they could apply it to their IMPRESSION
everyday practice. The language that is
used to talk about
Notes environmental issues,
1 Lakoff, G (2010) ‘Why it Matters How We Frame the such as deforestation
Environment.’ In Environmental Communication, 4.1, 70-81 for palm oil production
2 Naess, A (1995) ‘The Shallow and the Long Range, Deep (bottom), can spread
Ecology Movement.’ In Drengson, A and Inoue, Y (eds) misconceptions. A
The Deep Ecology Movement: An introductory anthology, worker collects palm
Berkley: North Atlantic Books oil at a plantation in
3 ecolinguistics-association.org Indonesia (below)
4 storiesweliveby.org.uk; see also, Roccia, M (2019)
‘Changing Lives and Professional Practice: A report on the
impact of ecolinguistics.’ In Language & Ecology
5 Spinney, L (2017) Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and
How it Changed the World, Jonathan Cape: London
6 cutt.ly/UnileverSustainable and cutt.ly/PGenvironmental
7 Martin, J and White, P (2005) The Language of Evaluation:
Appraisal in English, New York: Palgrave Macmillan
8 Goulah, J and Katunich, J (2020) TESOL and
Sustainability: English language teaching in the
anthropocene era, Bloomsbury
IMAGES © SHUTTERSTOCK
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Embassy insights
Dr Regina Duarte, Director of Camões Institute, talks about the new
Anglo-Portuguese School of London, which opened last year
Q The Anglo-Portuguese School of London
(APSoL) opened in September 2020.
How and why was it established?
A Portuguese-speaking families would call the
Camões Institute (situated at the Portuguese
Embassy in London) and ask for information
about bilingual schools, but such schools did
not exist. We considered it a priority to fill this
gap. We then realised there was a demand for
bilingual education among the wider public –
be it international families or British families
interested in an international education. The
opening of other bilingual schools gave us a
model to build on.
The initial steps were taken in 2013 when I,
as Director of Camões Institute, entered a
proposal to the UK Department for
Education (DfE). The institute’s involvement
has continued – from chairing the trust that
governs the school to providing teaching
resources, materials, fully qualified teachers
and daily support.
Q Who can attend the school?
A According to the school’s vision,
bilingualism is for everyone. It is a non-fee-
paying, non-selective state primary school
@Linguist_CIOL
that follows the national curriculum, but with
a dual language approach – the first bilingual
school in the UK where children can become
fluent in two of the most spoken languages
in the world: English and Portuguese. The
aim is to provide an inspirational experience
through a broad, balanced and creative
curriculum, including a rich language
provision and a wider worldview.
Q What is the pedagogical approach?
A Daily language teaching and learning
experiences in both languages provide an
immersion context. It is believed that learning
through more than one language from a
young age promotes strong cognitive brain
function, enabling children to keep their
minds active as they process complex topics,
such as maths, logic and music.
The approach is to bring in ideas, stories,
themes, art and music from across the five
continents to enrich children’s learning both
in and out of the classroom. We incorporate
Portuguese language varieties and cultures
from around the world to give children a
unique insight into the wealth and breath of
this richness. We believe in cooperative work,
FEATURES
IN DEMAND: Children at the new state
school (main image); and (inset) Regina Duarte
integration and in building strong links with
the local community.
Q Tell us about the language and cultural
outreach work of the Camões Institute and
the Portuguese Embassy…
A The Camões Institute is the organisation for
the promotion of Portuguese language and
culture worldwide. We manage a network of
26 fully qualified teachers and 3,500 students
in 60 schools across the UK, funding 18
teaching positions in British universities so that
1,300 students can learn Portuguese ab initio.
Camões is also the Ministry for Foreign Affairs’
institute for cultural promotion within the
embassy, promoting Portuguese artists and
authors in partnership with local organisations.
Dr Regina Duarte is Director of Camões
Institute and Chair of Governors at the
Anglo-Portuguese School of London. She
has worked in education for more than
20 years. Visit www.e-portugues.co.uk for
information about Camões Institute.
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FEATURES
Inspiring study
Can a university outreach programme help secondary
school students to Love Languages, asks Jon Datta
T
his time last year I was a maths
teacher and senior secondary school
leader teaching a group of Year 11
French students (ages 15-16) in a severely
disadvantaged area of Hertfordshire. The fact
that a maths specialist was teaching GCSE
French highlights the impact of nationwide
staff shortages in modern languages and
uncertainty around Brexit’s impact on
language learning. Worse, after two
recruitment drives for a part-time French
teacher, I was the highest qualified candidate.
I had studied French as part of a joint
honours degree 14 years previously. Why
part-time? The class in question was the last
remaining French class in the school.
Throughout the year, I regularly thought
‘How on earth did it get to this?’ I had been
hired to drive school improvement and to
22 The Linguist Vol/60 No/3 2021
raise standards in maths. Yet here I was
reminding myself of grammatical conjugations.
I was just one step ahead of the students.
Despite the enormous challenge, stress
and workload of re-learning aspects of the
French language and researching best
practice pedagogy, I was hopeful that I could
make a transformative impact. I wanted to
convey my fascination with languages. I
wanted my students to develop empathy
and respect for people regardless of
nationality, and to see the importance of truly
understanding one another. And I wanted to
enrich their outlooks and lives in the process.
In reality, instead of cultural immersion, I
drilled the students on vocabulary and
grammar. My class had been taught by a
cover teacher, on and off, since Year 7 (ages
11-12). Morale was low. I was trying to cram
© SHUTTERSTOCK
years of curriculum content into a single year,
and in terms of accountability, the outcomes
were more important than the process.
By the time schools closed to most
children on 23 March 2020, I was confident
that my class would perform significantly
better than expected in their GCSEs. This
wasn’t because they were particularly fluent
in French, but because they had taken on
board the necessary methods of gaining
marks in a challenging and severely graded
course. In fact, with predicted grades
replacing traditional exams during the
pandemic, I felt cheated that all of our hard
work over the past six months would not be
reflected through their exam performance.
However, a nagging feeling persisted that
no matter how successful the students were,
they hadn’t really connected to the language
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in a meaningful way. My fears seem well
founded when you consider that just 16% of
language teachers think the GCSE is a good
measure of language competence.1 This isn’t
right. The seed for Love Languages was sown.
Sharing the joy of learning
Fast-forward to September and I transitioned
from secondary to tertiary education,
overseeing the outreach and widening
participation programme at Trinity College,
University of Cambridge. When we received
applications for the 2021 academic year, the
steepest reduction in applications was in
Modern and Medieval Languages (MML).
I was determined that Trinity should offer a
programme promoting the benefits and
prospects of language learning beyond
GCSE – a programme moving away from the
government definition of grammar, phonics
and vocabulary2 towards language, linguistic
structures and the historical, social, cultural
contexts in which the language is and has
been used. Importantly, this ambition echoes
the content of Cambridge’s MML degrees.
I thought it critical to pitch the programme
at GCSE students who had not yet chosen
their A levels in order to increase the potential
pool of university language applicants. It
seemed essential that the programme was
holistic, involving stakeholders from all areas
of university life: undergraduates, academic
staff and college alumni.
The key aims were to inspire students to
continue with their languages beyond GCSE;
build confidence in speaking; raise aspirations
towards Higher Education (HE); demonstrate
the value of learning other languages and
cultures in the working world; make language
learning interesting and exciting; and present
Cambridge’s language courses. Through Love
Languages, GCSE students would discover
the careers into which languages could take
them, and have a go at learning some of the
non-European languages we offer.
We received almost 3,000 applications – a
record number for our outreach programmes.
This is a testament to both the reach of online
provision and our promotion to schools all
over the UK. It is also evidence that younger
students are interested in language and
culture. We had to whittle this down to 567
state school pupils predicted a grade 7 or
@Linguist_CIOL
above, but we sent recordings and materials
to all applicants so that everyone had access.
Given that 57% of this year’s participants
have parents who did not attend university, it
is vital that the initiative deconstructs myths
about university life. Our goal is to ease any
anxieties that first-generation students might
have, familiarise them with the realities of HE
language learning, and make the application
process less daunting. As one participant
“from a village where everyone knows
everyone else” explained: “I’m quite worried
about how massive the jump will be to living
so far away in a place where I don’t know
anyone, but this session helped because it
made me feel like that’s normal and I’ll be ok.”
Session by session
The first session explored how learning a
language is intimately bound up in learning
about cultures, traditions and histories. Two
alumni discussed how languages have
shaped and defined their careers. Afterwards,
one participant said: “I don’t really have
many ideas careers wise… but this has made
me see how much languages can help
extend my options, as opposed to just giving
me one career path.”
In session two, Dr Laura Moretti, a Senior
Lecturer in pre-modern Japanese studies,
delivered an ab initio session in Japanese,
developing awareness of languages that
aren’t traditionally taught in the UK. The
feedback from students was unequivocally
positive. One said they were excited to show
off their new knowledge while another
commented: “The passion with which Laura
described her subject was very inspiring and
engaging. It reflected the importance of
seeking rapture in the course you undertake.”
In the third session, students learnt about
the Cambridge application process and
received advice about writing their personal
statements. Afterwards, Dr Carlos Fonseca,
Lecturer in Latin America Literature and
Culture, described the route taken by artist
Wifredo Lam from Cuba to Martinique and
back, focusing on the importance of language
and culture beyond nationality and borders.
One student described what they had learnt:
“cultures are hybrid and change throughout
travel and time, they are the routes it has
taken not the roots they come from.”
FEATURES
In the fourth masterclass, students had the
chance to talk to undergraduates and hear
about their year abroad. We believe that
relatable role models are crucial to reducing
imposter syndrome. Feedback indicates that
the students’ aspirations to study languages
at university – and the realisation they could
do that – were raised by the encounter.
In our penultimate session, Professor Emma
Widdis, Trinity’s Director of Studies for MML,
held a mock Supervision (a very small group
teaching unique to Cambridge) to show the
importance of self-expression and creativity,
and how discussion and intellectual curiosity
are fostered, supported and challenged.
Making a difference
We already have evidence that Love
Languages is making a difference. After our
final session, 97% of attendees said they are
now likely to study a language at A level
compared to 81% before the first session.
The cumulative effect of the programme is
epitomised by one student’s reflections
before the fifth session: “I’ve been just looking
forward to the session as a whole for the past
few days, I really enjoy these… just listening
to all of the experiences of those involved
made me happy. I have no idea why.”
As part of the follow-up to each session, we
send students related multimedia, resources
and opportunities to enter competitions. This
increases immersion in the content and
enhances their university application.
Ultimately, we hope that Love Languages
participants go on to further languages study,
so it is rewarding that the proportion of our
first cohort planning to study a language at
university went from 64% before the
programme to 93% afterwards.
At Trinity we believe in the need to change
how languages are perceived and valued by
society. Languages are a window to other
cultures and intercultural understanding, and
as our students become the next generation
of polyglots, they need to know that the
world needs them more than ever.
Notes
1 Dean, A (2016) ‘The Death of Modern Foreign
Languages’. In Prospect; cutt.ly/MFLdeath
2 Bauckham, I (2016) Modern Foreign Languages
Pedagogy Review, Teaching Schools Council
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FEATURES
Bias in class
Calling for translingual practice, Ria Angelo argues that traditional
teaching can suppress learners’ identities in superdiverse contexts
A
ccording to Professor Henry Giroux,1
pedagogies that impose fixed criteria
on learners in the age of globalisation
threaten their agency and undermine their
prior knowledge and experiences – their
identities. The imposition of fixed grammar
rules has, for a long time, limited the identities
of learners of languages, such as French and
English, that have economic cachet in the
global labour market.2 Universal ways of
speaking and communicating promise a high
payout in transnational corporations, but
there is another aspect of language that
lingers in the less formal corners of the world
– in malls, outdoor markets and buses –
marked by language mixing and switching.3
When transnational workers and their
families cross territorial borders they bring with
them a wide array of languages, and language
forms that clash with the ways we currently
teach languages in superdiverse contexts.
Mixed and hybrid ways of using language are
not only forms of communicating but also
reflect the lived histories and identities of
students. These learners exercise agency in
selecting when, how and in what context they
wish to combine words, emojis and signs to
communicate meaning across languages.
This is why it doesn’t make sense to teach
languages only through grammar-based
instruction, where students learn a given
language form in the target language (say,
the imperfect) and are expected to produce
this in the right social context. Worse, they
are expected to do this for a grade that can
impact their future economic success.
Superdiverse cities in Canada are prime
examples of linguistic landscapes where
mixing occurs. In Toronto, where I teach,
English and French are official languages and
24 The Linguist Vol/60 No/3 2021
taught in school from age 4. The recent influx as well as “visual motifs, emoticons and other
of Greek, Syrian and Afghan migrants means symbols” to negotiate meaning.
that it is not unusual to hear Greek or Arabic Readers employed multisensory reading to
being mixed with English or French in the interpret her symbols, which included a
same sentence. In language learning we call common Islamic motif referencing her Islamic
these hybrid language forms multi-, pluri- influences. Those who didn’t understand the
and/or translingualism. They are not going Arabic used a ‘let-it-pass’ principle, choosing
away and cannot be ignored. not to worry about aspects they did not
understand. Instead, they focused on what
New translingual practice meaning they could extract, drawing on past
There is no reason why students cannot learn experiences inside and outside the classroom.
a language by following the rules and bounds In superdiverse contexts, teachers can tailor
of that language, while also being allowed to similar open-ended tasks to language learners
draw on alternative and hybrid language with varying linguistic needs. In my own
forms, and being assessed on these practices.
This satisfies the moral dilemma for language
teachers, who on the one hand need to teach
the grammar that is required for success in a
global job market, but on the other need to
respect students’ lived histories and identities.
Pedagogies of translingualism
reconceptualise a wide range of language
tasks that may be grammar-based in some
aspects and more open-ended in others.
Allowing students to oscillate between the
target language and their preferred language
forms begins by encouraging them to
integrate words, expressions and/or emojis
across written and spoken language tasks.
Integrating listening and reading activities
that exemplify translingual practices can
serve as a useful activity in developing
translingual communicative competence. For
instance, Suresh Canagarajah discusses an
assignment where language students in the
UK were encouraged to code-mix (employ
multiple languages in mixed ways) to
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negotiate and communicate meaning in an
autobiographical text.4 A student called
Buthainah mixed English, Arabic and French,
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French as a Second Language (FSL) classroom
in Toronto, I adapted Canagarajah’s
assignment by asking my students (aged 11-
14) to introduce aspects of their identity using
words and expressions in English, French and
their own mother tongues. Although most
students drew only on French or English, one
also used Arabic, images and symbols to tell
a story about her age, hobbies, family life
and favourite subjects. This is just one
example of a wide range of translingual
activities that language teachers can design
to place the complete linguistic repertoire of
students at the centre of language learning.
Recent translanguaging research highlights
a useful three-step pedagogy that begins with
teachers affirming a positive stance toward
translingualism – that it is valued in the
classroom.5 Then teachers design language
tasks that fit students’ linguistic practices, and
finally shift their teaching to adapt instruction
to the needs of students more generally.
While this approach widens linguistic
opportunities for students in the languages
classroom, it is by no means fixed, and this is
important. Each class and superdiverse
context has unique linguistic needs. Therefore,
@Linguist_CIOL
flexibility and a context-driven approach are
key to avoiding the replacement of a single
translingual method with another.
Anti-bias teacher training
Implementing a translingual approach to
language education calls for a fundamental
change in the beliefs and practices of teachers
and teacher trainers. This begins with reflective
practice.6 Teacher training programmes,
professional development and professional
learning communities in schools are required.
These ask teachers to transform the bias they
bring to the classroom that contributes to the
suppression of alternative language forms.7
This means recognising that language learning
is not simply linear and preconceived but
also messy, multi-modal and process-based.
Anti-bias teacher training begins by
exploring how our biases affect our teaching
practices. Reflecting on how we perceive the
way in which languages should be learnt and
what constitutes ‘linguistic competence’ in
terms of the four language skills (reading,
writing, listening and speaking) is a necessary
first step to transformative language practices.
Received ideologies of what constitute ‘good’
FEATURES
and ‘acceptable’ pronunciation, orthography
and syntax all need to be revisited as they
should not be the only quality criteria in a
translingual classroom.
To acknowledge alternative forms of
communicating is to acknowledge that
alternative ways of being, knowing and
acting exist that can go against the dominant
linguistic forms and social structures that limit
language learner identities. This builds on the
work of many state school boards in
superdiverse Canadian cities. Reflecting on
the pedagogic practices of colonialism, and
extending these conversations to the context
of language learning, can also promote more
democratic ways of communicating.
This cannot occur without the input of our
students, who can help to pinpoint how we
perpetuate or interrupt linguistic barriers. This
means examining how linguistic discrimination,
in policy and in practice, is experienced by
language learners. Only then can we begin
to define linguistic discrimination and identify
examples of these practices in order to
conceptualise transformative language tasks.
Anti-bias teacher training depends on
having courageous conversations. Leaning
into the discomfort we feel when we talk
about difference and discrimination is
something we, as educators, need to do if
we are to teach to more socially just aims.
Notes
1 www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCMXKt5vRQk
2 See Norton, B (2000) Identity and Language
Learning: Gender, ethnicity and educational
change, Pearson: Harlow
3 Pennycook, A and Otsuji, E (2015)
Metrolingualism: Language in the city,
Routledge: New York
4 Canagarajah, S (2013) Translingual Practice:
Global Englishes and cosmopolitan relations,
Routledge: New York
5 García, O and Kleyn, T (2016) Translanguaging
with Multilingual Students: Learning from
classroom moments, Routledge: New York
6 Liu, JE, Yuen, YL and Lin, AMY (2020)
‘Translanguaging Pedagogy in Teaching English
for Academic Purposes: Researcher-teacher
collaboration as a professional development
model’. In System, 92
7 Ontario’s Equity and Inclusion Strategy (2009)
www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/Equity.pdf
JUNE/JULY The Linguist 25
26-27_Reviews TL60_3.qxp_Layout 1 15/05/2021 00:24 Page 26
REVIEWS
Why Study
teachers and advisers. It places English and
monolingualism in a global context: only 20%
Languages?
of the world’s population has significant
knowledge of English, and the UK trails far
behind other European countries in language
Gabrielle Hogan-Brun learning. This translates into a real shortage
of competent linguists which, in turn,
London presents wonderful opportunities for those
Publishing who do have the required skills.
Partnership Gabrielle Hogan-Brun, herself proficient in
2021, 208 pp; five languages, debunks popular myths,
ISBN 978- including some concerning the content of a
1913019181 languages degree (a focus on medieval
Paperback, literature is possible, but so is the study of
£12.99 Tintin or modern gangster films). A powerful
portfolio of skills can be built by taking another
subject with a language as a joint degree –
Why Study Languages? provides a some 50:50, others with a minor – with the
comprehensive and eminently readable University of St Andrews boasting 124 options.
overview of the benefits of language learning The cognitive, social and affective benefits
itself and of a languages degree. It of the language learning journey, and in
encourages the reader to explore their particular of immersion, are elucidated
motivation with a view to making an informed compellingly. Gone are the days of a one-
personal decision that is often life-defining. size-fits-all third year abroad. This has been
Targeted at prospective students and replaced by university study or work
parents, this book will also be useful for placements in a location of choice.
Multilingual students, initially with their pre-sessional
studies in English, before it widened to cover
Online other academic subjects. It went on to
include collaboration with the University of
Academic
Manchester and the University of Arizona.
The scheme grew as a response to the
Collaborations
limited circumstances in which universities in
the Gaza strip could operate during the
as Resistance
Israeli blockade. It is interesting to see the
way in which the growing sophistication of
technology has been brought into use
Giovanna Fassetta et al progressively, beginning with Skype and
moving on to the modes of communication
Multilingual that have flourished in the pandemic. But the
Matter, 2020, technology is only part of the story. The key
204 pp; ISBN ingredient is the people involved on all sides,
978-1788929585 who are willing to be innovative on the one
Paperback, hand and flexible on the other.
£29.95 In fact, this book is a useful primer showing
how to set up distance schemes of work
across borders. It also shows that from quite
experimental beginnings it is possible to
build up an increasingly complex system,
This is an unusual publication which charts the going right up to the defending of theses.
development in the last few years between We still do not know to what extent the
the Islamic University of Gaza and the Covid emergency will inhibit academic travel
University of Glasgow to support Palestinian for everyone, let alone limit the presence of
26 The Linguist Vol/60 No/3 2021
Dr Hogan-Brun outlines where the
problem-solving and communication skills
learnt through a languages degree can lead,
presenting a broad range of exciting jobs in
which ‘the language bonus’ brings a
competitive and commercial advantage.
Carefully selected examples showcase
language professionals and those for whom
knowledge of another language has been
crucial – from astronaut to chef, athlete to
author, diplomat to performer.
Such career trajectories are explored
alongside more traditional routes into
translation and interpreting. Secondments in
global organisations are touched on briefly;
more detail on opportunities in professional
services and City careers would provide an
even fuller picture.
Packed with facts and stories, including the
author’s recent experience of learning a sixth
language, this book presents an engaging
and enticing proposition. It falls to those of
us who have benefitted from the gifts which
languages bring to convince future linguists
to read it!
Eleni Pavlopoulos
international students on campus, but blended
learning in various forms will undoubtedly stay
and be reinforced by increasingly effective
means of communication. In addition,
methods of examination and assessment will
need to be developed further in order to
prevent plagiarism, copying and unauthorised
team efforts. So this is a bold venture, though
it may be seen as controversial by some.
The team ruefully accepts that there is an
asymmetrical element in all this, as the people
on the outside have better resources at their
disposal and, in normal circumstances,
greater freedom of movement. Equally, there
are ways in which these difficulties can be
obviated, especially as more materials are
being made available online.
This project shows how such a scheme
could be extended more widely to countries
where conventional programmes of higher
education are not always accessible for
financial, geographical or political reasons.
The most advanced universities in the world
would then be able to reach out in order to
reinforce and strengthen education and
training worldwide for the benefit of all.
Professor Tim Connell Hon FCIL
thelinguist.uberflip.com
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En famille
© SHUTTERSTOCK
How can you keep children motivated to use the home language?
RITA ROSENBACK
As a family language coach, some of the
questions I hear most frequently from parents
revolve around motivation. My son refuses to
answer me in my language, what should I
do? My daughter prefers to speak the school
language, how can I convince her to use our
home language? The scenarios vary from
toddlers who are yet to express themselves
in an additional language to older children
who have been using a home language
fluently but now prefer to use the school
language. These are common challenges in
multilingual families across the world.
To overcome any challenge, we first must
understand it. When it comes to small children
it often boils down to the amount of language
input. Contrary to popular belief, children are
not sponges when it comes to languages.
They need enough exposure in a language –
through frequent, meaningful interaction – to
learn to understand it and express themselves
in it. While consistency in parental language
use is often touted as the be-all and end-all for
raising a bilingual child, this is only partly true.
If there is enough exposure to both (or all)
languages, the parents can be more relaxed
about their language choices. Consistency
becomes more important when the amount
of input in a language decreases, for
example when the only parent who speaks it
returns to work and has less 1-to-1 time with
@Linguist_CIOL
the child; or when the child is immersed in
the community’s majority language at school.
My recommendation is to find out the
underlying reason for the reluctance by gently
asking the child for permission to discuss the
topic. I would avoid direct ‘why?’ questions, as
these can easily become accusatory, especially
if there have already been disagreements. The
reasons can be anything from not knowing the
words, no longer being used to speaking the
language or being afraid of making mistakes,
to the feeling that it takes too much effort or
that they simply don’t want to. Listen and try
to understand. Resist the temptation to offer
an instant solution, but instead ask your child
to suggest one. Discuss how you could work
together. Don’t forget to share your own
feelings about the language, how important it
is to you and how proud you are to speak it.
As parents we should do our best to
prevent the child’s language choices from
becoming a battleground. We may feel
disappointed, or even hurt, that a child does
not seem to want to use the language we feel
close to, but we should not let these feelings
rule the discussion. Children are pragmatic
and will do what works best for them. When
they realise they can choose their language,
they often pick their strongest one. It is up to
us to create a motivational environment to
keep the home languages going.
For children to speak a language, they
should want and need to do so. Both ‘want’
and ‘need’ motivators occur naturally, but
parents can create or enhance them. Each
OPINION
SECTION
& COMMENT
HEADER
child is different – there is no one-size-fits-all
solution – so how can you find the right way to
motivate your child? The trick is to put yourself
in their position and carefully listen to their
views. Such discussions can be held as soon as
children understand the concept of different
languages and can express their wishes – this
can be as early as three or four years of age.
Experiencing positive feelings, such as
enjoyment, sense of achievement and pride,
are typical ‘want’ motivators. To help pinpoint
what works best for your child, think of their
interests and favourite hobbies/activities;
what makes them laugh or feel happy, proud
and accomplished; what might they like to
learn about. Then incorporate the language
into these activities, for example by playing
boardgames, cooking together or going to
the seaside while speaking your language.
‘Need’ motivators usually stem from the
environment, such as speaking with
monolingual relatives or being understood
when visiting a place where the language is
spoken. Attending a summer camp in the
language and visits ‘back home’ can be real
language boosters, but even a solid habit of
speaking the language with a parent can act
as an effective motivator.
TL Family language coach Rita
Rosenback is author of Bringing
Up a Bilingual Child. For more tips, visit
her website: multilingualparenting.com.
JUNE/JULY The Linguist 27
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OPINION & COMMENT
A machine model
Is machine translation post-editing suitable for marketing
texts and could a new approach be a game changer?
THORSTEN DISTLER
Agencies and direct clients have eagerly
jumped aboard the machine translation
post-editing (MTPE) bandwagon in the hope
of saving themselves time and money. But
can the industry really deliver what it
promises? Even for creative texts? The desire
to produce PR and marketing translations
faster and cheaper is understandable. But is it
far-fetched to expect MTPE to be as good as
human professionals?
The short answer is ‘yes’. At least with the
current pricing models. Indeed, setting a
word price for preparing a creative text using
MTPE could be likened to commissioning
custom furniture in fine oak from a low-cost
chipboard producer. An MTPE text is a lot
like a basic mass-produced table: if you add
a few extra screws, sand the edges and add
a lick of paint it’ll do the job, but it won’t
impress your dinner guests.
These days, agencies simply tend to inform
their pool of freelancers of their switch to
machine translation (MT). They rave about
the ‘improved efficiency’ and ‘time savings’,
and include details of the rates that
freelancers can look forward to receiving. It is
not unheard of for translators to be offered
half the word price previously paid for
translations to rework MT texts.
As a result, translators increasingly find
themselves under time pressure, compelled
to turn around texts in half the time to avoid
28 The Linguist Vol/60 No/3 2021
losing out financially. To make matters worse,
instead of working with just the source and
target texts, we must now juggle four
different texts: the source text in the source
language; the MT text in the target language;
the perfect, print-ready version in the target
language; and the compromise we create
under (time and financial) pressure. The
outcome? Frustration all round.
Creative translators are frustrated because
we are constantly short of time, can no
longer engage in our professional passion of
producing creative texts, and cannot afford
to spend time tweaking a text to perfection.
MT often slows our work down more than it
speeds it up, as we can never get into the
all-important translation flow.
Project managers are frustrated because
complaints from clients increase; the time
and price pressure grows; and their role is
reduced to shifting around data, rather than
managing a sophisticated localisation process.
The time allotted is often too short for a
proper briefing or quality assurance round.
Clients are frustrated because the final
product fails to meet their expectations;
they weren’t warned that MTPE is unsuitable
for PR and marketing translations charged
by the word; and the target text does not
read well or flow. They may lose customers
or suffer damage to their reputation due to
poor-quality content. The agencies that
remain true to their codes of professional
ethics and refuse to support the race to
the bottom find it hard compete with low
rates elsewhere.
As reputable language service providers,
agencies and project managers, we must
draw clear boundaries. MT charged by the
word must remain a no-no for texts where
consumer welfare, corporate image or
company turnover is at stake. We must
communicate this to our clients clearly. After
all, if we want our profession to be taken
seriously we owe them this transparency.
Calculating costs
One solution is fair pricing based on the hours
worked/processing time. Billing by the hour
requires the client to trust the service provider.
Should they desire greater control, another
possibility would be billing based on (post-)
editing distance. This method is used in IT
and works in a similar way to the document
comparison tool in MS Word: the more the
final version diverges from the MT text, the
greater the amount of work it involves. Flexible
pricing models have several advantages and
can help to solve the most pressing issues.
Calculating the costs after a project is
completed is the only sensible option if
creative texts are to have the desired impact.
Translators must regain control and
responsibility for their work. If they are paid
for the best possible result, they will do their
best. Indeed, they will keep honing the text
until they believe they have achieved the
best outcome for all involved – and, above
all, for the client.
If an MT suggestion is unsuitable, the
translator will discard it and craft a solution
that conveys the source text. This is far more
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effective, and less time-consuming, than
attempting to remedy flaws in MT texts. If an
MT suggestion is suitable, it can be retained.
Where the style or content of sentences
requires fine-tuning, it can be reworked
individually before being incorporated back
into the text. The final decision on which tool
is appropriate must always be made by a
knowledgeable expert. High-quality MTPE
output will certainly cost more than half the
price of a human translation, but in my
experience, savings of 20% are still possible.
We must make this clear to our direct clients.
A new billing model
So does this mark the end of pricing by the
word – a billing model that has long been the
gold standard in the English-speaking world?
Not really. After all, it still offers an important
calculation basis for segments or sentences
that aren’t changed by the translator. Crucial
here is that the translator is also compensated
for retaining suitable MT suggestions. You
wouldn’t expect a refund on your car’s annual
MOT just because it doesn’t have any issues;
it’s the mechanic’s expertise that you’re
paying for and it’s no different with MTPE.
Translators specialising in PR and
marketing confirm a text’s worthiness, giving
the client peace of mind that the content will
achieve the desired aims in the target
market. How much does this linguistic seal of
approval cost? In my experience the amount
of time it takes to carefully assess MT output
without making any changes is about 40% of
the time required to make a new translation,
@Linguist_CIOL
so there would be a 40% reduction in cost
for those parts of the text. This is a relatively
modest investment when you consider the
damage that poor-quality texts can cause.
The need for human translation
If marketing departments can save 20% by
using MTPE, even with a fair billing model,
why do they often choose to use professional
translators instead? There is one very good
reason: PR and marketing texts thrive on
originality, stimulating content and the ability
to trigger powerful emotions. A high-quality
outcome with maximum impact will only be
possible if the translator has a free hand in
the text’s design.
What’s more, companies need more than
a ‘good’ solution to present themselves in
the best light and maximise profits. They
must portray themselves in the most original
and creative manner possible. Only with
high-quality content can they really stand out
from the competition. While MT can be a
useful tool when it comes to translating less
business-critical marketing and PR
documents, it should only be considered as
one tool in the translator’s toolkit.
In future, MT is likely to become a more
interesting tool, with each translator adding
their translations to a personal MT engine that
they maintain individually. Clients will benefit
from this specialised, well-maintained MT
system, and language service providers will
be able to concentrate on essentials, such as
adapting the higher quality MT output to their
clients’ corporate identity and tone of voice.
OPINION & COMMENT
SDL Trados has already begun dabbling in
iMT with its AdaptiveMT self-learning engine.
A number of aspects still need to be
addressed, including the approach to
copyright, as the right to use a creative
solution must remain with the translator.
Ideally, the developers of iMT systems will
secure this right for translators contractually.
Otherwise, language mediators will never
shed their scepticism and mistrust – and
individual MT systems will remain a dream.
Of course, clients (and especially agencies)
must only be permitted to incorporate the
creative solutions of individual translators into
their translation memories, and not use them
to fill their in-house MT systems. This must
also be clearly regulated in a contract.
Translators could provide clients and
agencies with a privacy statement that
adequately protects their intellectual property.
This could help prompt a shift away from the
mass of ready-made MT solutions towards
individual systems that translators can offer to
their clients. Services such as DeepL and
Google Translate would then only run in the
background as basic applications – like a kind
of Wikipedia for MT – allowing specialised
iMT systems, meeting the highest style and
content standards, to become the norm.
TL Thorsten Distler is a translator,
copywriter and personal trainer,
specialising in sport and health.
www.textandtranslationplus.com
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OPINION & COMMENT
Email linguist.editor@ciol.org.uk with your views
IMAGES © SHUTTERSTOCK
Tips for literary translation
In response to Maurice Varney’s ‘questions of
literary translation’ (TL60,2): I retired early in
2015 to take the Diploma in Translation
(DipTrans) and become a literary translator.
My first forays into the field were translations
of song lyrics by Skolot, a group I met and
made friends with in Saratov in 2015. This still
feels like the best start I could have made.
Songs demand the preservation of the
original rhyming and rhythmic schemes, but
you must still ‘put nothing in, leave nothing
out’. The discipline of mining deep in order
to rhyme, scan and stick to translation rules is
just as useful training for prose and verse as it
is for song itself (even if, in practice, it is often
preferable, for example, to depart from the
original rhyme scheme in verse translation.
I’m talking here of the discipline and training).
On ‘speculative’ translation, I think my
approach is typical. I find something I like,
read my way into it, do some trial translation
(a poem, story, few thousand words of a
Louchébem: the butchers’ cant
On reading Graham Elliott’s fascinating
review of The Language of Thieves (TL60,2),
my eye was caught by the slang term for
bread: lechem. I would ask whether there is a
linguistic connection between lechem and
louchébem, a butchers’ slang born in the
slaughterhouses of La Villette, Paris, in the
19th century, which prevented the uninitiated
from understanding what was being said.
30 The Linguist Vol/60 No/3 2021
novel), and when I’m
convinced that this is
something I want to push, I STAR
LETTER
approach the author or their
agent or publisher to sort out
the rights. It’s critical to ensure early
on that the rights are available and that all
relevant parties are on board. Otherwise you
can waste a monumental amount of time.
The rest of my work comes from new clients
approaching me and existing clients offering
repeat work.
I should say that although I started studying
and ‘practising’ literary translation in 2015,
I did not hold myself out as a professional
until 2018/2019, so I am a beginner, with
only a beginner’s experience. Nonetheless,
I hope this is of some interest. I’m happy
to share more details: contact me via
richardcoombeslanguageservices@outlook.com
or richardcoombeslanguageservices.com.
Richard Coombes MCIL
The basic mechanism is to replace the first
letter of a word by the letter ‘l’; shift the first
letter of the word to the end; and add the
suffix é, em, oque or uche. Thus boucher
(‘butcher’) becomes louchébem. Although this
slang is disappearing, two words remain in use
in everyday French: loufoque meaning ‘barmy’
and en loucédé meaning ‘on the quiet’.
Michael Mould FCIL
Trilingual
against all odds
In response to the question: ‘Can children
learn to speak three languages fluently?’
(TL60,2), the answer is ‘Absolutely, yes!’ And
against all odds. We adopted Alexander
when he was four. At that time he could not
say a single word in Polish or Portuguese.
Now, at the age of nine, he speaks three
languages fluently, singing in Portuguese,
doing crossword puzzles in Polish (“Dad,
check if I got wielbłąd right”).
One way of acquiring language is by using
familiar (previously learned) words. When
reading a bedtime story, Alexander came
across a new Polish word: uodporniony
(‘immune’). “Daddy, you mean as in
wodoodporny; ‘waterproof’?” he asked. It was
so close, I was amazed he had worked it out.
His good hearing contributes to his
language skills (he plays violin by ear). Of
course, linguistic errors are bound to happen.
For instance, he uses the made-up word
‘Konektuję’, which sounds more English than
Polish, instead of łączę (‘to connect’). When
saying ‘to earn [money]’ in Polish he uses the
word ‘to win’ (wygrywać), because the same
word is used for both in Portuguese: ganhar.
But we couldn’t be prouder of what our son
has achieved in such a short space of time,
given his early experiences.
Marcin Ferreira-Rachmiel MCIL
Marketing aqua
‘On Beauty’ (TL60,2) got me thinking about
ingredients in toiletries. Manufacturers now
list water as ‘aqua’ while leaving other English
words untranslated. Is this a niche marketing
ploy aimed at Latin speakers?
Graham Elliott MCIL
Star Letter prize
This issue’s Star Letter writer
wins a copy of Alex Bellos’s
The Language Lover’s Puzzle
Book. For your chance to
win, share your views via
linguist.editor@ciol.org.uk.
thelinguist.uberflip.com
30-31_Letters.qxp_Layout 1 15/05/2021 00:27 Page 31
Literature to the rescue
I am a part-time library assistant and part-time
tutor of Italian, mainly to adults in Wiltshire.
Since the first lockdown, I have had to make
changes to the way I teach, the location
(transferring lessons from my home to
online), and the type of materials. Many of
my students have found the lessons to be a
very important weekly appointment to help
during the time of isolation. Others found it
hard to focus and felt detached online, and
lost motivation when their Italian holiday
plans were cancelled.
To keep my students engaged, I decided
to use more literature materials, such as
books. I have always used literature during
my lessons but only in conjunction with
Italian grammar books or general Italian-
language books. Recently, however, I have
based my teaching of the language on
reading easy-readers with my students.
Every student is different, but we normally
take it in turns to read a sentence and the
students translate aloud. Even the beginner
Where do you read yours?
Megumi Waters MCIL with her copy of
the April-May issue in the Minato Mirai 21
area of Yokohama, a historic port city
which has been an entrance to Japan
since the modern age. The photo was
@Linguist_CIOL
students have now started to read books with
me, and we translate them together. As they
are reading, I notice where they need more
practice with grammar, and give them
technical explanations and exercises to help
them to expand their language knowledge.
After a year, the students seem
increasingly engaged in reading their books,
and our conversations have become more
interesting and profound. In addition,
my students have started to write more in
Italian and I am very impressed by their
language skills.
Books have always been an important part
of my life and I have always found refuge
and pleasure in reading literature in different
languages. The shape of the words, the
sound of the sentences, the story and the
emotions that emerge when reading a book
are a companion for life. Reading a book
together and talking about it makes for a
memorable and meaningful experience.
Vanessa Manoli CIOL Career Affiliate
taken on 24 April – the day before the
third lockdown of Tokyo, where she is
staying with her family.
Send your ‘caught reading The Linguist’
pictures to linguist.editor@ciol.org.uk
OPINION & COMMENT
How to be a
change maker
As a translator in the field of sustainability, it
was a pleasure to read Michael Cronin’s article
(TL60,2). Sustainability needs to be embedded
within the translation sector and should form
an integral part of all training and CPD. As he
rightly points out, refusing work on ethical
grounds can be difficult, but even if the
content of the work is not perfectly aligned to
our values, we can reduce our environmental
impact. Low carbon (light) web design, for
example, can significantly reduce emissions.
Initiatives destined to raise awareness and
help channel positive change, such as the
Sustainable Web Manifesto and WBGU’s
‘Towards our Common Digital Future’ report,
are on the increase. The digital revolution
must be guided by policies that protect the
planet and shape a more just society.
And we must not forget our own simple
daily actions: unsubscribe from unread
e-newsletters, clear out old emails and archive
documents off-line, bookmark more often to
avoid search engines, avoid unnecessary
emails by calling instead, turn off auto-play
for video streaming, dim monitors, avoid
vampire power (unplug!), and above all, pass
the message on to colleagues. By working
together, the field of translation can excel in
being a force for good through overcoming
barriers, eradicating discrimination and
promoting diversity in all its forms, and be a
driver of change to create a resilient and
sustainable future for all.
Jill Tellier CIOL Career Affiliate
JUNE/JULY The Linguist 31
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INSTITUTE MATTERS
A life with languages
In English and his native Cantonese, Ivan Hon explains how his multicultural background led
to a varied career in languages and an interest in current affairs from a global perspective
我从小对学习不同的语言,有很浓厚的
兴趣。我在香港长大，曾经在香港，
美国，日本和英国等地生活，学习和工
作（我在1999年来英国）。由于我有
机会在不同的语言和文化环境中生活，
学习和工作，这使我能够说,阅读和理
解數种语言，包括英文，中文,日文和
法文等，以及累积了很多与来自不同语
言和文化背景的人交流和工作的经验。
这使我想在自己的工作中，使用自
己懂得的语言。因此我用不同的语言
(英文，普通话，广东话和日文等)，
在各种不同的情况下，与说不同语言的
人工作和联系交往。自2004年以来，
我一直担任口译员,为伦敦及邻近地区
的公共服务（医院，社会服务，房屋，
律师事务所和法院等）及商业翻译英语
和汉语（普通话和广东话）; 我评核英
国国防部的军事人员的说和写中文的
I grew up in Hong Kong and
have always had a strong interest
in learning different languages.
Having the opportunity to live,
study and work in different
language and cultural
environments – in HK, the US,
Japan and, since 1999, the
UK – has given me the ability to
speak, read and understand
several languages, including
English, Chinese, Japanese and
French. I have also gained
extensive experience in
interacting and working with
people from different cultural
and linguistic backgrounds.
This inspired me to use my
languages in my career, working
with and liaising between people
32 The Linguist Vol/60 No/3 2021
水平，以及在Mary Ward 中心评核学
生的中英文翻译能力；我翻译和修改全
球中国学术院的网站及学术活动的资料，
以及为伦敦政治经济学院的台湾研究计
划室翻译研究资料和評論学术论文。
我觉得自己的工作很有意义，因为我
能够利用自己的语言和文化方面的能力，
知识，经验和洞察力，来做一些专门的
工作：这包括研究和比较不同的文化,思
想，价值观和宗教，並写相关的文章，
及评论有关文化和历史问题的学术论文。
我也很高兴，那么多年来，能够帮助很
多不同语言，文化，心态，价值观和思
维方式的人，互相理解和沟通。
但是,我在弥合不同语言和文化的人
之间鸿沟的工作中，也遇到了很多挑战
和困难,包括不同思维方式，心态，观点
和价值观的人之间的误解，理解对方的
困难和冲突等。
who speak different languages in
various contexts; and interpreting
English and Chinese (Mandarin and
Cantonese) for public services (e.g.
hospitals, social services, housing,
law firms and courts) and business
in London for many years. In
addition to working as a freelance
interpreter since 2004, I also assess
the Chinese speaking and writing
level of military personnel for the
UK Ministry of Defence, as well as
the translation abilities of students
at the Mary Ward Centre.
I translate and edit the website of
the Global China Academy and the
materials of its academic activities,
as well as translating research
materials and commenting on
academic papers for the Taiwan
我的爱好和休闲活动包括阅读，
在线观看各种节目和旅行，这些都涉
及语言。我的多种语言和文化能力，
使我能够阅读不同语言的书籍和资料
Research Programme at the
London School of Economics.
I find my work rewarding
because I have been able to use
my language and cultural skills,
knowledge, experiences and
insights in accomplishing
specialised works. This includes
doing research on and writing
about different cultures, ideas,
thoughts, values and religions,
and commenting on academic
papers on cultural and historical
issues. I am glad to have helped
many people with different
languages, cultures, mindsets
and values to understand and
communicate with each other.
Nevertheless, I also find many
challenges and difficulties in my
及在网上观看不同地方，以不同语言
制作的新闻和时事评论。这使我得到
很多广泛的主题和内容的信息，及很
多不同的观点。
attempts to bridge the gaps due
to misunderstandings, the
difficulties in understanding
other people, and conflicts
between people with different
perspectives and values.
My hobbies and leisure
activities, which include reading,
watching various programmes
online and travelling, also involve
language. My multilingual and
cultural abilities enable me to
read books and materials in
different languages, and watch
news, commentary and current
affairs shows made in different
countries and languages. This
gives me a lot of information,
covering a wide range of topics,
events and perspectives.
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INSTITUTE MATTERS

Gloucestershire gets connected

From Café Lingo to film nights and talks – how Josephine Murray and her colleagues
established a thriving Networking Group in Gloucestershire in the middle of a pandemic

I had the idea of setting up a CIOL

Gloucestershire Networking Group last spring.
After joining CIOL in January 2020 and
discovering its regional networks, I wanted to
provide a forum for Gloucestershire linguists
to socialise and exchange ideas, and to find
people with whom I could network, chat in
French, German and Spanish, talk about
foreign language films and books, and learn
more about other languages and cultures.
I mentioned my idea to Robert Beswick,
Head of Membership, at CIOL Conference,
and then met Training and Networks Manager
Soheila Phillips and Sukhdeep Loyal in
Communications. They set up our Facebook
page and Twitter account, and publicised the
network in members’ newsletters.
Jane Martin, Chair of the Midlands
Network, was incredibly helpful, as were all for each language during Café Lingos. These SPEAKING THEIR LANGUAGE
the committee members. I hosted the French fun, informal events provide people with the Participants at one of the Gloucestershire
room at their Café Lingo, and the two groups opportunity to talk in their second, third or Networking Group’s Café Lingo events
continue to support one another. Members even fourth language, so far covering French,
of the Brazil Network have hosted a German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Topics for future events include effective
Portuguese room at our Café Lingos. Slovene. A fluent or native speaker host and inclusive communication in an
A select group attended our first event in makes sure everyone has a turn to speak and international workplace; working as a
September – a stimulating virtual film night to helps with any elusive words. One participant multilingual voice-over artist; and a forum
discuss the French film Jules et Jim. Two of was speaking German for the first time in with various local speakers on foreign
the participants gamely agreed to join me to eight years! We are planning a December language books and literary translation. Once
form an informal committee: Susanne Russell, show-and-tell version for people to talk about in-person events are allowed, we want to
a teacher and translator originally from food, decorations, music and other aspects of organise networking sessions, restaurant
Germany, and Spanish translator Eva Tunez Christmas or a winter festival in their culture. meals and a cookery event.
Salvador. We are looking for more As well as another film night to discuss the In the meantime we’ll continue to share
Gloucestershire-based CIOL members to join French film Voyage au Groenland, we have information and talk about languages and
our committee; it’s a great way to find out had several speakers. Eva and her Local to cultures through Facebook, Twitter and our
what’s going on in all sorts of linguistic fields, Global business partner Janina Neumann online events. I would thoroughly recommend
plus you can organise the events you want to gave a thought-provoking presentation on setting up a regional network; it has opened
attend, with the speakers you want to hear. being culturally aware in an international work many doors for me both professionally and
Due to the pandemic, our monthly events environment. I spoke about literary translator personally – and it’s great fun too!
have taken place online. On the positive side, Patricia Crampton at our most popular event Contact gloucestershire@ciol.org.uk to join
this has enabled people to attend from all to date (see page 7). Her son Daniel attended the network, or find us on Facebook (CIOL
over the world. Smaller discussion groups take the talk, and gave a fascinating personal Gloucestershire Networking Group) and
place in Zoom break-out rooms, for example insight into his mother’s life and career. Twitter @Ciol_Gloucestershire.

@Linguist_CIOL JUNE/JULY The Linguist 33

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INSTITUTE MATTERS
COUNCIL
NEWS
Judith Gabler reports
on a post-AGM Council
Awayday with a difference
The regular pattern of our
post-AGM meeting in April was
transformed into an online ‘day
with a difference’. Our standard
agenda had been remodelled
into three units of Council, the
IoLET Educational Trust (CIOLQ)
AGM, and the annual strategy Awayday in order
to create stronger synergies of expertise. It was a
flying start for our two newly elected Council
members: Stephen Doswell MCIL CL and Richard
Stanton MCIL. Take a look at the About section
on the CIOL website for a virtual introduction to
all Council members and IoLET Trustees.
Council is principally a governance body and
hence a core focus was the annual calibration of
policies, committee and divisional memberships,
as well as all terms of reference. Chartership
continues its upwards trajectory, as does
membership, with the first three months of 2021
showing a 63% increase in applications to join
CIOL versus the same period last year. Retention
remains stable at over 90%.
The AGM in March unanimously voted for the
re-election of Richard Hardie HonFCIL as
President of CIOL for another three years. Richard
is an outstanding ambassador for both CIOL and
the language profession overall. Members also
passed a majority vote to increase annual fees
broadly in line with UK inflation by a nominal £1
in each membership category; this will enable us
to reinvest in systems and member products.
Student membership remains free of charge. Our
AGM online début doubled attendance to 70
members; we hope to build on this, so our
current thinking is to retain the online model in
years to come.
Our main driver since the January Council
meeting has been to progress our OneCIOL
ambition; this was developed in the strategy
session and is still underway. Some additional
thoughts are included in my Chair of Council’s
Notes on page 4.
As always, wishing all of you, and our wider
readership, safe times.
judith.gabler@web.de
34 The Linguist Vol/60 No/3 2021
CONTRIBUTORS
Ria Angelo
Ria Angelo is a Doctor of
Education candidate at
the University of Bath in
the Department of
Education. Her area of
specialisation is second language
acquisition pedagogy and identity
as they relate to multi-, pluri- and
translingual language practices in
the classroom. Ria was born and
raised in Toronto, Canada, where
she teaches Grade 7 and 8 French
immersion in an inner-city school of
the Toronto District School Board.
See p.24
Jon Datta
Jon Datta is the Outreach
Coordinator for Trinity
College, University of
Cambridge. He is
responsible for their
partnerships with educational outreach
organisations as well as oversight of
their widening participation and access
programme. Prior to his current role, he
was a senior leader and award-winning
maths teacher across a variety of
challenging secondary schools in East
and North London and, most recently,
Director of School Improvement for a
school trust in Hertfordshire. See p.22
Séverine Hubscher-Davidson
Dr Séverine Hubscher-
Davidson is a Senior
Lecturer in French and
Translation at the Open
University’s Faculty of
Wellbeing, Education and Language
Studies, and has previously worked as a
freelance translator. She is a Senior
Fellow of the Higher Education
Academy and a member of the TREC,
an international network on empirical
and experimental research in translation.
Her research interests are in the areas of
translators’ individual differences,
emotions, and translation process.
Among her recent publications on
translation psychology is an
interdisciplinary monograph about
translators’ emotions. See p.8
Eloisa Monteoliva-García
A qualified translator and
interpreter, Dr Eloísa
Monteoliva-García is
Assistant Professor of
Spanish (Translation and
Interpreting) and Programme Director of
Postgraduate Programmes in Translation
and Interpreting at Heriot-Watt
University. Her research interests include
collaboration between interpreters and
interpreting users. See p.12
Katherina Polig
Katherina Polig MCIL CL
is a freelance translator
specialising in legal and
corporate communication.
After studying languages,
translation and conference interpreting
in Birmingham, Edinburgh and Padua,
she is now based in Berlin, working
mainly for international organisations.
She translates from English, Italian and
French into German. See p.14
Mariana Roccia
Mariana Roccia MCIL is a
translator working in
English and Spanish, and
the book series co-editor
of Bloomsbury Advances
in Ecolinguistics. She specialises in legal
documents, business and academia. In
addition to working as a translator, she
is also involved in language research
relating to the environmental
humanities and ecolinguistics;
mrlanguageservices.com. See p.18
Reza Shirmarz
Reza Shirmarz is an Iranian
award-winning playwright,
author, translator, essayist
and researcher. Based in
Greece, he has been a
language specialist since 2014 and is
also a Cambridge-certified teacher of
English to speakers of other languages.
He has written several plays and
translated plays, books and essays into
Farsi, including the works of Iakovos
Kambanellis; rezashirmarz.ir. See p.16
thelinguist.uberflip.com
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CIOL Technology for Translators Week

Giving you the tools for the future

5 July to 8 July 2021

The aim of this FREE event is to provide translators
with knowledge on the types of technology available
to help them, and see demos from three
of the top CAT tool providers – so join
us and have your questions ready!
Book now: www.ciol.org.uk
#CIOLTech21
Proudly sponsored by:

TRAINING

Online workshops
for language professionals
Translator’s Guide to Information Security 22 July 10am-1pm
with James Bore Price: CIOL members: £150
non-members: £170
Key takeaways:
All workshops count towards
• understand the concepts used within security frameworks,
your CPD.
standards and documentation
• recognise the most common security frameworks and the One hour of formal learning
controls within them equates to two CPD points
• understand the core concepts within information and cyber security
• learn acronyms and jargon common across the field

ciol.org.uk/ciol-online-workshops
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35-36_TL60_3.qxp_Layout 1 15/05/2021 09:11 Page 2

Professional qualifications
now available online
CIOLQ offers three leading professional language qualifications
which are all widely recognised and sought-after in the profession.
1 2 3

Translators Public Service Police

Diploma in Interpreters Interpreters
Translation Diploma in Diploma in
(Level 7) Public Service Police Interpreting
Interpreting (Level 6)
(Level 6)

In response to the ongoing situation with Covid-19, you can now take our
qualifications online in the comfort and safety of your own home.

Our qualifications for translators and interpreters have been developed to meet professional language
standards and are regularly reviewed to ensure that they remain relevant, reliable and valid.
Created by fellow language professionals, our qualifications are designed to allow candidates to demonstrate
the highest levels of interpreting and translating. They are widely recognised by government departments,
agencies, business organisations and public services, and are available in a wide range of languages.

To find out more visit:

ciol.org.uk/qualifications
CIOL | Chartered Institute of Linguists

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