Languages in higher education in the UK are in a sorry state, but all is…
As the language industry continues to evolve in the face of technological advances and AI, the work of the linguists is being reshaped. The Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL) invited linguists from a variety of backgrounds, sectors and contexts as well as academics, educators and industry experts, to share their perspectives on today’s language industry.
Linguists are living through a period of profound change. Advances in technology and AI, shifting market demands, new ways of working and downward pressure on remuneration are reshaping the work of linguists. Industry consolidation and outsourcing of contracts, combined with cuts in languages education and research, and changing public expectations and attitudes towards languages all frame the context linguists now work in. These changes are being experienced differently across different sectors and languages. There is no single story. Linguists are affected in different ways and are responding in different ways too.
Professional linguists are the backbone of the language industry. As the CIOL states, “professional linguists play a critical role in assuring quality, evaluating risk, interpreting nuance, navigating cultural and contextual complexity, and exercising professional judgement. As AI systems become more capable, the value of these human skills increases rather than diminishes. Linguists are not merely reviewers of machine-generated outputs, they are responsible professionals whose expertise is essential to ensuring that language services are accurate, appropriate, ethical and fit for purpose.”
CIOL’s Linguists’ Voices is a collection of personal reflections on the challenges, opportunities and realities of working in languages today, and includes a contribution from ATC’s CEO Raisa McNab. Sharing views and experiences from the breadth of the language industry, giving voices to all its contributors, and engaging in meaningful, constructive discussion on the future of work is an important part of the CIOL‘s, ITI‘s and ATC’s advocacy work to promote the value of languages to society and the economy.
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