The Application Form and Guidance Notes for Chartered Linguist (Translator) and Chartered Linguist (Interpreter) are available here as pdf downloads.
The Rules and Procedures have been updated (7 March 2008). Applicants are advised to refer to these in preparing their application.
Please note that the Reference Forms have been revised and are now available as Word downloads.
Applications for Chartered Linguist have been accepted from 1 September 2007 for the translation and interpreting sections of the Register and will be accepted from 1 January 2008 for the education and the business, professions and government sections.
The rules and procedures set out here are subject to change as experience is gained in the award of Chartered Linguist. Thank you again to all those who have submitted comments or questions so far. We would be interested to receive further comments and especially comments on criteria for Chartered Linguist status for practitioners in Education and in Business, the Professions and Government, which are currently being worked on.
Comments should be sent by email to CL.consultation@iol.org.uk. (Please also visit the FAQs concerning application for Chartered Linguist status published on the Institute's website.)
Under the terms of its Charter, the Chartered Institute of Linguists has the right to grant individual chartered status to individuals, and believes that to do so is in the interests of the public and all those who make use of language services. A Chartered Linguist is a practising linguist who:
• exhibits the highest levels of competence, skill and professionalism,
• is willing to demonstrate his or her commitment to maintain and develop these skills,
• agrees to periodic review by his or her professional peers.
There are four sections to the Register of Chartered Linguists:
a) Translation
b) Interpreting
c) Education
d) Business, Professions and Government
Criteria for each of these sections are detailed below. Other sections may be added as the need arises. Chartered Linguists may register for more than one section of the Register. Chartered Linguists are entitled to use the designatory letters CL after their names. Those registered in the translators' section may use the designation CL (Translator) and those in the interpreters' section CL (Interpreter). Those registered in both may use either CL (Translator & Interpreter) or CL (Interpreter & Translator) as they choose. Those registered in the business, profession and government section or the education section use CL without further expansion.
The Register will record the languages/language combinations to which the chartered designation applies and the appropriate specialisms to which this applies within the section of the Register (e.g. conference interpreting).
Criteria applying to all sections of the Register
Qualifying Period
The “Qualifying Period” shall be the five-year period prior to the date of application, during which the practitioner shall have practised full-time in the applicable category (translation; interpreting; education; business, professions and government), except that, notwithstanding the above, an applicant who cannot satisfy the requirement for five years’ full-time experience may submit evidence of experience gained on a part-time basis for consideration by the Chartered Linguist Admissions Committee (henceforward the Admissions Committee).
An applicant for Chartered Linguist status must:
be a fit and proper person to be granted Chartered Linguist status;
satisfy the practice requirements of the Qualifying Period, as above;
have obtained an honours degree or equivalent in any discipline, or an appropriate professional qualification;
have demonstrable knowledge of the relevant languages to honours degree level or above;
be a member, and have been a member for at least the two years preceding the date of application, of one of the recognised, relevant and approved professional bodies, namely the Chartered Institute of Linguists (Chartered IOL), the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI), or the Association Internationale d’Interprètes de Conférence (AIIC). As a transitional arrangement, up to 31 December 2009, persons who are, and have been for at least the two years preceding the date of application, full status registrants in the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI) may satisfy the requirements of this paragraph, provided that at the date of application they are members of one of the professional bodies named;
be in continuing professional practice and undertaking relevant Continuing Professional Development (CPD). A record of CPD for the three years prior to application is required; for applications submitted before 1 September 2009, as an interim measure, a CPD record of less than three years may be sufficient, at the discretion of the Admissions Committee, provided that the record starts no later than 1 September 2006; candidates are in all cases encouraged to submit records for three years whenever possible;
agree to adhere to the Code of Professional Conduct applicable to Chartered Linguists and to be subject to the disciplinary procedures applicable; and
consent to the following personal data being held on an on-line, open-access, searchable website maintained by the Chartered Institute of Linguists: name, registration number, section of the Register (Translation/ Interpreting/ Education/ Business, Professions and Government), languages, specialism (e.g. conference interpreting), professional memberships and qualifications (N.B. some Chartered Linguists may wish their entry in the Register to serve as a means of advertising their services and may therefore wish to include contact details; inclusion of such details is, however, optional.)
Specific criteria for the different sections of the Register
Further criteria for each section of the Register are as follows.
3a Translation
In addition to section 2 above, practising translators who wish to apply for Chartered Linguist (Translator) status must satisfy the following criteria:
members of the Chartered IOL must hold the Diploma in Translation awarded by the Chartered Institute of Linguists, or equivalent qualification in translation at Masters level (NQF Level 7), in the relevant language combination(s). An MA used in support of an application must have contained an assessed practical translation module, completed in the language in which the applicant wishes to register. It should be noted that, depending on content and skills assessed, some Masters degrees in translation may not be acceptable under this clause; potential applicants requiring guidance are advised to contact the Chartered IOL. Qualified Members of ITI must satisfy the ITI requirements for translation membership in the relevant language combination(s). In exceptional circumstances qualifications other than those indicated above, supported by appropriate demonstrated experience, may be accepted;
in all cases the relevant language combination(s) shall be the language combination(s) to be recorded on the Register of Chartered Linguists.
All applicants for Chartered Linguist (Translator) status must provide evidence of the volume of work they have completed over the Qualifying Period. This should be an average of 300,000 words per year for most translation work, but may be less for certain types of specialist activities such as literary translation or transcreation.
3b Interpreting
In addition to section 2 above, practising interpreters who wish to apply for Chartered Linguist (Interpreter) status must satisfy the following criteria:
members of the Chartered IOL must hold a qualification in interpreting at a minimum level of NQF Level 6 (e.g. BA Hons, or the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting awarded by the Chartered Institute of Linguists) in the relevant language combination(s). Qualified Members of ITI must have met its recognised admissions criteria for interpreter membership in the relevant language combination(s); members of AIIC must be Active Members having met its recognised admissions criteria in the relevant language combination(s); NRPSI registrants who do not satisfy the membership requirements set out herein, and who are applying under the transitional arrangements described in section 2, above, must have had full status registration on the NRPSI for at least two years and hold a qualification, in the relevant language combination(s), approved for full status registration on the NRPSI. In exceptional circumstances qualifications other than those indicated above, supported by appropriate demonstrated experience, may be accepted;
in all cases the relevant language combination(s) shall be the language combination(s) to be recorded on the Register of Chartered Linguists.
All applicants for Chartered Linguist (Interpreter) status must provide evidence of the volume of work they have carried out over the Qualifying Period; normally this should be no less than a total of 150 days for conference interpreters and 200 days for other types of interpreting.
3c Education
In addition to section 2 above, the following criteria apply to those applying for the education section of the Register. N.B. these criteria are in draft for consultation, and may change. Comments are invited.
Language teaching must regularly be to at least NFQ3 (A level) standard or equivalent.
If the language taught is not the mother tongue or language of habitual use the applicant must hold a qualification in the language taught acceptable for membership of the Chartered IOL or for the ITI.
If the language taught is the mother tongue or language of habitual use the applicant must hold a qualification acceptable for membership of the Chartered IOL or for the ITI.
Teaching of specialist language skills such as translating and interpreting are acceptable, provided this is at degree or professional standard.
If the main teaching is in a language-related field such as literature or current affairs the applicant must demonstrate that there is a substantial language content in the matter taught and that the teaching requires linguistic skills of an acceptable level of complexity.
Research is also relevant provided it covers language or language skills (e.g. translation) or there is a substantial language content and that the research requires use of linguistic skills at an appropriate level.
The examining and/or training of teachers is acceptable, but the above conditions apply in terms of levels, language skills and language content.
3d Business, Professions and Government
In addition to section 2 above, the following criteria apply to those applying for the BPG section of the Register. N.B. these criteria are in draft for consultation, and may change. Comments are invited.
With the aim of including all those in business, professions and government (BPG) who may ultimately be eligible for Chartered Linguist (CL), the criteria given here may subsequently be modified and extended. Characteristic of the work of linguists in BPG is that languages are used as an essential auxiliary skill, though the individual’s initial qualification – degree or otherwise – may have been in languages. (Linguists in the BPG category are frequently called upon to interpret or translate. However, if these are the candidate’s primary roles he or she should apply for CL (Interpreter) or CL (Translator) rather than CL under the BPG category.) N.B. these criteria are in draft for consultation, and may change. Comments are invited.
Candidates for Chartered Linguist status in BPG:
should have degree-level and/or appropriate professional qualifications in the primary (i.e. non-linguistic) professional skill. If no such qualification is held the candidate must demonstrate by other means that he or she has attained such a level.
must have language qualifications or evidence of language skills acceptable for Membership of the Chartered Institute of Linguists. The relevant language or languages will be entered on the Register of Chartered Linguists.
must demonstrate that they use languages both passively in acquiring information (written and/or spoken) and actively in negotiating or otherwise persuading or influencing at a professional level on a regular basis and that the negotiating/persuading/influencing is performed orally as well as in writing. N.B. just informing is not sufficient: oral engagement (debate, discussion, negotiation etc) at an appropriate level must be integral to the applicant’s professional application of language skills.
In addition to detailing their qualifications and experience candidates must describe with specific recent examples how they use their languages in BPG and how they keep these languages current alongside their other professional skills.
Stages in the application, assessment and continued registration process
Stage 1
submission of application
check for completeness
Stage 2
interview
review of interview recommendations and final assessment
Ongoing
annual renewal of registration
More details of each stage are set out below.
Stage 1a: Application
The application must be made in English, on the form provided. The application form requires details of qualifications, membership of professional language bodies and/or registration with NRPSI, professional experience etc, the section of the Register to which candidates wish to be admitted, and the names of three persons who have agreed to provide references (see below).
Applicants must submit the following with the application form:
a CV of no more than two sides of A4, providing further details of professional experience;
photocopies of qualifying certificates (N.B. originals should not be sent at this stage, but must be presented at Stage 2, described below); in the case or an MA in Translation the formal transcript, or equivalent, showing the break-down of marks for individual modules should be included;
a CPD record giving details of continuing professional development undertaken over at least the last three years – again no more than two sides of A4 (the Chartered Institute of Linguists’ CPD record forms may be used as a model, but other forms of presentation are acceptable). As an interim measure, for applications up to 31 August 2009, records of CPD from 1 September 2006 may be sufficient, even if the total number of years recorded is less than three; candidates are, however, encouraged to submit records for three years whenever possible;
a statement of no more than 1,200 words, setting out how the applicant meets the requirements for Chartered Linguist in the relevant category;
additional information as may be necessary to complete the details required on the application form; this is to be attached as an appendix to the supporting statement as above, and will not be included in the word limit for the statement;
in the case of applications for Chartered Linguist (Translator) or Chartered Linguist (Interpreter), details of the translation or interpreting work undertaken over the Qualifying Period; samples of translation work may be requested as part of the initial assessment of the application;
the application fee (see Section 10: Schedule of Fees, below).
Members of the Chartered Institute of Linguists should send their application to the Chartered Institute. Members of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) should send their application to the ITI. Applicants who are members of both should normally send their application to the body that they first joined. Please note: (a) the ITI can accept applications only for the translation section or the interpreting section of the Register; members of AIIC must apply through the Chartered Institute of Linguists.
All accompanying documents, together with the application fee (see Section 10: Schedule of Fees) must be sent with the application; the fee must be paid to the receiving body.
The above documents are required in hard copy. In addition, an electronic copy of all documents originated by the applicant may be sent to CL.applications@iol.org.uk.
References
Three references are required. Two should be from clients or other persons who are in a position to assess or report on a substantial portion of your work over a significant period of time. The third referee should be a person who can comment on your professional standing and reputation. The latter should, so far as is possible, be someone with whom you have been associated in a professional context or who is otherwise able to speak about your commitment to professionalism, continuing professional development and other relevant factors.
Referees will be asked to comment on your competence, skill and professionalism, and your commitment to the maintenance and development of these skills.
References must be on the forms provided, and must be sent by the referee direct to the body through which you are applying (Chartered IOL or ITI; see above). You should make every endeavour to ensure that your referees send their references promptly, as your application cannot be processed until all three references have been received. In the event of a delay in receiving references the Chartered IOL or the ITI, as appropriate, will inform you so that you may follow up with your referees. The Chartered IOL and the ITI will not follow up missing references with referees.
Stage 1b: Initial Assessment
The purpose of the initial assessment is to review the application form, references and accompanying documents to ensure that the criteria have been met.
Applications will be assessed initially by the organisation to which the application was submitted (Chartered Institute of Linguists or ITI). Further evidence or information to support the application may be requested during this period. When necessary an application may be referred to a joint committee from the three bodies. Applicants will be informed, normally within a period of three months, whether they will be invited to proceed to the next stage of the application process.
Applicants who are invited to proceed will be required to pay the Stage 2 fee (see Schedule of Fees) and to submit a draft entry for the online public Register of Chartered Linguists (using the proforma provided).
Stage 2a: Interview
The purpose of the initial assessment is to review the application form, references and accompanying documents to ensure that the criteria have been met.
Applications will be assessed initially by the organisation to which the application was submitted (Chartered Institute of Linguists or ITI). Further evidence or information to support the application may be requested during this period. When necessary an application may be referred to a joint committee from the three bodies. Applicants will be informed, normally within three months of the date of receipt of their application, whether they will be invited to proceed to the next stage of the application process.
Applicants who are invited to proceed will be required to pay the Stage 2 fee (see Schedule of Fees) and to submit a draft entry for the online public Register of Chartered Linguists (using the proforma provided).
Stage 2b: Review of interview recommendations and final assessment
The candidate’s application and the interviewers’ report are reviewed by the Admissions Committee, which will include representatives from the different sections of the Register, to ensure equality of treatment and uniform standards across the different sections.
The Admissions Committee will decide whether the candidate should be admitted as a Chartered Linguist in the category and languages applied for, and will approve the Register entry. The candidate will be notified accordingly. On payment of the first year’s registration fee, successful candidates will be admitted to the Register of Chartered Linguists and will receive their first Practising Certificate. (Note: candidates in more than one section of the Register, e.g. CL (Translator & Interpreter), will pay only one annual fee.)
The Admissions Committee will, on request, issue a brief report to unsuccessful applicants setting out why their application was not successful.
An unsuccessful applicant may appeal to the Chartered Linguists Appeals Committee, whose decision shall be final. Appeals must be lodged in writing (by letter, fax or e-mailed pdf document) to reach the Chartered Institute within 30 days of notification by the Admissions Committee. Appeals must state clearly the grounds for appeal and must be accompanied by the appeal fee (see 10: Schedule of Fees). This fee will be refunded if the appeal is successful.
An unsuccessful applicant who subsequently feels that s/he satisfies the criteria may re-apply upon payment of the fees then applicable. A revised or renewed application should not normally be submitted within twelve months of the date of rejection of the previous application.
Annual renewal and periodic review
The designation of Chartered Linguist is granted for one year and must be renewed annually. It is evidenced by entry in the online public Register of Chartered Linguists and the issue of a Practising Certificate, also issued annually and valid for the ensuing twelve months. Renewal will be dependent on payment of the registration fee and a written declaration by the Chartered Linguist, with relevant details, that s/he is continuing to practise professionally, is continuing to undertake relevant CPD, continues to be a member of one of the recognised professional bodies and continues to be a fit and proper person to be a Chartered Linguist.
There will be a periodic review after three to five years with a requirement for re-interview. A review fee will be charged (see 10: Schedule of Fees.) It is expected that in the long term review will be once every five years.
Schedule of fees
The fees applicable as at September 2007 are as follows:
The Annual Registration fee is payable on the date of renewal of registration.
Fees are subject to amendment from time to time. Information on current fees may be obtained from the Chartered Institute of Linguists, and is published on the websites of the Chartered Institute and the Institute of Translation and Interpreting.
The three/five year review fee is yet to be determined.
Rules & Procedures for Chartered Linguist Applications