The Chartered Institute of Linguists gathered with a number of distinguished guests last week to celebrate 100 years of promoting the learning and professional application of foreign language competence.

The reception was held at the British Academy in London, in the presence of the Institute’s Royal Patron HRH Prince Michael of Kent GCVO. Baroness Coussins, the chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages, also addressed the guests - speaking of the importance of language skills for our economy and praising the Institute of Linguists for ‘flying the flag for languages’.

Baroness Coussins highlighted the importance of the work of public service interpreters, and went on to speak more specifically of the great opportunities ahead for professional linguists as we prepare to host the Olympic Games.

‘I hope that the one-off exceptional opportunity of the 2012 Olympics will mean that the organisers will be sensible enough to liaise very closely with the Institute in order to fulfil their obligations to host a truly multilingual Games,’ she said.

The Chartered Institute of Linguists was founded in April 1910, and this special anniversary provides an opportunity to commemorate the work that it has achieved since then, such as developing membership status and the highly regarded Diploma in Translation and Diploma in Public Service Interpreting. It’s also an opportunity to review where we are with languages today.

John Hammond, Chief Executive of the Institute, said:

‘Since the Institute was founded a hundred years ago, the profession of the linguist has come a long way. But there is much more to be done.  Languages need support at every level of education, and the application of linguistic skills at a professional level needs greater appreciation at almost all levels in society and business.

‘The recently acquired individual designation of Chartered Linguist should certainly assist in this, but we would also like to see statutory regulation of title for linguists, and look forward to working with other stakeholders to make further progress with this, and with other aspirations, in the years to come.’