The European Commission is facing a serious English language interpreting shortage over the next 5-10 years. The European Commission's interpreting service faces a potential succession crisis for English speaking linguists. Without an increase in the number of qualified graduates from interpreter schools and universities, the EU Institutions will lose at least one third of their English language interpreters by 2015 due to retirement – and about half in a ten-year perspective.
The EU institutions want to make sure that young people know that interpreting can be an attractive career choice for linguists and have launched a new video clip "Interpreting for Europe … into English" on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA2fWvtMPDU.
More information: English, a rare language?
Q&A on interpretation
Wanted: English–language translators
The European Commission in the UK works with a number of organisations to promote the learning of foreign languages. This includes the Double Club at Arsenal, European Day of Languages, the Common Language Film Festival and the Eurydice network.
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