In your diary - November
19 Nov-20 Dec – Disability History Month
UK Disability History Month is an annual event focusing on disabled people’s struggle for equality and human rights, raising awareness and celebrating the contributions of disabled people. The dates were chosen to cover World AIDS Day on 1 December and the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December, among others. Each year takes a different theme and this year’s is Disability, Politics and Democracy. Find out more about how to get involved as we get closer to the day here.
29, Advent Sunday, Christian
This marks the beginning of Advent and preparation for Christmas. The word ‘advent’ is from the Latin adventus, which means ‘arrival’, in this context referring to the birth of Christ. The first of four Sundays in the lead up to Christmas, those attending church on Advent Sunday will often witness the lighting of the first Advent candle and hear readings about staying alert and ready for the arrival of Jesus Christ.
November’s dates at a glance
Religious/cultural
1 – Feast of All the Saints, Christian
1 – Samhain, Wicca and Pagan
2 – All Souls’ Day, Christian
2 – Anniversary of the Coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie, Rastafari
7 – Tori No Ichi (First Rooster Day), Shinto
8 – Bandi Chhor Divas, Sikh
8 – Diwali, Hindu, Sikh and Jain
9 – Feast of the Dedication of the Archbasilica, Catholic Christian
10 – Birth of the Báb, Baha’i
10 – Birth of Baha’u’llah, Baha’i
13 – Chhath Puja begins, Hindu
15 – Nativity Fast begins, Orthodox Christian
15 – Shichi-Go-San, Shinto
16 – Kartik Ashtahnika begins, Jain
19 – Tori No Ichi (Second Rooster Day) Shinto
21 – Presentation of the Theotokos, Orthodox Christian
22 – Feast of Christ the King, Christian
23 – Kartika Chaumasi Chaudas, Jain
23 – Niinamesai, Shinto
24 – Guru Nanak Dev Jayanti, Sikh
24 – Kartika Rathayatra, Jain
24 – Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur, Sikh
25 – Rohini Vrat, Jain
26 – Day of the Covenant, Baha’i
28 – Ascension of Abdu’l–Bahá, Baha’i
29 – Advent Sunday, Christian
30 – Saint Andrew’s Day, Christian
Awareness and Events
8 – Intersex Day of Solidarity
8 – Remembrance Sunday
11 – Armistice Day
13 – World Kindness Day
13-19 – Transgender Awareness Week
14 – World Diabetes Day
16 – International Day for Tolerance
19 – International Men’s Day
19 Nov-20 Dec – Disability History Month
20 – World Children’s Day
20 – Transgender Day of Remembrance
25 – International Day for The Elimination of Violence Against Women
language fact file: Arabic
Arabic is an official language in: Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
Number of native speakers: more than 400 million
Learn some: There are so many different varieties of Arabic but there is one greeting that remains constant: ‘السلام عليكم’, pronounced ‘as-salamu alaykum’, which translates as 'peace be upon you’. The standard response to this is ‘وعليكم السلام’, pronounced ‘wa-alaikum as-salam’, which means ‘and peace be upon you’.
Fast facts:
There are at least 30 Arabic dialects, which are not always mutually intelligible. Speakers from different parts of the Arabic-speaking world may have to switch to Modern Standard Arabic to understand each other.
Arabic meaning is built around a three-letter root system, called jadhr. A single core concept, like ‘writing’, has three letters, in this case K-T-B, and all related words are derived from these letters, eg kitaab (book), maktoob (letter), kateeb (writer). This gives Arabic words deep links that can cause translators some bother!
Just as there are many words in English for types of rain, Arabic has a huge number of words for camels! These can get extremely specific, for example الغب (al ghib), a camel that drinks water every two days, ربع (riba’a), a camel that drinks water every three days, ظاهرة (dhahira), a camel that drinks water every day and الرفة (al riffah), a camel that drinks at any time.
The TLS staff story
In each issue, we get to know a bit more about one of our linguists or TLS team members. This month, we meet one of our examinations delivery managers, Victoria Spencer.
Tell us about the work you do at TLS.
I am one of two examinations delivery managers in the Exams Team, and I oversee the delivery of exam cycles, with a particular focus on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office contract. A big part of my role is making sure everything runs as smoothly as possible and that exams are delivered to the right standards and deadlines. I’m always looking at ways we can improve our processes and systems, identify training needs, and make sure our teams have the support they need to deliver a great service. No two days are really the same. One day I might be quality reviewing exam results or preparing for a client meeting, and the next I could be dealing with an unexpected issue during an exam cycle.
What's been your favourite project at TLS?
My favourite project was getting to be the voice on the TLS telephone line! So, when you call the TLS number, that’s me welcoming callers and giving them the options to direct them to the right department. Although, once I recorded it, I never really listened back to it because who actually likes the sound of their own voice? It was a lot of fun, but there were quite a few outtakes before I finally got it right. I do wish I’d created a blooper reel.
What has been your biggest challenge?
I think the biggest challenge in my role is probably managing all the different moving parts at the same time. There are always lots of things happening across an exam cycle. It can be a challenge to balance the day-to-day running of exams with unexpected issues, supporting the team, responding to stakeholders and looking at longer term improvements. It definitely keeps me on my toes. You have to be able to adapt, prioritise and sometimes just figure things out as you go. I’ve learnt that you can plan as much as you like, but there will always be something unexpected that comes along, and usually at the most inconvenient time!
Can you tell us about a time your work made a difference to someone's life?
There is one particular moment that happened recently that I’m especially proud of. Just before their exam, a candidate called our Exams Team phone line in tears because their pet was likely going to be put down. As anyone who has had a pet knows, they really are part of the family, and the candidate was understandably very upset and worried about how this would affect their ability to take their exams. I pride myself on being able to talk to people and hopefully put them at ease, so I was able to sympathise with and reassure them. We moved their exams around to give them the best possible chance of succeeding during such a difficult time. Sadly, their pet did pass away, but the candidate later got back in touch to let me know and to say how much they appreciated the support I had given them. Although it might sound like a small thing, they passed their exams! I think about that moment quite often, and it reminds me that sometimes a little bit of understanding and kindness can make a real difference.
Tell us what you enjoy doing outside of work.
I love music, which I know sounds like quite a generic thing to say, but I particularly enjoy making music, mostly ambient stuff. I’m self-taught on the piano, which I started learning from a young age. I also taught myself how to use music production software called Ableton. When I lived in Leicester, I used to go to weekly Ableton meet-ups with strangers where we’d share music we’d been working on and give each other advice. It really helped me develop my skills and pushed me to be more creative. When I was a little younger, I used to put on music events with my DJ friends. I dealt with the management side of things, such as booking venues, organising ticketing, creating posters and doing the marketing. I loved working on those events with my friends, and they also taught me how to DJ along the way, so that’s something I still enjoy doing in my free time now!
TLS continues to provide Customer Service Excellence
Our Customer Service Excellence (CSE) certification is reviewed on an annual basis, and we are thrilled to have once again been assessed as maintaining the high standards required.
At TLS, customer care is at the heart of everything we do, so this independent endorsement is of key importance.
CSE is a nationally recognised quality standard, which helps organisations by providing a framework for delivering the best possible customer service. It is held for three years, with annual reviews. The standard offers our customers reassurance that “services are customer-focused, [we] use feedback to improve, and [we] are committed to delivering high-quality service”.
You can read more about the standard here.
In your diary: October
3, Shemini Atzeret, Judaism
Following closely behind the more widely known and livelier festival of Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret translates as ‘The Eighth Day of Assembly’. This is one of four times in the year when Jews say memorial prayers for their dead. It also marks the end of the harvest and traditionally, a prayer for rain. This held significance for Jews living an agricultural existence in harsh desert climates, but now can carry new significance in this time of challenging weather conditions.
20, Dussehra, Hinduism
Dussehra is one of India’s most spectacular festivals – which is no mean feat! It celebrates the triumph of good over evil, by evoking the ancient tale of Lord Rama’s victory over demon king Ravana. Across the country, this story is re-enacted in traditional Ramlila performances, a dramatic re-telling of the Hindu epic Ramayana, telling the life of Rama. Each town has its own mela, a fair with rides, food, local handicrafts and its own performances of music and dance. These are followed by bonfires at nightfall, where giant effigies of Ravana and his son and brother are burned.
October’s dates at a glance
Religious/cultural
1 – Rohini Vrat, Jain
2 – Feast of the Guardian Angels, Catholic Christian
2 – Gandhi Jayanti, Hindu
2 – Mehregan, Zoroastrian
3 – Shemini Atzeret, Judaism
4 – Feast of St Francis of Assisi, Christian
4 – Simchat Torah, Judaism
11 – Sharada Navratri begins, Hindu
12-16 – Ayathrem Gahambar, Zoroastrian
17 – Ashwina Navapada Oli begins, Jain
17 – Durga Puja begins, Hindu
18 – Feast of Saint Luke, Christian
20 – Dussehra, Hindu
20 – Guru Granth Sahib Coronation Day, Sikh
25 – Kathina, Buddhist
27 – Guru Ram Das Jayanti, Sikh
28 – Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Christian
28 – Rohini Vrat, Jain
29 – Karwa Chauth, Hindu
31 – All Hallows’ Eve, Christian
31 – Reformation Day, Protestant Christian
Awareness and Events
1 – Anniversary of the Introduction of the Equality Act
1 – International Day of Older Persons
5 – World Teachers’ Day
6 – World Cerebral Palsy Day
8 – World Sight Day
10 – World Mental Health Day
11 – International Day of the Girl Child
11 – National Coming Out Day
15 – International Day of Rural Women
16 – Show Racism the Red Card’s Wear Red Day
17 – International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
18 – Anti-Slavery Day
18 – World Menopause Day
21 – International Pronouns Day
26 – Intersex Awareness Day
29 – World Stroke Day
language fact file: Hungary
A language native to: Hungary
Number of native speakers: 13 million
Learn some: There are several greetings but you can keep it simple with ‘szia’, pronounced ‘see-ya’, which can be ‘hi’ or ‘bye’. If you want to thank someone, it’s köszönöm, pronounced ‘kuh-suh-nuhm’.
Fast facts:
The Hungarian language is called Magyar. Its roots are not Slavic or Indo-European, but Uralic, which means that it has more in common with Finnish and Estonian languages than those of its neighbouring countries.
Magyar is one of the most difficult languages in the world to learn: it has approximately 26 cases, 14 vowel sounds, 44 letters and a flexible word order system that can be very confusing!
The earliest recorded example of Magyar was found in Canada and is thought to date back to 1000AD, meaning that a Hungarian person arrived in the Americas long before Christopher Columbus.
The Linguist’s Story
Every month, we get to know a bit more about one of our linguists. This month, we meet Andrea Szabo, a linguist working in Hungarian.
Tell us about the work you do at TLS.
I work as a remote Hungarian interpreter. I work across various settings: NHS appointments, public sector and social services settings, bridging the gap between the service user and the service provider. My role is important and requires accuracy and to be able to share the correct meaning with the service user.
What's been your favourite project at TLS?
There is not a single project that I would say was my favourite one. I would say that I enjoyed them all, as I have learnt new things and information about the environment in which my support was needed to share communication between professionals and the service user.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Challenging situations can arise during an interpreting assignment, particularly when service users are angry or struggling with strong emotions.
As an interpreter, it is my responsibility to always remain impartial and professional. I must not take a service user’s anger personally or allow it to affect the quality of my interpreting.
Can you tell us about a time your work made a difference to someone's life?
I do hope i have made a difference to someone's life, when I have interpreted in many mental health appointments and the service user was able to put his/her message across to the professional with the aid of a professional Hungarian interpreter.
Our commitment to the planet
After a scorching summer, wildfires and drought in many parts of the UK, our changing climate has become an unavoidable reality this year.
Our customers can rest assured that TLS has sustainability woven into our operations and planning.
This commitment to reducing our impact on the planet is enshrined by a Carbon Reduction Plan, developed in accordance with the UK Government's Public Procurement Notice (PPN 006) requirements and demonstrates our commitment to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2040.
The plan includes carbon reduction targets, baseline and current emissions reporting, governance arrangements, and a programme of environmental improvement initiatives.
Your month ahead - September
23, International Day of Sign Languages
Celebrated annually on 23 September, the UN designated this day to encourage celebration of the linguistic and cultural diversity of sign languages across the planet, and because “for deaf people, sign language rights are fundamental for the full enjoyment of their human rights as defined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” The day marks the end of the International Week of Deaf People, which promotes the achievements and culture of the Deaf community.
27, Meskel, Ethiopian Orthodox Christian
Meskel marks the discovery of the true crucifixion cross in Jerusalem. Celebrants hold a big bonfire, called a demera, in Meskel Square, Addis Ababa, and smaller versions are built in towns across the country. These are made up of dried sticks and are decorated with yellow flowers. Worshippers from different churches across Ethiopia gather, wearing white with red sashes and playing musical instruments. During Meskel, people return to the villages and neighbourhoods where they were born for the celebrations.
September’s dates at a glance
Religious/cultural
1 – Ecclesiastical Year begins, Orthodox Christian
1 – First Installation of the Guru Granth Sahib, Sikh
4 – Krishna Janmashtami, Hindu
4 – Rohini Vrat, Jain
8 – Feast of the Birth of the Virgin Mary, Christian
8 – Nativity of the Theotokos, Orthodox Christian
8 – Paryushana Parvarambha, Jain
12 – Guru Grinth Sahib Jayanti, Sikh
12-13 – Rosh Hashanah, Judaism
12-16 – Paitishahem Gahambar, Zoroastrian
14 – Feast of the Cross, Christian
14 – Ganesh Chaturthi, Hindu
15 – Samvatsari Parva, Jain
21 – Feast of Saint Matthew, Christian
21 – Yom Kippur, Judaism
23 – Mabon, Wicca and Pagan
23 – Autumnal Equinox Day (Shūbun No Hi) Shinto
24 – Pavarana, Buddhist
25 – Anant Chaturdashi, Hindu
26 – Pitri Paksha begins, Hindu
26 Sept - 2 Oct – Sukkot, Judaism
27 – Meskel, Ethiopian Orthodox Christian
29 – Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels, Christian
Awareness and Events
10 – World Suicide Prevention Day
15 – World Afro Day’s ‘Big Hair Assembly’
18 – International Equal Pay Day
21 – World Alzheimer’s Day
23 – Autumn Equinox
23 – Bi Visibility Day
23 – International Day of Sign Languages
28 Sept - 4 Oct – UK National Inclusion Week
language fact file: Democratic Republic of Congo
A language native to: the Democratic Republic of Congo
Number of native speakers: 20 million
Learn some: Greet people in Lingala with ‘mbote’, which means hello. You can ask ‘ozali malamu?’, which means ‘are you well?’ Hopefully the answer will be ‘nazali malamu’ – I am fine.
Fast facts:
Lingala started life as a simplified language of trade, allowing people living and travelling along the Congo river to do business. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, traders had used a language called Bobangi, but Europeans struggled to learn this, so the simpler Lingala grew in its place. From there it became a complex language spoken as a mother tongue by 20 million people.
Its roots as a language of trade are reflected in relatively large numbers of loan words from other languages, such as motuka from English, meaning car, sabuni from French, meaning soap (savon) and manteka from Portuguese, meaning butter or fat (manteiga).
Lingala is a tonal language, which means meaning is influenced by the tone used. For example, kóma means to arrive, whereas kòma means to write. As it is written using the Latin alphabet and Lingala writers do not often use markers to show the tone, readers often have to rely on context to understand meaning.