Linguists: about you

A formal qualification is not essential, provided you have a thorough knowledge equivalent to that provided by a degree, or native tongue in the languages required.

These vary from year to year, although we often have a requirement for Asian, African, European, Middle & Far Eastern languages. You will need to pass a demanding test, involving translating into good English, and transcribing from recorded material. Some of those selected will be expected to retrain in another language.

It is essential that you have strong translation skills and an excellent standard of English, which you will be tested on. Another essential skill is transcription (listening to a foreign language recording and transcribing word-for-word into the language or translating into English).

Much more advice on preparing for our tests is provided at the time of application. We would also encourage you to be as honest as possible about your English & foreign language skills. If you feel that your language skills are stronger or weaker in certain areas, please talk to us about it. We would welcome an open discussion with you before or at the start of the application process.

A major part of Linguist work involves sifting through large amounts of material, which is sometimes of no interest or significance. This means that Linguists need to have strong analytical skills to be able to identify what is important information and what isn't.

Linguists also need to be self-motivated and committed. There are times when you might be working on vital and urgent material. There are other times when the work can seem tedious or uneventful and you would have to be willing to persevere through this, still performing your tasks with the same level of commitment.

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