Our M.A. and MSc students who specialise in conference interpreting were able to get first-hand experience of democracy in action last Thursday afternoon; a group of them attended a live parliamentary debate in the main Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.

This type of immersive experience is crucial for future expert linguists, as they need to be aware not only of topical concerns and current affairs, but also of how democracy works in practical terms.

This field trip, facilitated by the fact that the Scottish Parliament is practically on our doorstep in Edinburgh, enabled participants to observe the type of terminology used in parliamentary settings. It was also formative in that they were able to witness how passionately MSP can defend their constituents’ interests or how sensitive but necessary some debates can be.

Such an experience can also be a very insightful glimpse into parliamentary practices, as some of our current students may find themselves following in the footsteps of Gavin Darroch (LINT graduate, 2020), who secured a position as EU Parliament Interpreter after passing the EU accreditation tests and gaining some experience in the EU Commission booths in Brussels.