Here’s a shocker: not everyone speaks English. Assistant Prof. Fanny Chouc hears this assumption all too often at Heriot-Watt Open Days, where parents and students sometimes think that knowing English is enough. But the reality? Speaking another language is still one of the most powerful assets you can have. Imagine you’re applying for a job. […]
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The Language Lens | Language Learning: The Brain Booster You Didn’t Know You Needed!
Hi, I’m Azeline, and over the past six months I’ve been interning with LINCS at Heriot-Watt University. During my time here, I’ve had the chance to work closely with staff, some students, and alumni, exploring the many ways languages shape our lives. What I quickly discovered is that learning a language is never “just” about […]
Inspiring Insights from an EU Interpreter
This week, our Honours and MSc interpreting students had the privilege of learning from Beth Black, an interpreter from the English-Irish booth of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Interpretation (DG SCIC). Her visit brought a wealth of expertise, practical advice, and inspiration to our MA and MSc interpreting classes. Throughout her time with us, she […]
MLD 2025: “This House believes that screens are detrimental to the development of young people’s cognitive abilities.”
“This House believes that screens are detrimental to the development of young people’s cognitive abilities.” This provocative statement framed our annual Multilingual Debate (MLD) on Thursday 5th June, when experts, academics, and community representatives gathered on campus to explore the cognitive impact of screen use among young people. The event, held in the James Watt Centre, […]
Mentoring a new generation of language learners
Wiktoria Majerowska, a student in her final year of the Master of Arts in Languages (Interpreting and Translating) programme shares her experience mentoring Scotland’s next generation of budding linguists Outreach to schools is crucial at a time when securing Scotland’s next generation of budding linguists is more important than ever before. Heriot-Watt’s Department of Languages […]
LINCS 2025 online MLD
Over 60 participants, including pupils from a number of schools from across Scotland, the UK and as far as Spain, joined this year’s online version of the LINCS multilingual debate. During the debate, our current interpreting students were key in facilitating communication across languages. This year’s panel included Mr. Paillet, French Consul, and Mr Muller, […]
LINCS Multilingual Roundtable: Discussing AI and its impact on society, through the lens of Klara and the Sun, by Kazuo Ishiguro
Will AI ever become sentient? Are AI-based companions the future for children? How dangerous is online-only education for young people’s social and emotional skills development? Could AI become a viable way to tackle loneliness and even grief? All these questions, embedded in celebrated author Kazuo Ishiguro’s recent novel Klara and the Sun were discussed at […]
Watching Democracy in Action: A field trip to the Scottish Parliament
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 […]
LINCS welcomes EU Commission Interpreter
The Languages and Intercultural Studies Department of Heriot-Watt University was delighted to welcome Ross Noble, EU Commission staff interpreter, for a 3-day pedagogical assistance visit at the end of January. This visit is part of a long-standing partnership between the Department and the EU Commission interpreting services. Through this exclusive scheme, LINCS has benefited from […]
14th successful Starting Work as a Translator or Interpreter
On Wednesday 29th January, the Languages and Intercultural Studies Department held one of its two flagship career events: the now well-established SWATI – Starting Work as a Translator or Interpreter. This event, co-organised by Fanny Chouc and Maria Capobianco, from Career Services, has been running for 14 consecutive years! Learning from the successful adaptation of this […]