Professional development and support

There are a number of organisations and resources which can support you and your services whether you are offering language and cultural services or delivering language teaching in education. We've highlighted all the important ones here. You'll also find useful information on benchmarking and recording skills.

Language and cultural service providers

Professional development and our Service Finder

Service FinderRLN London runs a free-to-use search facility which not only allows you to register your business so that London businesses and residents can find you, but also enables you to search for training services to support your own professional development. Find out more about our Service Finder.

Professional associations

If you want to network and ensure your credibility as a language service provider, you really need to be connected with organisations that look after the interests of language professionals. The key ones are listed below.

Professional indemnity insurance

Think of the far-reaching consequences to a business of an error being made in the translation of an important business contract - or the significance of a word being misinterpreted in a key business negotiation.

Professional indemnity insurance is an insurance policy which you are recommended to take out if you are operating at a serious level as a language provider, specially as a translator or interpreter. The level of indemnity cover that you require as an individual would depend on your annual 'estimated' turnover. Search for insurance online.

Business guides

Regional Language Network London and other organisations have produced a number of guides which introduce business to the different aspects of language service provision and show them how to commission a good service. You could use these to promote the work that you do. Find out more about our business guides.

Education providers

CILT, the National Centre for Languages

As the government's recognised national centre of expertise on languages, CILT provides professional development and support to those training to be language teachers as well as experienced professionals. Visit CILT's website to find out more.

Comenius London

Comenius London logoComenius London, housed at CILT's offices in Waterloo, provides regional support for teachers based in the Capital. They run regular events along a variety of themes, benefit from access to CILT's extensive resource library and can offer individual support. Visit Comenius London's website to find out more.

Benchmarking and recording skills

National occupational standards and skills portfolios are useful ways of assessing training needs and progress.

National Language standards

The National Language Standards are the scale of competence for languages in a work setting and can be used by training course providers in development of their work-related programmes.

The National Standards in Interpreting and the National Standards in Translation are standards frameworks which define a competent performance in interpreting and translating.

National Occupational Standards for Intercultural Working are also in development. Visit CILT's website to find out more.

European Language Portfolio

The UK adult/vocational European Language Portfolio (ELP) has been developed for use by adults who are learning languages for professional or social purposes. Since 2002 it has been used by learners in adult, further and higher education, business language learners and students following vocationally-related language courses.

Visit CILT's website to find out more.