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visited and interpreted at Inverawe Smokehouse. I’ve worked with French farmers doing farm visits. I worked with a German ladies’ group and Lady Di’s hat maker. That was easily one of the most punishing jobs ever and I’ve forgotten all the German hat making vocabulary I had to learn! Recently I did a bilingual tour with some high-flying chefs on a food tour of Fife. Occasionally and only occasionally I am glad to say, we are asked to do simultaneous guiding in two foreign languages. The pitfalls are pretty obvious and it can create its own problems: German ladies and gentlemen if you look to your right...those of you in French, don’t bother, we’ve passed it!
‘Sometimes engaging a language guide is good for educational tours from schools and colleges. As linguists/ex-teachers we are used to communicating with people in another language whose skills are not the best. The use of repetition and re-phrasing of the commentary, so several angles are covered, is a useful skill when working with foreign language groups needing support, especially if doing the tour in English.’ Kristine Sander who qualified in 1970 wrote an interesting article about being a foreign language guide in Guidelines in 1988.
‘While on the surface guides all seem to be doing the same job, many of us language guides feel (from experience) that the requirements in our area of guiding vary considerably from guiding in English,’ she said.
‘Of course, we all need the same standard of knowledge about things British, but our working knowledge must extend to the realms of history, economics, social history and society of the countries whose people we are hosting in order to provide a basis of comparison and a comprehensive concept of the global aspects of our history, the structures of modern life and the differing lifestyles. Religion, historical developments, industrial tradition and recession all have a bearing on our lives and what is relevant to this country relates also to the experiences of foreign visitors eg the Highland Clearances and its injustices regarding ordinary folk can be comprehended by a German visitor when the guide draws the analogy with the fact that 12 million Germans packed their bags at the end of the second world war to escape to the West. They lost home, friends and their belongings and had to start afresh.
‘Another example: ‘Scottish Nationalism is readily comprehensible to Spanish people who are struggling at this moment of time for more autonomy for the different regions. Forty years of suppression of the Basque language wins you sympathy immediately for what happened to the Gael in the 18th century.
‘For the guide who accompanies groups on extended tours, presentation of information within a consistent cultural and historical framework should make the tour a great success. To be able to do this you need to
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