Brexit, the process of Britain leaving the European Union, is causing uncertainty and uncertainty in many areas. It is a global event that affects all industries, including translation. Its effects we feel and will feel for a long time, and its name itself has simply given us a new word in our dictionaries.
The media around the world are playing with Brexit word creatively. They invent numerous word games and new phrases related to it. Brexit has already been included in the speech and in the letter for good, and what its impact on the translation industry will be, we can already guess.
Law and paperology, the essence of the European Union
A good or bad, necessary or superfluous European Union is a union of states whose functioning generates a huge amount of documentation. Over the years, companies have been established that rely on the language support of the Institutions of the European Union for their entire business. Any process, meeting, discussion and preparation of documents cannot be circumvented without being developed in the languages of the Member States.
As long as the United Kingdom is a declared member of the community, the official language of m.in is English. Could that change after Brexit? Maybe, but it’s probably unlikely. However, if this were to happen, the translation industry would have a huge amount of work.
Brexit has not only economically stirred and destabilised the Position of the Union, but has also created great uncertainty in many areas. Doubts about the language, although they seem implausible, are nevertheless possible. If the official language of the Union were to change, it would certainly be a great revolution. Translators who have so far found a permanent source of income in the EU institutions would remain out of work. Following the principle of „nothing in nature is lost” would gain other translators, and the number of orders would not change. Again, this would not have much impact on the situation of translation agencies. Unless the official language would become a language other than the first group of languages. Then the price for these translations would have to go up. Such a change could therefore trigger a revolution in the budgets of EU and state offices and institutions.
Position and mentality
Until now, The United Kingdom’s position in the European Union, among other things, was very important thanks to language. After her departure, or Brexit, this could change drastically. Perhaps we are waiting for a change in the popularity of the English language. What may not change this position is the enormous cultural impact on European countries of the United States.
Such changes also do not happen overnight. The dominance of the English language is huge. Britain’s new position would not be able to change that quickly. Let us just imagine what could happen not only to the translation market, but to education, for example, if french or Italian suddenly became the language of the European Union.
And the situation in the country?
What is happening in Brussels is not insignificant for individual Member States. There are a very large number of Polish immigrants in the UK. As a result of Brexit, it is likely that some of them, or even a very large proportion, will have to or will be forced to return to Polish.
Such sudden migration of citizens will result in increased production of documents. There will also certainly be a whole group of not only Polish immigrants who will do anything to stay in the UK. Changing their status and conditions of residence in the country will certainly result in additional work for translators. Desperate immigrants wanting to stay in their current place of residence will want to provide as many arguments as possible so that their situation does not change. Therefore, the translation of certificates, statements and other helpful documents will prove necessary.
What kind of revolution Brexit will bring is not yet fully known. However, we know that, like any major political and economic event, Brexit will also be a source of additional work for the translation industry. And the longer the whole procedure lasts, the more and the more often translators will be needed
