My former colleague, Brian Griffiths, a trainer of interpreters and translators, who has died aged 83, was the former director of the celebrated postgraduate interpreting and translation course at the University of Bradford.
Born in Woking, Surrey, Brian went to the town's grammar school and in 1948 to the University of Nottingham to study French. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1952, was posted to Nato headquarters in Fontainebleau, near Paris (1960-63), and was head of languages at the École de l'Air, the French air force academy (1970-73). In between times, from 1963 until 1966, he held a teaching position at the RAF staff college at Cranwell, where he taught the University of London French degree programme. In 1967 he was made an MBE.
Brian joined Bradford University in 1973 as a lecturer in French, one of many in that era who had learned the skills of interpreting and translation in the armed forces. He soon assumed the co-ordinating role of the postgraduate interpreting and translation course, which, under his leadership, became the flagship course at Bradford.
In the 1970s and 80s, innovative language learning and teaching methods at Bradford were underpinned by rigorous demands for accuracy and elegance of linguistic expression. Together with like-minded colleagues, Brian nurtured the high linguistic standards of Bradford graduates in ways that were most appealing to employers. He oversaw the training of some 300 linguists, most of whom would go on to occupy prestigious posts in the language services of international organisations, including the United Nations.
Brian's international links and reputation were duly noted by the British Council in the historic period of the 1990s when new European democracies emerged. At their request he was asked to assist eastern European universities in setting up their own interpreter and translator training schools. He collaborated with the European parliament in preparing eastern European interpreters for their countries' accession to the European Union and he is still remembered by them with affection and admiration.
With the study of foreign languages in decline in the UK and Bradford's own celebrated course long gone, members of the UN language services reminisce with nostalgia about the golden age of the UK interpreter and translator training of the 1970s and 80s. Brian played a major part in creating that golden era.
Brian is survived by Jean, whom he married in 1952, their three children, Amanda, Claire and Marcus, and three grandchildren.