global English
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Posted by Stan Carey on October 12, 2011
Michael wrote an interesting post last week about how a word (in this case, complete) can be used to convey things that are not obvious from the word itself – or even the sentence it’s in. This falls under the topic of pragmatics. According to David Crystal’s Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics, pragmatics is one [...]
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Posted by Kati Sule on October 07, 2011
This week’s ‘language in new media’ post includes another radio fragment from ABC’s Radio Australia. In an earlier broadcast, the origin of koala was explained. In this one, Susan Butler, Editor of The Macquarie Dictionary, explains how well-known local flora, such as acacia and wattle, were named by new English-speaking settlers: How the wattle got [...]
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Posted by Stan Carey on October 03, 2011
Last week, as part of online English month, Laine asked Macmillan Dictionary Blog contributors and readers to name their favourite online English word. The results were pleasingly diverse, with very little overlap. But one word received multiple mentions, so I decided to blog about it. It’s the word blog. Kerry Maxwell, author of the [...]
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Posted by Kati Sule on September 30, 2011
This post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to [...]
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Posted by Stan Carey on September 20, 2011
When people lament the state of the English language, they often criticise new vocabulary, such as the slang, buzzwords and jargon that arise from young people, advertising, and technology. But new vocabulary marks linguistic change only in a relatively superficial way. Significant changes in language happen more slowly. In a short video for Global about [...]
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Posted by Caroline Short on September 16, 2011
This week’s ‘language in new media’ post comes courtesy of ABC’s Radio Australia. In an excerpt from their regular Tuesday Australian English spot, Macquarie Dictionary Editor Sue Butler talks us through the origins of words such as koala and kookaburra: Naming Australian native animals
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Posted by Stan Carey on September 13, 2011
The month of September is dedicated to online English here on Macmillan Dictionary Blog. We start the discussion with Stan Carey‘s exploration of the word cyber. ____________ Cybercafé, cybercrime and cyberspace are familiar words in our modern vocabulary, household terms now that so many households are online. The cyber- prefix has become synonymous with computers, [...]
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Posted by Stan Carey on September 07, 2011
If you’ve never come across the complaints about hopefully, you might be surprised by the fuss it attracts. It’s one of those familiar but divisive words with a regular slot in style guides and usage dictionaries. The AP Stylebook (2007 edition) says: “It means in a hopeful manner. Do not use it to mean it [...]
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Posted by Stephen Bullon on September 05, 2011
Another month has gone by, and what have been the most searched for words on Macmillan English Dictionary in August? Near the top of the list is the word entrepreneur. Over half the searches for this word came from Brazil, a BRIC country. One of the key features of the BRICs is rapid economic growth, [...]
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Posted by Dan Clayton on September 05, 2011
Gender & English has proven to be a popular topic so we’ve decided to continue the discussion for another week before switching to a new area (more on that next week). English teacher, Research Fellow and blogger Dan Clayton returns with a guest post on the differences between male and female communication. ______________ “It has [...]
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