This post contains a selection of links related to 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.
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Language change and slang
The new terror threat ratings
The Editor of Australia’s Macquarie Dictionary ponders the semantics of the words used to rate the probability of a terrorist attack. ‘We are used to the low – medium – high hierarchy so if someone says medium danger we can fill in what comes above and below it. But this set is unfamiliar and difficult.’
Improve your English
Eschew thesaurophilia
Becoming a better writer requires reading—lots and lots of it. From Leonard to Faulkner, a young writer should read as much as possible in as many different styles.
Language teaching and resources
Vocabulary Notebooks
You must not see words as individuals. You must pay attention to combinations of words, i.e., collocations.
Books, technology, words and language
Text messages that end in a period seen as less sincere
Text messages that end with a period are perceived to be less sincere than messages that do not, according to newly published research from Binghamton University.
The Internet Isn’t Available in Most Languages
Despite all the hype about how it has connected the world, the web is more insular than you might think.
Haiku
Haiku by a 4th grader, who may just be a genius
It may be by a 4th grader or it may not, but whoever wrote it is very clever.
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