Language and words in the news – 16th January, 2015

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.

Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include, or just add a comment to the post, with the link(s) you’d like to share.

Global English

Fridging
In hotter parts of Australia it is a common practice to keep a second fridge for cold drinks (such as beer) in outdoor areas, and this is undoubtedly why fridging is an activity largely confined to Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Language teaching and resources

BE here BE there
This is a relatively new site offering free online business courses. Worth a look.

From a language point of view, what’s happening in Iraq, Syria, and environs has revived words that have not been common for many years. – See more at: http://www.cjr.org/language_corner/language_corner_063014.php?utm_content=buffer811d0&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer#sthash.WQopCEDs.dpufFrom a language point of view, what’s happening in Iraq, Syria, and environs has revived words that have not been common for many years.From a language point of view, what’s happening in Iraq, Syria, and environs has revived words that have not been common for many years..

Improve your English

2015 Buzzword Calendar
Macmillan have produced a free downloadable calendar featuring 12 of 2014’s most popular Buzzwords, elegantly defined by Kerry Maxwell and with witty illustrations by Andrew Stilborn.

Books, dictionaries, words and language

And the Word of the Year is …
The American Dialect Society has chosen a hashtag as its Word of the Year.

Literary stars support #naturewords campaign
Top writers call for changes to Oxford Junior Dictionary, which – some years ago – removed several nature words in favour of others to do with technology.

The Definition of a Dictionary
The main point that leaps out of this (very) long read is that they do lexicography differently in America.

Hello banh mi! How food words join the dictionary
Since we seem to have a bit of a dictionary theme going on this week, here’s an account of how new words get into (mainly American) dictionaries.

Buzzwords of 2014: from killer drugs to robotic refusals
And since we’ve been talking about words of the year, here’s an account of the Japanese equivalent, an annual publication that tracks additions to, and changes in, the Japanese language.

Poem

Library Poem by Julia Donaldson
Libraries are being closed all over the country. Children’s laureate Julia Donaldson has written this poem specially for National Libraries Day.