Language and words in the news – 19th February, 2016

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.

Language change and slang

Fool ‘Ish’ Ways
I can’t claim that ish is new. In fact, ish has been in the English language since before there was an English language.

Improve your English

Peek, peak or pique?
Since all three words sound the same and all work both as nouns and verbs, it is perhaps inevitable that people sometimes muddle them up.

Language teaching and resources

Keeping a Vocabulary Notebook
Dublin’s Atlas Language School has produced a guide to vocabulary self study. It’s on pdf so you can download it.

Words, books, dictionaries and language

Double-edged words
Women and men face double-standards. That this should show up in the language is no surprise.

Why is the UK still printing its laws on vellum?
Over time, ordinary paper can deteriorate rapidly, while vellum is said to retain its integrity for much longer. Original copies of the Magna Carta, signed more than 800 years ago on vellum, still exist.