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.
Books, science, dictionaries, words and language
Diagram Prize reveals oddest titles of 2014
The prize was originally conceived in 1978 by Trevor Bounford, co-founder of publishing solutions firm The Diagram Group, as a way of avoiding boredom at the annual Frankfurt Book Fair.
5 writing tips from Abraham Lincoln
Not one for soaring hyperbole, Abe kept even his writing honest—and to the point. His style and preparation methods hold valuable lessons for writers of all levels.
Language change and slang
Pedal to the medal
If you’re an Olympic athlete, you want to medal. You want to medal even more than you want to win a medal. If you’re covering the Olympics, you want to use the verb to medal. A lot.
You can read a Macmillan Dictionary BuzzWord article on the verb medal here.
Language teaching and resources
Are you joking? Why English language learners should prepare to laugh in university seminars
Humour has been found to play an important part in academic contexts. Informal study groups and tutorials have been shown to contain the most laughter, and lectures the least.
Video
Dyslexia label branded ‘unscientific’
Researchers from Yale and Durham Universities say the term ‘dyslexia’ is used so broadly that it has become meaningless.
Infographic
The most widely spoken languages in the world
RedLine’s infographic of the most widely spoken languages is compiled based on populations of first-language speakers.
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