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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Global English
Use of languages other than English in the U.S. on the rise: Census
The number of people in the United States who speak a language other than English at home has nearly tripled over the past three decades, far outpacing the overall population growth, U.S. data released on Tuesday showed.
Language teaching and resources
17 Tech Terms Connected Educators Must Know
… when I came across this handy visual it brought to mind things that truly connected educators should probably know before the upcoming school year, I was happy to see that I’m not the only one that needs to update my colloquial vocabulary.
Books, science, dictionaries, words and languages
Words in the News: Zero-Hours
A zero-hours contract is an employment arrangement in which an employee agrees to be available for work as and when required, so that no particular number of hours or times of work are specified. The employee is expected to be on-call and receives compensation only for hours worked.
Changes in language and word use reflect our shifting values, UCLA psychologist reports
The increase or decrease in the use of certain words over the past two centuries … reveals how human psychology has evolved in response to major historical shifts, said Patricia Greenfield, a distinguished professor of psychology at UCLA and the author of the study.
Don’t Feed the Troll Fishers
I have discovered that trolls do not come from Scandinavia and lurk under bridges. They come from almost everywhere else. Sort of.
Video
The art and craft of translating fiction (30:00)
Every novelist dreams of being translated into dozens of foreign languages, but the relationship between author and translator can be fraught. If it goes right, it can lead to close friendship – but what happens when it goes wrong? And is a translation ultimately closer to being an original work than we might think?
Fun
Another Tundra penguin, still flightless
A penguin cartoon on flightlessness.
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