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
Is Rhyming Slang Irish?
An old saying goes “the Brits may have invented English, but the Irish perfected it.” But were the Irish responsible for the quintessentially British phenomenon known as Cockney rhyming slang?
Language change and slang
How Language Change Sneaks in
Languages are continually changing, not just words but also grammar. A recent study examines how such changes happen.
Improve your English
Once On A Blue Moon
This post looks at the origin of the phrase ‘blue moon’, as well as the real celestial event.
Language teaching and resources
ESL without photocopies
This website has a wide range of ready-to-use resources. This one is a fun way of practising the 2nd conditional using the lyrics of a Beyoncé song.
Books, science, words and languages
David Crystal: the story of English spelling
Spellings are made by people. Dictionaries – eventually – reflect popular choices. And the internet is allowing more people to influence spelling than ever before.
Teen attacked by kebab van
A post from the ever-entertaining Language Log on an example of those amusingly confusing headlines known as crash blossoms.
Graphic art meets language
Unusual Words Rendered in Bold Graphics
A visual A-Z of the hidden treasures of language. Hat tip to the Inky Fool for this link.
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