A couple of weeks ago, I got invited to write an article for a multiauthor blog entitled MOOC News and Reviews, all about these newfangled online free course thingummijigs. Well, it seemed like a good opportunity to continue writing about these things without constantly boring my language-orientated readers here with it.
My first article has just gone online, in which I discuss the benefits to the learner of having a good old-fashioned whinge once in a while, and the barriers that online discussion places to the student who feels confused or dissatisfied.
Showing posts with label link. Show all posts
Showing posts with label link. Show all posts
11 June 2013
22 November 2011
Link drop: how technology is changing language
A very well-written article with a lot of material from David Crystal about the effects technology is having on language and literacy at: http://www.silicon.com/technology/software/2011/11/21/from-lolcat-to-textspeak-how-technology-is-shaping-our-language-39747927/print/
A very well-written article with a lot of material from David Crystal about the effects technology is having on language and literacy at: http://www.silicon.com/technology/software/2011/11/21/from-lolcat-to-textspeak-how-technology-is-shaping-our-language-39747927/print/
11 June 2011
Link drop: English Next by David Graddol
In 2006 the British Council released a book called English Next by leading academic David Graddol, discussing the future of English as a global language. You can download it free as PDF from the British Council website, and I'll be putting it on my little ebook reader for a leisurely read at a later date.
I'm not sure I'll agree with it, though. While I agree that the English used in business meetings the world over isn't quite the language I speak, it's still not standardised, and it's pretty hard to imagine it ever becoming standardised with such a disparate discourse community. Popular culture will probably still mostly be filtered through one of the major native-speaking populations (mostly Hollywood), and we're always going to need some model to teach to...
In 2006 the British Council released a book called English Next by leading academic David Graddol, discussing the future of English as a global language. You can download it free as PDF from the British Council website, and I'll be putting it on my little ebook reader for a leisurely read at a later date.
I'm not sure I'll agree with it, though. While I agree that the English used in business meetings the world over isn't quite the language I speak, it's still not standardised, and it's pretty hard to imagine it ever becoming standardised with such a disparate discourse community. Popular culture will probably still mostly be filtered through one of the major native-speaking populations (mostly Hollywood), and we're always going to need some model to teach to...
18 February 2011
Link: A Brief History of OK
The BBC online magazine pages have a short article about one of the most common words in the world. It's certainly a fascinating word, and it's really interesting to hear how often it comes up in the Scandinavian crime dramas that BBC4 always seem to be showing...!
The BBC online magazine pages have a short article about one of the most common words in the world. It's certainly a fascinating word, and it's really interesting to hear how often it comes up in the Scandinavian crime dramas that BBC4 always seem to be showing...!
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