Well, it appears we are coming to the end of the somewhat fraught four years that have characterised Donald Trump's presidency. But while some are quite literally dancing in the streets, others are pretending to be sad that his combative and brash linguistic style will leave the world a little duller. I say 'pretending' because … Continue reading ‘Don’t be a tough guy’: a Trump letter
Fancy a new podcast?
A few weeks ago I was approached about being part of a new language podcast. And we've done it! You can find The Lexis Podcast here on Anchor.fm/LexisPodcast. It's new so feedback is welcome.
The Language of Protest Signs: BLM
June 2020 has been dominated by news of protest: in traditional media outlets, on social media platforms and, by implication, in day-to-day conversations as people report, follow and respond to the protests that have sprung up across the globe following the killing of George Floyd in the US on 25th May. Floyd was killed by … Continue reading The Language of Protest Signs: BLM
Twitter lesson: #Cummgate
Like many people, on 25th May 2020, I watched a live broadcast of Chief Adviser to the Prime Minister, Dominic Cummings, give a statement and answer questions about allegations that he broke the UK's pandemic lockdown rules. He outlined how he drove from London to Durham to a residence close to his parents as both … Continue reading Twitter lesson: #Cummgate
House of Commons Smack Down
Today the Twitter feed lit up with delight when the Speaker of the House of Commons in the UK, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, gave Matt Hancock (Secretary of State for Health) a bit of a telling off. You can watch the exchange here. You may ask: why would people get excited about this? And, more importantly...you … Continue reading House of Commons Smack Down
Tik Tok: language in adverts
Today I learnt that social media platform Tik Tok has created their first TV advert. Whatever you think about Tik Tok as a specific platform, adverts are ripe for analysis. They could be seen as mini windows into how various media create and reproduce ideas and lifestyles that come to be considered 'normal'. They can … Continue reading Tik Tok: language in adverts
#LangintheNews Roundup – May 2020
This is the first in a series that will select - for your delight and delectation - some of the most interesting language-related news morsels you might have missed from my Twitter feed (under #LangintheNews). The material here is great for lesson starters for A-level teachers, as mini CPD for your English Dept. staff, for … Continue reading #LangintheNews Roundup – May 2020
PanPorn: semantics in an online make-up community
Me: *sitting staring at phone* Him: *sitting staring at his phone* Me: *sniggers* Panporn. That's funny. Him: *looks up* What on God's green earth is panporn? One of the great things about being tuned into language use around us, is not only being able to notice the ways that people are using it but also … Continue reading PanPorn: semantics in an online make-up community
Who is ‘he’? The Power of Pragmatics
Today - the 24th April 2020, this tweet appeared in my timeline: And who was he talking about? Did you know when you read it? Could you take a decent guess? Whatever your answer, this tweet is great for talking about what linguists call PRAGMATICS. Pragmatics considers a text through how it uses its immediate context … Continue reading Who is ‘he’? The Power of Pragmatics
Lesson idea on gender “If a women needs it, should she be spanked?”
Earlier this week a great little text came up on Twitter courtesy of @WhoresofYore, taken from the New York Daily Mirror in the 1950s. https://twitter.com/WhoresofYore/status/1204761506623229953?s=20 Here's the full text. What a treat to add to the arsenal of texts to use for teaching students about representations of gender and how texts across time can reflect … Continue reading Lesson idea on gender “If a women needs it, should she be spanked?”
Living through language 