#languagefocus

Dec 8, 20234 min read

Tongue Twisters: why reciting Peter Piper could prove useful

Fascinating and often challenging verbal workouts, tongue twisters are features of many languages. Tongue twisters certainly raise smiles...

Nov 2, 20234 min read

When the language of football isn’t universal

Players, managers and coaches need to communicate with each other both on and off the pitch, but in which language?

May 8, 20234 min read

Welsh translation blunders making headlines

Welsh translation blunders making headlines Visitors to the UK are often surprised to discover that English is not the only language...

Apr 18, 20234 min read

From corn to eggplants, the flavour of Algospeak

From corn to eggplants, the flavour of Algospeak Most of us post on social media platforms, even if our contributions are confined to...

Aug 26, 20224 min read

English Slang

The origins, usage and future of English slang Did you see that chavvie bird taking a selfie outside the bog before legging it? Most...

Aug 15, 20224 min read

The language of time and space

The language of time and space Scholars have been investigating the nature of humanity for several millennia. The fields of linguistics,...

Aug 8, 20225 min read

When Being Lost for Words is more than a memory lapse

When Being Lost for Words is more than a memory lapse We all experience occasions when we are lost for words or struggle to find...

Aug 1, 20224 min read

Why are so many languages spoken in the world?

Why are so many languages spoken in the world? Around 7,000 different languages are spoken around the world. This seems like an...

Jul 25, 20225 min read

Does it become harder to learn new languages as you age?

Does it become harder to learn new languages as you age? Until relatively recently, even scientists believed that you couldn’t teach old...

Jul 19, 20225 min read

A New Rosetta Stone for Language Preservation

A New Rosetta Stone for Language Preservation Recent decades have seen the world become more integrated and better connected than ever...

Jul 13, 20225 min read

The implications of language extinction

The implications of language extinction Thousands of languages are spoken across the globe but sadly hundreds of these are close to...

Jun 6, 20225 min read

The language of colour

The language of colour There was a time when languages didn’t feature words for individual colours. As languages evolved, words for...

May 30, 20224 min read

Do emotions get lost in translation?

Do emotions get lost in translation? The short answer is yes! Table of contents Do emotions get lost in translation? Language is the...

May 13, 20224 min read

20 Amazing facts about languages

Most of us will view the concept of language through the prism of our own language or the other languages that we speak. But there are...

Jan 8, 20224 min read

The new language of Covid-19

Covid-19 language and the Oxford English Dictionary Table of contents Covid-19 language and the Oxford English Dictionary A dictionary...

Nov 16, 20215 min read

The Yorkshire Ripper Hoax

The Yorkshire Ripper Hoax We recently explored the role of forensic linguistics in assisting criminal investigations and in securing...

Nov 8, 20214 min read

Forensic linguistics and Forensic Phonetics in criminal investigation

Forensic linguistics and Forensic Phonetics in criminal investigation Table of contents Forensic linguistics and Forensic Phonetics in...

Nov 3, 20215 min read

Dynamic equivalence in translation

Dynamic equivalence in translation In his book Toward a Science of Translating, published in 1964, the American linguist Eugene Nida...

Oct 31, 20213 min read

The history of knock-knock jokes

Shakespeare, parlour games and kids – the history of knock-knock jokes Guaranteed to inspire many giggles, knock-knock jokes are firm...

Oct 4, 20214 min read

Fozzbonkling nonsense words that excite your simploncs

Fozzbonkling nonsense words that excite your simploncs All languages evolve across the ages, with new words being added every year and...

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