The nativity offers an enticing opportunity to discover how words and interpretations have shaped the story and our understanding of it.
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Articles on Language
Displaying 501 - 520 of 720 articles
Scorn has a long and humorous history. But a new book on the subject, featuring quotes from Kanye West, Christopher Hitchens and of course, Donald Trump, rather lacks contemporary wit.
We seem prepared to share our opinions on almost any subject today thanks to social media and other mass communication. But who is really listening?
Most healthcare information is written at a level more advanced than the reader’s ability.
For subjects mired in jargon and technical words, what role does language play in breaking down obstacles to communication and understanding.
For bilingual children, the constant switching between languages is like a frequent exercise for the ears and the brain.
New research investigates how people sequentially add new color terms to languages over time – and the results hold surprises about assumptions linguists have made for 40 years.
Why is figurative language more powerful – and what feelings exactly does it stir in an audience?
Our communications revolution is changing the way we write and speak, and ‘Slanglish’ has never had it so good.
A few of those sayings that most people tend to get wrong.
An expert in political rhetoric singles out Trump’s repeated use of reification – the tendency to treat people as things – and the role it’s played in his tortured response to the leaked tape.
With the taboo on swearing loosening over the past few decades, will profanity lose its effectiveness in spoken language?
A unique mentoring project has helped school pupils learn the cultural, professional and personal benefits of languages.
A beautiful interactive SBS online documentary puts the spotlight on Marra, an Indigenous language spoken fluently by just three people.
The right-wing press is using a particularly out of date ideology to link language change and immigration.
Auto-translation software has been pretty frustrating to use. But news of vast improvements to Google’s translation software raises the prospect that websites will soon be browsable in any language.
Universities pay too little attention to the knowledge and experiences that students bring to their institutions from different cultures and backgrounds.
Family Court judge Peter Jackson has been widely praised for rendering his judgement in simple English.
Skepta’s Mercury Prize win has put grime – and youth culture – in the spotlight.
If we’re serious about freedom of speech, we need a more open and respectful discussion about words that cause insult and offence.
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Senior Lecturer in Linguistics, Monash University
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Kate Burridge is a Friend of The Conversation.
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