Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s ‘The Tower of Babel’ (1563).
Wikimedia Commons
While translation technology has improved dramatically, there are some significant hurdles.
Mourning in Brussels.
EPA/Christophe Petit Tesson
Torn between localism and pan-Europeanism, the idea of “Belgium” means almost nothing.
A new exhibition gives us an insight into the daily life – and language – of Australian soldiers in World War One.
Courtesy of University of Melbourne Archives, University of Melbourne.
When Australians went to the Western Front, language failed them. So they invented slanguage: a mix of slang, French words and creative swearing that, among other things, gave us the word “Aussie”.
John Z'graggen’s tapes from Madang.
Nick Thieberger
There are hundreds of different languages spoken in the Pacific region that could be lost. So it’s important to safeguard what recordings we have in a digital archive available to all.
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The decline of language learning has left Britain bereft of cultural exchange with Europe.
‘I’m not saying, I’m just saying.’
Punyaruk Baingern/Shutterstock.com
An expert in American political rhetoric explains why Trump’s controversial retweets are actually an extremely effective rhetorical device.
Ted Cruz and his backpfeifengesicht?
Joshua Roberts/Reuters
Even if you don’t have a word for it, you can make one up.
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Will Hélène really learn English better if you call her Helen?
No platform shoes for pedants.
Pavel Savchuk/www.shutterstock.com
Pedants fixated on a ‘correct’ version of English should learn to roll with the times.
Every language contains a unique, and irreplaceable, worldview.
Reuters
Malcolm Turnbull’s tears have drawn attention to harsh truths about the loss of Indigenous culture. As a nation we should embrace Indigenous languages.
Umberto Eco, who has died aged 84.
Reuters/Andrea Comas
He offered a glorious insight into the wonders of semiotics.
What’s in a word?
Caleb Roenigk/flickr
The extraordinary words that capture the colourful diversity of the English language.
Cattle drink water from an almost dry dam in South Africa. The drought in the region is one of a number of troubling issues that remain largely hidden from public sight.
Reuters/Rogan Ward
One of the many intriguing ideas of the Austrian philosopher, Ludwig Wittgenstein, was this: the limits of my language means the limits of my world. Does this explain the failure to see the gathering gloom…
© MGM
With Vikings on trend, it’s high time for a masterclass on the bizarre world of their names.
The best way to remove the potency from an “offensive” word is to use it frequently.
Flickr/Andréa Portilla Follow
The word “cunt” has made its way into popular discourse, and while some are still offended by it, it’s nowhere near as outrageous as it once was.
Ted Cruz speaks at a rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Randall Hill/Reuters
Is ‘chutzpah’ actually – as Ted Cruz claimed – a New York word? And what’s with the candidate’s insistence on distancing himself from New York City?
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Resented, mistrusted and misunderstood – do native English speakers risk being marginalised in international business?
Getting going early.
takasu/www.shutterstock.com
We really might get gradually worse at learning a new language as we age, says a new study.
Insufferable or indispensable?
Sohel Parvez Haque/www.shutterstock.com
Learn a new language, or stay out of the loop.
Reuters
Beware the security creep into adult education.