The best free cultural & educational media on the web
The best free cultural & educational media on the web
≡ Category: English Language | ≅ 1 Comment
Have you ever dreamed of becoming a word? NPR’s Adam Cole has, and he’s written a song about the immortality that comes from having your name turned into a noun. But as his colleague Robert Krulwich points out, many of the people whose names are now in dictionaries would be horrified. Joseph Guillotine, for example, [...]
≡ Category: English Language, History, Religion | ≅ 1 Comment
This year marks the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, a translation that influenced the development of the English language as much as it did the Christian faith. Right alongside many other anniversary celebrations taking place this year, Glen Scrivener, a minister in the Church of England, has started a blog about the linguistic [...]
≡ Category: English Language | ≅ 4 Comments
Malcolm Coulthard teaches Forensic Linguistics at Aston University, Birmingham. And, in case you’re wondering what this means, forensic linguistics is all about “taking linguistic knowledge, methods and insight, and applying these to the forensic context of law, investigation, trial, punishment and rehabilitation.” Or solving crimes, in short. Â This may sound rather dry, but when Professor [...]
≡ Category: Animation, English Language | ≅ 3 Comments
Yesterday, the Open University released ‘The History of English in 10 Minutes,’ a witty animated sequence that takes you through 1600 years of linguistic history. The Vikings gave us “give” and “take.” Shakespeare added another 2,000 words and expressions to the mix. The British Empire (see video above) then brought the evolving English language to [...]
≡ Category: Art, English Language | ≅ Leave a Comment
In this hilarious conversation, originally published in the short-lived ECHO Magazine in 1960, Salvador Dalà tries to teach Irish-born actor Edward Mulhare how to articulate English words in a more DalÃan way. When this clip was recorded, Mulhare had already spent three years playing the role of Professor Higgins in the Broadway version of My Fair Lady. [...]
≡ Category: Comedy, English Language | ≅ Leave a Comment
Today is National Grammar Day, and maybe it’s a stretch to lump spelling under grammar, but it’s casual Friday here on OC. So we leave you with this. Have a great weekend..
≡ Category: English Language, Stanford | ≅ 2 Comments
A little something for the language buffs among us. The Structure of English Words (iTunes) is another Stanford course. To be exact, it comes out of the Stanford Continuing Studies program (my day job), and we’re opening enrollments for our Fall term next Monday. (If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, give our [...]
≡ Category: English Language | ≅ 2 Comments
Lifehacker is running a good piece today that highlights a series of web-based language tools for anyone looking to figure out a word’s definition, translation, pronunciation, synonym, or antonym. Word nerds, this could be your lucky day… Subscribe to our feed
≡ Category: English Language | ≅ 2 Comments
For National Grammar Day (March 4), The Grammar Girl (MP3 – iTunes – Feed – Web Site) issued another popular podcast that outlines and debunks 10 common grammar myths. If you’re already up to speed on these (preview them here), congrats. If not, give a listen.
≡ Category: English Language, Language Lessons | ≅ 3 Comments
What’s an easy way to learn a new language at no cost, whenever and wherever you want? One is to take advantage of our extensive collection of Free Foreign Language Lessons. Another is to check out Mango Languages, a web site that offers free online language courses that will teach you the basics in French, [...]
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