Tag: Language
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With one ‘Oops’ a political star hits the buffers
Gaffes are a part of public life – politicians are human too. But a moment of forgetfulness has sent the American presidential hopeful Rick Perry from front-runner to also-ran. Why?
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Poppy debate blossoms on Remembrance Sunday
At 11am today, the UK will fall silent to remember those who have died serving their country. Poppies will appear on the lapels of people all over the world. But what does the flower mean?
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Satirists targeted for taking on the powerful
As Private Eye celebrates its 50th anniversary in the UK, French society has united to support firebombed satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Laughing at politics has a long and controversial...
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Shakespeare was Fakespeare, says new film
William Shakespeare is the author whose work has captivated us for centuries. Or did someone else, better educated and worldly, write his plays and poems – and is it for Hollywood to decide?
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Texting is the new poetry, says UK’s poet laureate
2 txt or nt 2 txt, tht is th Q. According to poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, the abbreviated messages shuttling between our mobiles might just be the stuff of Shakespeare.
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Born to argue: the new theory of rational thought
A new theory has caused a storm among psychologists by suggesting that rational thought is a way to win fights and that faulty reasoning may actually be a good thing.
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‘Innit’ and ‘thang’ enter the lexicon
Scrabble, the word game, says it will allow new words like 'blingy', 'bredren', and even 'grrl'. Protests will not halt the language's long history of adaptation. But should there be limits?
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Colleges caught up in immigration crackdown
New government proposals will reduce the number of students entering the UK from abroad. Loopholes to be closed – but at what cost to higher education?
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In Jeopardy: computer challenges human race
A computer program is challenging humans in a popular quiz show this week... It's a giant leap forward for AI but questions persist over just how far machines can go...
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Sacré Bleu! French culture ‘under attack’
The French Education Minister wants to expand English teaching in schools. But are language lessons a threat to the nation?
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The font of all knowledge is really ugly
Research claims we don’t remember writing that's too easy to read and learning should be struggle. So is clear writing the enemy of discovery?