Tag: Language
-
Mrs Trump accused of ‘outrageous’ plagiarism
Melania Trump has been slammed for lifting chunks of her latest speech from Michelle Obama. But she finds herself in the company of Martin Luther King, TS Eliot, and Barack Obama himself...
-
‘Magical’ protest photo takes world by storm
Last week, a photograph of a protester in Louisiana was widely circulated. The image has come to define the current tensions between black Americans and US police. Why is it so effective?
-
English language under threat as UK leaves EU
Two French politicians say EU officials should stop speaking English after the Brexit vote. The language has spread rapidly in an era of globalisation, but could political decisions kill it?
-
Elie Wiesel: a great moral voice is silent
The author of Night, an eye-witness account of the Holocaust, has died. His work raises a hard question about how to approach truth: direct...
-
The sonnet that helped to heal America
Amidst the tears and rage yesterday over the mass shooting in Florida, it was arguably a simple love sonnet read at the country’s top drama awards that did most to tend the nation’s wounds.
-
‘Dear Firstname’ email sparks informality row
Labour party members responded angrily when they got an email which began ‘Dear Firstname’. Naming conventions have grown more informal — so how should the party have addressed its message?
-
Fire starters, builders: meet the neanderthals
A cave in the south of France has revealed secrets from a neanderthal society. Our close relations could do things we thought only humans were capable of. Is our species really unique?
-
Trees, beers and tickling: a glossary of joy
A psychologist has created a list of words from around the world that relate to ‘wellbeing’. He hopes that it will enrich our emotional states. Can language really influence us in this way?
-
‘Very rude!’ Queen and PM let the truth slip
This week, diplomatic masks slipped as the queen and David Cameron were each caught on film criticising other countries. But why the fuss? And should they come clean more often?
-
Hamlet comes home after epic world tour
One play. Two years. 197 countries. Twelve exhausted actors. On Sunday, the most ambitious project in theatre history came to an end. Was it a stroke of genius, or just madness?
-
Manager: ‘Players need to learn how to talk’
Southampton FC boss Ronald Koeman says smartphones are hampering his players’ communication skills. Is modern technology depriving us of the ability to communicate well?
-
Easter 1916: ‘a terrible beauty is born’
This weekend marks the centenary of the Easter Rising, the defining event of modern Irish republicanism and the inspiration for one of the greatest poems ever written. But was Yeats right?
-
Rowling under fire over Native American magic
Harry Potter author JK Rowling has been denounced for ‘cultural appropriation’ in a new series of stories. So what exactly is this misdeed? Is it new? And is JK Rowling...
-
Tributes paid to ‘Queen of Teen’ Louise Rennison
The author Louise Rennison has died. Fans of her young adult novels say she ‘taught a generation of women to find the funny side of life’. Is laughter the most important lesson we can learn?
-
Wow! Facebook introduces five emoji reactions
After years of promises, Facebook has finally updated its status reactions with five emoji-inspired buttons. Are we losing our ability to communicate effectively?