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Language abuse
Posted by: Catie Holdridge
17 / 06 / 10
He began by turning Shakespeare into txt spk. Now it’s Dickens for da yoof of today. Martin Baum, a father from Bournemouth, has rewritten Dickens in ‘yoof-speak’ in order – he claims – to get children interested in reading. ‘Kids today have invented their own language,’ says Baum. ‘And I use this language to […]
28 / 05 / 10
We might all have certain choice words that we resist saying to our work colleagues or boss at times. But these are probably quite different from the list of taboo workplace words and phrases recently published in Forbes Magazine. The article asserts that phrases like ‘we’ll see’, ‘I don’t know’ and ‘I’ll get back to […]
01 / 04 / 10
Poor literacy at work is still a major problem, new research has found. The report, Literacy: State of the Nation, examined the UK’s literacy levels both in schools and in the workplace. While a quarter of young people see no connection between reading and success, the research results made the link clear. Two-thirds of men […]
20 / 01 / 10
There’s been another U-turn on the effects of texting on children’s literacy skills. The latest research, conducted by Dr Clare Wood at the British Academy, suggests that, far from damaging their ability to read and write, using ‘textisms’ like ‘LOL’ and ‘plz’ is actually a sign of sophisticated phonological development. Great news for the future […]
10 / 12 / 09
Finally, a House of Commons report that is a cause for celebration. This is Bad Language: the Use and Abuse of Official Language – the result of an investigation into the many ways in which politicians and civil servants may baffle and intimidate readers with their use of jargon-heavy, euphemism-filled waffle. By making such official […]
07 / 07 / 09
The police often have a hand in giving out long sentences. Now they’re writing them. A potentially record-breaking 102-word single sentence appears in the Association of Chief Police Officers’ comeback to a government report on policing. Here’s the offending passage (note – do not attempt to read this before operating heavy machinery): “The promise of […]
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