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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: English language

English language stories: 9 news summaries
teenage blasphemy


 Miley Cyrus Is 
 Anti-Twilight 

She's OK with fairies, though

Nov 18, 09 8:51 AM CST
(Newser) - Miley Cyrus made headlines when, during a recent radio interview, the tween idol slammed another tween phenomenon—Twilight. “I've never seen it and nor will I ever. I don't believe in it. I don’t like vampires,” Miley—who, by the way, will soon be working with Twilight... More »

MORE ABOUT:
entertainment • celebrity • Hannah Montana • Miley Cyrus • Twilight • New Moon • English language • Miley Cyrus Twilight

OPINION

 'Unfriend' Is Scam, 
 Not Word, of Year 

This is one big hacky trend piece, writes Adrian Chen

Nov 17, 09 9:08 AM CST
(Newser) - After "unfriend" won Oxford University Press' Word of the Year, Adrian Chen started typing away at a piece on Internet relationships for Gawker —"Then I realized that the Word of the Year is a huge scam." Here's the evidence: The past four winners have been hypermiling... More »

MORE ABOUT:
social networking • Facebook • 2009 • English language • unfriend

 'Web 2.0' is English's 
 Millionth Word 

A new word emerges every 98 minutes

Jun 10, 09 3:48 PM CDT
(Newser) - The millionth word to enter the English lexicon is pure geek-speak, the Telegraph reports: Web 2.0 was entered this morning by Global Language Monitor, which recognizes words once they’ve appeared 25,000 times in the media, blogs, and social websites. The linguistic cataloger estimates that a new word... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Web 2.0 • language • words • English language • Global Language Monitor

Disney Schools Bring Mickey Into Chinese Classrooms

Disney English centers teach Chinese kids new words—and new Disney characters

Apr 20, 09 9:44 AM CDT
(Newser) - Mickey Mouse and his cohorts are moving into China’s huge English-teaching market, reports the Wall Street Journal. Disney English centers teach kids as young as 2 the basics of the language with the help of Disney character-themed lessons and “magic tokens” that can be swapped for Disney merchandise... More »

MORE ABOUT:
China • education • Mickey Mouse • Disney • teaching • English language

 Web Dictionary Plans 
 to Outdo Print Cousins 

New features and bigger capacity make Wordnik a revolution in lexicography

Mar 16, 09 5:32 PM CDT
(Newser) - Ever stumbled across an unfamiliar word and wondered not only what it means, but what it looks and sounds like? Or what other words it appears alongside most often, and how many times it’s been used in print this year? The revolutionary new dictionary Wordnik, set to go online... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Internet • online • oxford english dictionary • lexicography • dictionary • words • English language

(Newser) - "I," "we," "two," and "three" have existed for tens of thousands of years, making them among the oldest words in the English language, new research reveals. Computer analysis of Indo-European languages helped isolate "the ways we think words change and their... More »

MORE ABOUT:
English • vocabulary • words • English language • parts of speech • Reading University

 Obama Speeches Help 
 Japanese Learn English 

Students use his speeches to learn language

Feb 21, 09 9:55 AM CST
(Newser) - Barack Obama is fast becoming a popular English teacher—in Japan. His speeches have become a hit for people learning the language there, the Wall Street Journal reports. Obama's slow and careful enunciation make him a particularly good model, teachers say. One book of speeches, complete with a dictionary for... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • Japan • English • speech • foreign languages • English language

(Newser) - America’s self-proclaimed language cops are turning up the heat on spelling and grammar offenders, MSNBC reports, hitting the streets with Sharpies and venting their frustrations online. One psychologist says the flare-up could represent a need for control during hard times. “When people are under stress, they have less... More »

MORE ABOUT:
stress • spelling • grammar • economic downturn • English language • proper usage • control

 Nashville Rejects 
 English-Only Law 

English-only proposal defeated

Jan 23, 09 7:30 AM CST
(Newser) - Nashville voters last night defeated an attempt to make English the city's official language, the Tennessean reports. The measure, which would have forced the city council to conduct public business only in English, would have made Nashville the nation's largest city to do so. The referendum failed by a vote... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Tennessee • Nashville • referendum • English language • official language

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