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Language News
Latest news

July 2006

How can we encourage our children to practise their French while we're on holiday in France?
It can be hard if your children are reluctant linguists, and they always have someone else, like mum and dad, to speak up for them. And, as you say, you don't want to spoil the holiday by forcing foreign language lessons down their throat.
(The Independent, July 27th 2006)
 
Divided by a common language
The internet is a global revolution in communication - as long as you use letters from the western alphabet. Kieren McCarthy on the growing pressure for a net that recognises Asian, Arabic and Hindi characters, too.
(The Guardian, July 27th, 2006)
 
Language learning kicks off
The World Cup, holiday homes and budget airlines are feeding an unexpected passion for learning languages.
(BBC News, July 27th, 2006)
 
How words fall pregnant with the possibility of being twisted
A lesson we have learnt from the politics of the past century or so is that words are no longer the straightforward conveyors of ideas we thought they were.
(The Telegraph, July 26th, 2006)
 
Police recruits face Welsh test
North Wales Police recruits will not be promoted until they pass a test in Welsh, the chief constable says in his online diary.
(BBC News, July 20th, 2006)
 
Welsh learner's Atlantic crossing
An American who learned Welsh using the internet moves to Cardiff to sharpen his language skills.
(BBC News, July 18th, 2006)
 
Now I can speak, there's no stopping me
A revolutionary earpiece has helped Heidi King to stop stammering.
(The Telegraph, July 17th, 2006)
 
Been to Wigan, got the T-shirt that translates their dialect
To those uninitiated in the local dialect, even the process of choosing a builder can be a bewildering experience in Wigan, Greater Manchester.
(The Independent, July 15th 2006)
 
EU to get a touch of the blarney
The European Parliament is preparing to spend more than £460,000 a year providing translations from Irish into English on behalf of six Gaelic-speaking MEPs.
(The Telegraph, July 14th, 2006)
 
Police couple learn sign language
Two police officers are learning sign language to help them communicate with the deaf community.
(BBC News, July 12th, 2006)
 
Cheshire PoW's dialect recording turns up in Berlin 90 years on
The recording begins with a swish and a crackle and then a strong male voice is heard speaking in a solid northern accent: "There was a man who had two sons..."
(The Guardian, July 6th, 2006)
 
Stroke gives woman foreign accent
A Geordie woman develops foreign accents after waking up from a stroke.
(BBC News, July 4th, 2006)
 
news archive

August 2005
Icelanders speak up for languages
East End Cockney accent 'fading'
Muslims 'want surmons in English'
More...

September 2005
Manx Gaelic revival 'impressive'
UK 'loves languages after all'
Tingo, nakkele and other wonders
More...

January 2006
Web to preserve Romani heritage
Mind your PMQs? It's eff this and eff that
The C word
More...

August 2006
Armageddon isn't upon us
Tongue-tied
Why are fewer students choosing to study foreign languages at GCSE?
More...

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