15 Feb 2010
LOST CONSONANTS
Yesterday I read a mention about Lost Consonants cartoons in Language Play by David Crystal. Their author, Graham Rawle, bases the wit of his pictures and captions on the simple fact of altering the meaning of one word by leaving out one of its letters. Crystal tells in his book about the need to know the norm, the correct form of any linguistic form, when they are purposely modified in order to produce a humorous effect in the reader or listener. This can be a good exercise to test our lexical knowledge: to try and identify the original word and compare sentence meanings.
2 Feb 2010
EXÁMENES EN LA UNED
En estos días previos a los exámenes de la UNED, una amiga me pasa la referencia de este vídeo:
No sé qué efecto tuvieron, pero seguro que endulzaron el trago de "reconcentrarse" delante del papel en blanco.
¡Suerte a cualquiera que pase por este blog y tenga exámenes a la vista!
No sé qué efecto tuvieron, pero seguro que endulzaron el trago de "reconcentrarse" delante del papel en blanco.
¡Suerte a cualquiera que pase por este blog y tenga exámenes a la vista!
2 Jan 2010
DIALECTS OF ENGLISH
Once again a post from David Crystal's blog leads me to an interesting Internet resource. This time I will comment on International Dialects of English Archive (IDEA), an online archive of dialect and accent recordings for the performing arts created by Paul Meier, author of Accents and Dialects for Stage and Screen.
This website contains a well structured bank of recordings by speakers of English from around the world. Each of them reads out a short passage provided by the organisers and, after that, the participants add some free speech, usually talking about their experience as English learners and their countries, which is transcripted.
This website contains a well structured bank of recordings by speakers of English from around the world. Each of them reads out a short passage provided by the organisers and, after that, the participants add some free speech, usually talking about their experience as English learners and their countries, which is transcripted.
1 Jan 2010
SAYING YEARS IN ENGLISH
I've just read an interesting entry in David Crystal's blog about the way that speakers of English will opt for to call the years from 2010, On tens, teens, or whatever.
I thought that the option of naming the years after 1999 in units, e.g. "two thousand and nine", was something fixed but I see that usage spread will definitely determine the standard form.
In the thread of comments following the post, Crystal adds that "rhythm is an important factor (...) The more that expressions conform to an iambic pattern, the more people like it".
I thought that the option of naming the years after 1999 in units, e.g. "two thousand and nine", was something fixed but I see that usage spread will definitely determine the standard form.
In the thread of comments following the post, Crystal adds that "rhythm is an important factor (...) The more that expressions conform to an iambic pattern, the more people like it".
31 Dec 2009
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Looking for something to mark the end of the year in a blog post, I've come across this video clip. As I have not seen the film summarised in it before, I've found it amazing the way in wich a story can be told in less than five minutes and with no words.
I'd like to wish a HAPPY NEW YEAR to all the regular or occasional readers of this blog.
I'd like to wish a HAPPY NEW YEAR to all the regular or occasional readers of this blog.
22 Dec 2009
COSMOLEMA
A través de esta entrada del blog de Leer.es, tengo noticia de Cosmolema, una utilidad para explorar, aprender y jugar con el léxico del castellano. Cito a continuación el listado de posibilidades que ofrece:
"Cosmolema permite explorar las relaciones entre las palabras por medio de estos operadores:
- Bifronte. Cuando una palabra es igual a la otra leída en sentido contrario: raza-azar.
- Anagrama. Cuando dos palabras usan las mismas letras en diferente orden: bestializar- estabilizar
- Letra cambiada. Cuando dos palabras se diferencian en una única letra: casar-cantar.
- Añade letra: casar-cansar.
- Elimina letra: cansar casar.
- Contenedor: norma-paranormal.
- Contenido: paranormal-norma."
- Bifronte. Cuando una palabra es igual a la otra leída en sentido contrario: raza-azar.
- Anagrama. Cuando dos palabras usan las mismas letras en diferente orden: bestializar- estabilizar
- Letra cambiada. Cuando dos palabras se diferencian en una única letra: casar-cantar.
- Añade letra: casar-cansar.
- Elimina letra: cansar casar.
- Contenedor: norma-paranormal.
- Contenido: paranormal-norma."
11 Dec 2009
JONATHAN LITTELL WINS THE BAD SEX IN FICTION PRIZE
Author Jonathan Littell has won the 17th annual Bad Sex In Fiction Award, for his novel The Kindly Ones.
The book, which was originally published in French, won the Prix Goncourt in 2006 and has sold over a million copies in Europe.
Judges at The Literary Review gave him the bad sex prize for a passage that begins: "This sex was watching at me, spying on me, like a Gorgon's head".
In one excerpt, the author describes a sexual encounter as "a jolt that emptied my head like a spoon scraping the inside of a soft-boiled egg".
The Literary Review said Littell's book was "in part a work of genius", adding they hoped the author would take their dishonour "in good humour".
The shortlist for the prize also included works by Paul Theroux and musician Nick Cave
The book, which was originally published in French, won the Prix Goncourt in 2006 and has sold over a million copies in Europe.
Judges at The Literary Review gave him the bad sex prize for a passage that begins: "This sex was watching at me, spying on me, like a Gorgon's head".
In one excerpt, the author describes a sexual encounter as "a jolt that emptied my head like a spoon scraping the inside of a soft-boiled egg".
The Literary Review said Littell's book was "in part a work of genius", adding they hoped the author would take their dishonour "in good humour".
The shortlist for the prize also included works by Paul Theroux and musician Nick Cave
4 Dec 2009
RAP, HIP-HOP AND CLASSICS
The other day I read this post by David Crystal in which he commented a project led by hip-hop artist Akala to work on Shakespeare with young people.
After watching the video below, I also think that the activity can be really positive to approach classic literature to the youth apart from the opportunity to practise reading, pronunciation, rhythm... in a fun way.
By chance, I have also come across a video recording where two Secondary students recite "Lo que puede el dinero" written by Juan Ruiz, Arcipreste de Hita. The video can be watched from the bottom of Leer.es website.
After watching the video below, I also think that the activity can be really positive to approach classic literature to the youth apart from the opportunity to practise reading, pronunciation, rhythm... in a fun way.
By chance, I have also come across a video recording where two Secondary students recite "Lo que puede el dinero" written by Juan Ruiz, Arcipreste de Hita. The video can be watched from the bottom of Leer.es website.
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