language – Openforum https://www.openforum.com.au Open Forum offers an independent platform for Australian debate Thu, 28 Mar 2024 22:27:37 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.25 No worries https://www.openforum.com.au/no-worries/ Sat, 17 Sep 2022 21:25:47 +0000 https://www.openforum.com.au/?p=39011 Described in Jonathan King’s Waltzing Materialism as the “national motto” of Australia, this complex little phrase “no worries” even has its own Wiki entry.

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Digitising endangered languages https://www.openforum.com.au/digitising-endangered-languages/ Wed, 10 Aug 2022 20:45:11 +0000 https://www.openforum.com.au/?p=38779 The PARADISEC digital archive model revitalising endangered languages around the Pacific has now been taken up in North America by the Cherokee Nation.

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Hola, salut, hello, ciao https://www.openforum.com.au/hola-salut-hello-ciao/ Sun, 11 Jul 2021 00:14:12 +0000 https://www.openforum.com.au/?p=33602 There’s never been a better time to start learning another language, and there could be some unexpected upsides.

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I hear what you say – How the Aussie accent is changing https://www.openforum.com.au/i-hear-what-you-say-our-aussie-accent-is-changing-as-we-speak-more-clearly/ Thu, 28 Jan 2021 23:10:35 +0000 https://www.openforum.com.au/?p=31536 Online work has forced us all to speak more clearly, but the ongoing evolution of Australian accents heard in politics, entertainment and the media over time exemplifies the wider social and demographic changes which are shaping this country's multicultural future.

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I heart love https://www.openforum.com.au/i-heart-love/ Fri, 14 Feb 2020 20:01:30 +0000 https://www.openforum.com.au/?p=26138 It may not be a Shakespearean sonnet, but the language of love in the 21st century is just as affectionate and meaningful as it ever was, according to University of South Australia linguist, Dr David Caldwell.

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Does that word mean what you think it means? https://www.openforum.com.au/does-that-word-mean-what-you-think-it-means/ Wed, 08 Jan 2020 22:36:21 +0000 https://www.openforum.com.au/?p=25500 Words change their meaning over time, but it can be hard to keep up, especially when some words evolve to mean the opposite of their original definition.

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Communication is the key to better language education https://www.openforum.com.au/communication-is-the-key-to-better-language-education/ Wed, 04 Sep 2019 22:06:20 +0000 https://www.openforum.com.au/?p=23127 Language education in Australia is falling behind, but prioritising communication over accuracy could help revitalise children's interest and improve their performance.

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Should more Aussie kids study Mandarin? https://www.openforum.com.au/should-more-aussie-kids-study-mandarin/ Tue, 09 Jul 2019 23:23:49 +0000 https://www.openforum.com.au/?p=22076 The number of students studying Mandarin in Australian schools nearly doubled between 2008 and 2015, but very few pupils from non-Chinese background will ever become fluent in the language.

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Let’s learn to love our Aussie accents https://www.openforum.com.au/lets-learn-to-love-our-aussie-accents/ Sat, 16 Mar 2019 21:08:13 +0000 http://www.openforum.com.au/?p=19913 Our views of accents are arbitrary social evaluations rather than intrinsic facts, and we base them on our knowledge and experience of the people who lie behind them. We should embrace our accents as part of who we are.

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Immigrants pick up more ‘Australianisms’ https://www.openforum.com.au/immigrants-pick-up-more-australianisms/ Sat, 09 Feb 2019 21:03:39 +0000 http://www.openforum.com.au/?p=19351 Despite a perception that immigrants are resistant to assimilation, people who speak a foreign language are actually more likely to adopt the Australian lexicon

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Rediscovering English grammar for a new generation https://www.openforum.com.au/rediscovering-english-grammar-for-a-new-generation/ Sun, 27 Jan 2019 23:01:38 +0000 http://www.openforum.com.au/?p=18412 The structured teaching of English grammar was dropped from the Australian curriculum in the 1960s, but learning the fundamentals not only helps students learn foreign languages, but gives them more confidence when using their own.

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Grey nomads, seachangers and bogans – 30 years of the Australian National Dictionary https://www.openforum.com.au/grey-nomads-seachangers-and-bogans-30-years-of-the-australian-national-dictionary/ Fri, 16 Nov 2018 21:42:48 +0000 http://www.openforum.com.au/?p=17977 Do you know someone 'doing a Johnny Farnham'? Have you played the 'thongophone'? And how do you think Australia's 'koala diplomacy' is working? These "Australianisms" are contenders for the next edition of the Australian National Dictionary (AND), prove Australian English is alive and well on its 30th anniversary.

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