Category: 2016-2020

Get what I meme?

Photo credits: memegenerator.net In 1986, it was declared by Richard Dawkins that ‘What lies at the heart of every living thing is not a fire, not warm breath, not a ‘spark of life.’ It is information, words, instructions,”. 30 years later, his statement is more relevant than ever. We are surrounded by information that we consume…
The Language of Roald Dahl

Photo credit: www.theloop.com.au Happy new academic year! Okay, so that doesn’t have as much festiveness as I hoped. Instead, let’s wish Happy 100th to Roald Dahl. Yes, Roald Dahl’s centenary has just passed and I’m sure many of you, like me, loved reading his books and getting lost in his imaginative world. From Willy Wonka…
“No one, not even the Pope, is getting anything on my phone.”

– by Ishita Jhunjhunwala Lecture Capture, a part of Echo360’s drive towards active learning and access to education, has been a topic of much debate on university campuses for the past couple of years. The recurrence of the topic amongst students and staff of the KCL Social Science and Public Policy department led to a…
‘Spicy Latina’: a stereotype upheld by Language

Photo credit: seventeen.com The name says it all. One of TV’s most recognized tropes; the sultry, sizzling, spitfire in a red dress depiction of Latin women can be traced back to the 1940s and characters such as Lupé Vélez and Dolores Del Rio playing ‘Latina spitfire’ roles which saw them through the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Nowadays, a quick flick through…
5 (not so) UNBELIEEEEEVABLE but slightly random differences between English and Spanish.

Photo credit: www.portada-online.com Here it is. At last. The non-exhaustive list of slightly interesting differences between Spanish and English that you didn’t know you have been waiting your entire life for. Without further ado, in no particular order, let’s start ‘THE TOP 5 INSANE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE SPANISH LANGUAGE AND THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, OR MORE PRECISELY JUST DIFFERENCES IN…
The scramble for English

English. It is known as the world’s second language, and for more reasons than we think. An astonishing two billion of the world’s population is learning English as a second language, while in China, the idea of learning English far surpasses personal desire and is implemented by law from the third grade. It is the…
What is going on with the English Language?

Photo credit: www.indianyouth.net Learning English as a second language in school I always thought English is the simplest language there is. Most people in the world speak it, so it can’t be that difficult. I mean, let’s be serious, in contrast to most other European languages there is only one article and apart from a…
Out of Hours with Mel

– by Hiba Shamsi Note: I interviewed Dr Melanie Cooke because she teaches “Introduction to Sociolinguistics” in First year and that was the course I scored my highest in, so obviously she has a special place in my heart. She currently works as a lecturer and researcher for the Department of Education and Professional…
Claire: ‘Hard Copies no longer necessary’

Departmental policy change hailed by students – by Sameer Merali The dreaded 9.50am hard copy assignment submission requirement is to be scrapped from September, Kinguistics has learned. Claire Cooper, senior taught programmes officer revealed the news recently to students’ delight.
Listen to your mother and Know Your (Email) Manners!

– by Sameer Merali After a recent email sent to all undergrads about only sending important, respectful emails to staff, here we can exclusively reveal some that are probably best left unsent…