I was reading good ol' Language Log the other day, and spotted a couple of things I thought I'd share:

• A fairly short dictionary of Strine from 1965. Looking at it, and particularly reading things out loud, you can really hear the change in the Australian accent in the last 40 years. Few people (in the major cities, I should note; I've not been to ( Read more... )

I have boeuf bourguignon cooking on the stove, and it smells AMAZING.

Mmmmm.

Over the last few weeks, it seems that there's been a minor skirmish going on in the Australian's Higher Education opinion section over language teaching programs in Australian schools. Everyone agrees that Australia should become more multilingual, the issue is which languages should be taught. (How they should be taught and even saving languages ( Read more... )

Well, well: quoted in two ABC news articles - on two different topics -  in one day, Roly Sussex!

While I'm on the topic of news, the periodic table has a new element.

Something odd that has me vaguely curious: the patterns of homework errors through the different classes I'm teaching and marking. This year, like last year, students have informed me that "la deuxième industrie de Cairns est celle de boire" ("the second industry in Cairns is that of drinking") instead of "celle du bois" (wood). However, the ( Read more... )

HOLIDAYS

Oh yeah.

I've gotten used to being asked if I'm French. Students are easily impressed, my fellow tutors can be quick to jump to conclusions (one thought I was French for over a year: I only found out when she asked why my English was so good!), and Francophones can become over-excited when they hear someone speaking French in Australia. (Or Germany, or ( Read more... )

This evening, I taught French for four hours straight, with a group of about 40 16 to 18-year-olds.

Next week, I am so wearing flat shoes.

A fairly uninspiring election is looming in Queensland. I had thought that the Pauline Hanson v Warwick Capper battle in Beaudesert would have provided some trashy Jerry-Springer-style entertainment (while some largely-ignored mainstream candidate cruised to victory unnoticed) but Capper failed to get his nomination in on time.

Oh well. At least, ( Read more... )

This looks like something the GOMA would be into.