Was the deadline moved 'back' or 'forward'?

just like the argument about which week is 'next' week (solved by the coinage 'oxt' that I dealt with in an earlier post), this argument about when a date for something has been changed, whether we should say a later date is 'forward' or 'back', is a problem because different people think opposite answers are obviously the right one. My vote is for 'back'.

If you fancy a challenge (my brain has melted just a little) read this linguistic exploration of why there's confusion - some lovely examination of time metaphors to boot.

http://www.cogsci.ucsd.edu/~nunez/web/timeaftertimeF+.pdf

workshops

Perspicaciousnesses,

if you are meant to (or would like to) go to workshops, there are posters on the walls of the corridor (down at the C108 end by the AS Language room C106 or outside the English doors in the entryway to B building).

By all means go to the subject-specific ones (particularly if you are revising) or the Literacy ones to help with coursework - putting your ideas in a coherent, logical, sophisticated analysis or media text is vital and subject content knowledge isn't necessary for teachers to help you.

My workshop is 12.10 Tuesday in C106 for 45 mins.

Language Change article on the language of dying of depression

As mental health awareness grows, and the idea of invisible illnesses, there is synchronic language change in these fields. This article is asking us not to use "commit suicide" any more and makes us think about where that phrase came from. But what are the connotations of the alternatives? Kind of the opposite of Unspeak (that we looked at a while back ) - this writer is seeking to use language that sheds old associations (Sapir-Whorf hypothesis) and seeks greater connection with current thinking by changing the terms of reference (actually the technique is not that different except the result is to serve the needs of those being spoken about not hide or manipulate them or us). One of my friends nearly died of depression recently and one in four of us will be affected by mental health issues in our lifetime. Isn't it time we found ways of speaking that left outdated stigma in the past?

https://www.thecalmzone.net/2015/01/first-person-dying-of-depression-the-words-are-not-enough/

AS Coursework lesson 26/01/15

Ready for the deadline tomorrow, please ensure:

• you have met the needs of your target audiences, especially in terms of hooking them to read the text in the first place
• you have exlpained how you met their needs in the comentaries
• you have proofread carefully, perhaps by reading aloud
• someone else has read it, imagining they are the target reader and fed back
• you have made any changes and included thought about the feedback in the commentaries where appropriate (proofread again)
• you know what you are putting on the GAP form tomorrow (details)
• you have collected together in this order: text 1, commentary 1, text 2 commentary 2, plan 1, annotated style model 1, bibliography 1, plan 2, annotated style model 2, bibliography 2
• you do not put your texts in plastic wallets when you hand it in (they will be punched in the top-left-hand corner and a rteasury tag used to fasten them together)

Email me with any questions.

YOU MUST MEET THE DEADLINE OR YOUR WORK WILL NOT BE SUBMITTED - email me with any problems and ensure the work arrives at least via email by 4pm tomorrow if there are serious problems but otherwise is ready to be handed in in the lesson.

DO THIS!

Life skill and very good for active learning. The art of overview.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=823835180988792&id=100000869539821

Shakespeare's word crimes

A TED post on Shakespeare's invented words (coinages), prescriptive attitudes and generally Language Change.

Paraprosdokians - some of these are good - got any more? Make one up?

Student voice - what do you want to say about these topics

The student voice meeting is Thurs 29th Jan at 2.30 in C101.

The agenda will be:

Assessment and feedback

Subject specific workshops for support

Parental Portal

Any other business

Please give any feedback you would like passed on to your reps asap.

Easy to read, slightly naughty text on terminology (useful for LC and CLA)

This is useful for A2 topics. Enjoy.

British politeness anecdote by Douglas Adams (LC)

Douglas Adams (sadly deceased) is one of my favourite authors. This anecdote is useful for Language Change because it examines what is socially acceptable at the time the text was written - would you mention it if the person opposite you took one of your biscuits?

LC - (link blocked in college) humour on Cardiff dialectal phrases

http://www.buzzfeed.com/shines22/words-that-have-a-completely-different-meaning-zv25#.lvzzV3xOZ

Vygotski clarification (A2)

I have just been marking the A2 assessments and Vygotski may need a little more clarification in particular. I encourage you to continue your independent wider reading but this is an interesting piece contrasting Vygotski and Piaget. Better links to Bruner would have been useful though, so if you see a good page for that, do link to it in the comments.

Article against teen tweeting language

Angelica found a great article and has linked to it on her blog - I commented and then thought everyone might find this useful.

Writing prize

St Brendan's is launching a writing competition (with cash prizes) next week. Look out for details and take part! Up to 500 words on the idea of 'new beginnings' - the genre is up to you (song, story, poem etc.). The deadline will be in March. The judges will be a mixture of teachers, non-teaching staff and students and the audience is new students next year.