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Jul 17, 2022
Case study: Changing names, changing values
Do you know the traditional Indigenous name for the land you are standing on? Well, you'd better find out here, because it is becoming...
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Jul 9, 2022
Case study: Language from the 2022 election
The 2022 Australian federal election has come and gone in May this year, so let's look back at some examples of language use by and about...
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Jul 7, 2022
Case study: PC apologies, sorry not sorry (2022 edition)
Every year there is inevitably some celebrity or public figure who says something in the public eye which is viewed as offensive or...
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Jun 8, 2022
Useful Resource: RMIT Guide to Inclusive Language
The attached document is a 'guide to inclusive language' published by RMIT University. It contains a range of linguistic examples and...
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May 29, 2022
Case study: PC language in lyrics
Songs which represent institutions will often undergo lyrical amendments if the language used in the lyrics is no longer deemed to be in...
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May 9, 2022
Case study: 'That time of the month'
In May 2022, New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko made headlines when she mentioned her period in an interview, using the euphemistic expression,...
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May 9, 2022
Case study: Honorifics in journalism
'Honorifics' are the titles we use to address people in formal language, including: Mr, Ms, Mrs, Dr, Sir, Your Honour, etc. They can be...
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May 8, 2022
Case study: Acknowledgement of Country
If you have recently witnessed a ceremony (for example: a school assembly, meeting or presentation), the speaker may have delivered an...
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Mar 15, 2022
Case study: RIP Warnie
In March 2022, legendary Aussie cricketer Shane 'Warnie' Warne passed away suddenly. Shortly following his death, Victorian Premier...
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Jan 31, 2022
Case study: To Scomo or not to Scomo
We have previously discussed the purposes of nicknames in politics (see post here) and how they can be used to build rapport between...
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Jan 25, 2022
The evolution of email etiquette
Consider the following questions before reading the resources below: a) What conventions* have you been taught to follow when composing...
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Jan 8, 2022
'Words in English don't last forever'; is 'fewer' dying out?
The following article discusses how words can fall out of use in English, particularly when their function can be fulfilled by a similar...
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Sep 24, 2021
Attitudes to language; prescriptivism vs descriptivism
The following articles explore speakers' varying attitudes towards different usages of English. In VCE English Language, we discuss both...
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Sep 19, 2021
Case study: Politics and lexical choice
Language commenting on political matters is always deliberately chosen to suit the political motivations of the speaker or writer. This...
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Sep 16, 2021
The role of dictionaries in recording language change
This article from September 2020 discusses how Dictionary.com must adapt its entries for certain words due to the constant changes...
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Sep 16, 2021
Case study: PM Scott Morrison's 'not particularly flash' lexical choice
This article discusses Prime Minister Scott Morrison's controversial use of the colloquial phrase 'wasn't a particularly flash day' to...
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Sep 12, 2021
Case study: Nicknames in politics - friend or foe?
If you're an Australian politician, you haven't really made it until you've got a nickname. The examples below explore the purposes of...
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