Category: Language
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Oxford Word of the Month – August: green whistle
Green whistle: noun a disposable handheld inhaler for short-term pain relief following accident or injury. THE STORY BEHIND THE WORD OF THE MONTH Since the 1970s, many Australian accident and trauma victims have used the green whistle, an emergency analgesic device commonly carried by paramedics to give temporary pain relief for patients on their way to…
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Oxford Word of the Month – July: Anzac Day rule
Anzac Day rule noun a tradition that heaters should not be used in Canberra before Anzac Day. THE STORY BEHIND THE WORD OF THE MONTH An Australian Government website on energy use has a page headed: ‘Your energy bill and the ANZAC Day rule’, and provides the following advice: Unknown to ACT outsiders, an ancient practice…
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Research reveals shifts in language used by Aussie kids, but the gender divide remains
The new Oxford Wordlist research has revealed Australian children had learnt to love their informal lingo, with words like super, awesome, crazy, stuff and amazing, featuring in the words most regularly used by primary school students. The research, released on June 25, drew on research from more than 3,000 writing samples and detailed the top…
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What are Australian children talking about in 2018?
Are primary school aged children interested in technology or treehouses? Are they concerned about the contents of their lunch box or the nightly news report? Oxford University Press is on the hunt to discover what interests Australian primary school students with the launch of the 2018 Children’s Word of the Year. Primary school students from…
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Oxford Word of the Month – June: picfac
picfac noun a photo opportunity, especially as used by politicians. THE STORY BEHIND THE WORD OF THE MONTH In the lead-up to the 2010 election, a journalist expressed frustration with prime minister Kevin Rudd’s preference for a particular kind of media opportunity: I don’t know why he is there, who he thinks he is, or what…
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Oxford Word of the Month: December – John Farnham
noun: used allusively of a comeback or reappearance, especially after a final performance or retirement. THE STORY BEHIND THE WORD OF THE MONTH John Farnham (‘Johnny’ in his early days) is a hugely successful Australian contemporary pop singer. His professional career spans fifty years from the 1960s until the present, and his 1986 album Whispering…
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Dictionary activities for the classroom
Dictionary games can be a fun and interactive way of improving students’ literacy and fostering creativity. We asked Australian teachers how they use dictionaries to support learning in their classrooms, and here are their top ideas: Use dictionaries as a creative writing tool. Get students to pick three words they don’t know and make up…
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Oxford Word of the Month: November – platypup
noun: a baby platypus. THE STORY BEHIND THE WORD OF THE MONTH There is some discussion on the Internet about the correct name for a baby platypus. Some commentators note that a baby platypus may be called a puggle, while others say that puggle refers only to a baby echidna. The following writer has an…