Cathy Chen
4 February 2018Graphics
Language has faced an onslaught of changes in the face of globalisation, as influences from across the world fight against local ideals of what a language should be. Language academies—organisations that act as regulatory bodies of different languages—are leading the fight against changes to language they perceive as illegitimate.
To many of us, the idea of languages tied to a country seems normal. People in England speak English, people in Japan speak Japanese, people in Croatia speak Croatian, and so on. Is this a hard and fast rule? Of course not, but to some extent it’s still considered the norm. But why does this perception exist when it’s not the case with the majority of languages?
Feathered Friend Fuels Facebook Feud
Baillieu Library’s resident albino pigeon has become the source of a heated Facebook debate between students attempting to name the bird.
Over semester break, the Facebook page Pigeon at the Baillieu Library ran an online competition to determine its name.
Because of the cumulative effects of assimilation over many generations, Ainu’s uniqueness is in danger of being lost forever. There are only a handful of native speakers left—perhaps as few as fifteen—and all of them are elderly. While there is a much higher number of second-language speakers with varying degrees of fluency, without concerted efforts to protect it, Ainu’s chances of survival are, sadly, quite low.
Alt-Right? Academics Break Ranks Over Ramsay Centre
Academics at the University of Wollongong (UoW) are speaking out against the institution’s newest Arts major. There has already been major controversy over the unusual fast-track approval of the course, which will be privately funded by the Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation.
The University of Melbourne Student Union (UMSU) Environment Collective held their third successive Radical Education Week during Week 7, from April 15 to 18. The week was a cross-campus event exploring radical ideas about education within and beyond the classroom.
Around 100 subjects from several faculties will trial a new Learning Management System (LMS) from Semester 2 this year.
As a field of study, linguistics is a relative newcomer compared to more established social sciences like anthropology and psychology—but you might expect that linguists would have at least agreed where to draw the line between dialect and language. Alas, as always, the reality is much more complex.
Sign language is something that few people even experience in their daily lives, let alone learn. Even as a linguistics student, I’ve found that my education has focused exclusively on speech, with casual references made here and there on the applicability of theory used for spoken languages to sign language; even then, it’s mostly an afterthought.
Disruptions on Grattan Street will continue throughout 2019 as Parkville Station construction for the Melbourne Metro Tunnel enters its “most exciting year to date.”
Paul Duldig has left his position as the Head of University Services, which he had held since 2014.
The University of Melbourne, despite accepting all recommendations of the Australian Human Rights Commission’s (AHRC) Change the Course report on sexual assault at universities, has failed to respond to the commission about what’s being done to address one of the key recommendations.
The welfare department of the University of Melbourne Student Union (UMSU) has introduced a new drug policy this year involving pill-testing kits and workshops as harm-reduction becomes the focus.
A new scholarship program commencing in 2020 will award talented domestic undergraduate students who face financial challengers with free accommodation, general allowance, and financial and personal support.
UniMelb To Introduce Anti-Cheating Software That Tracks All Thoughts And Actions Of Students
In a shocking announcement, the University of Melbourne has revealed the implementation of an anti-cheating software capable of recording every single thought experienced by any given student.
Stephanie Zhang dissects techno-orientalism
Australian PMs Ranked By Hotness
Danielle Scrimshaw on the unsung hotties of history class
Harry Potter and the Magic of Medicine
Despite Harry Potter being a magical universe where logic need not apply, some elements are closer to science fiction than true magic: Tessa Marshall writes.
“Do you think it’s clear that I’m trying to emulate J.K. Rowling’s style?” he said after a while. “Does the pastiche come through?”
Local Student Applying For Internships Forced To Confront Own Mediocrity
University Square Possums Unionise After Council Threatens To Destroy Their Trees
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