language

What and when is International Mother Language Day? It’s a United Nations initiative first celebrated in 2000. It falls on 21 February each year. The day aims to make people more aware of how many living languages there are and to encourage multilingual education based on someone’s own language, the… Read More

There was an old dictionary buff Whose dog snorted mountains of snuff. Himself, so we hear, Preferred to quaff beer, A brew it found frightfully duff. Ah, limericks! The verse form that trips off the tongue like no other. Once particularly popular with rugby teams and the forces, they are the one kind of… Read More

Thursday marks UK World Book Day. Fifteen million UK primary and secondary pupils will receive a £1 voucher to cash in for a book priced by publishers at a nominal £1. The aim is to encourage reading for pleasure. Reading for pleasure is, paradoxically, not pure and simple pleasure. Read More