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Passing over Pesach Rachel Hoddes Friday, 26 April 2024 Rachel discusses the traditions and history of Pesach (Passover) and shares her personal experiences growing up celebrating this religious holiday. What is Pesach ? Pesach (pronounced p-AI-s-aa-kh), known as Passover in the UK, is one of the main Jewish festivals. It is determined by the luna calendar, so can fall anywhere between March and May, commemorating the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt, as well as miracles like the splitting of the Red sea. It takes place over eight days, starting with two seders ’, meaning ‘order’. Jewish families across the globe get together to read about the miracles of Pesach , punctuated with a large meal and prayers. Throughout the seder , children are encouraged to ask questions about the events of the story and the history of the Jewish people and we celebrate the past year all together. Ashkenazi vs Sephardi – What Does This Mean? The two main types of Judaism are Ashkenazi and Sephardi. Ashkenazim mainly originate from Central and Eastern European countries, for example France, Russia and Poland; whilst Sephardim tend to come from Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, as well as Spain and North Africa. The main thing that divides these two branches of Judaism over Pesach specifically are their dietary requirements. During this festival, Jewish people don’t eat anything containing wheat, barley, oats, rye or spelt, however Ashkenazim also don’t eat beans, peas, rice, corn, soy, chickpeas or lentils. (Its basically my vegetarian nightmare!) The only form of wheat we eat at this time of year is a sort of cracker called matzah , which is prepared and baked in a specific way. This is because, the Jewish people didn’t have enough time to wait for their bread to rise when they left Egypt and took unleavened bread with them. We have come up with some weird and wacky ways to prepare food at Pesach , from making mina (lasagna made with soaked pieces of matzah ) to baking with almond flour (which really isn’t as nice as it sounds). Fun Traditions Pesach is full of fun traditions! It’s a genuine requirement to drink four cups of wine, or grape juice at a seder which always ends in a memorable evening. Here we highlight of a few fun Pesach traditions from Jewish people here at Nottingham! Plagued by Plagues Many families act out the 10 plagues to help the kids remember them. It’s our favourite part of the seder and we take it very seriously. We have a bag of plagues we take out each year complete with jumping frogs; fake blood and boil stickers; and my personal favourite, a bag of plastic cockroaches. These were banned in my family after I put one in my grandad’s soup and he almost ate it, so when I was 14, me and my cousins ordered another 50 more cockroaches and hid them round the house: to this day we are still finding them (and we got our stolen cockroaches back)! There’s a Leek! During ‘ Dayenu ’, a song which recites the miracles of the exodus of the Jewish people out of Egypt, many families hit each other with leeks. To this day, I don’t know why but we always end up having a sword fight with them across the table, often with one of my cousins singing a song from the prince of Egypt underneath. It gets very heated and the victor gets to have the first piece of matzah of the year! The Horseradish Challenge During the seder , we have to eat a bitter herb. Many families opt for horseradish due to its fiery taste and as a kid we used to compete to see who could eat the most without grimacing. Now if you’ve ever had the pleasure of eatinga whole, raw chunk of horseradish you will know that thing burns. But eight-year-old me decided that everyone at the table were wimps and that I could eat the whole thing… I got through two bites before my eyes were streaming so I grabbed the nearest water jug to down something to clear my throat. Little did I know it was the salt water to be used later in the meal with our eggs. Let's just say I didn’t drink water for a while after! Welcome to the Zoo By the end of the seder , everyone’s a little delirious. It can go long, as we can’t start until after sundown, and have long prayers and many cups of wine to get through. So by the final song, we are all more than done and ready to go to bed but, like all proper finales, we have to end on a high! We finish the night, as many families dowith an Aramaic-Hebrew song, ‘ Chad Gadya’ , which very much has ‘ There was an old lady who swallowed a fly ’ vibes with animals eating each other. We always do sound effects. This often ends in chaos with everyone mooing, barking and meowing at each other in fits of giggles: its honestly one of my favourite moments of the whole year! About the Author A Complete Overview of Sikh Wedding Functions Jasmine Johal Passing over Pesach Rachel Hoddes Image provided by Rachel Hoddes. For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: Passover Judaism Rachel Hoddes Religion customs Categories: Experience Culture Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! Barbara Dawson average rating is 3 out of 5 Lovely tasty dish. Try it you won’t be disappointed. Time Published Aunty Liz average rating is 3 out of 5 Very tasty and cheap. I often have this for tea! Time Published BETTS average rating is 3 out of 5 Being a bilingual family (French mother and British father,) living in France I thought your article was extremely interesting . Have you research on bilingualism ? It seems that when the mother is British and the father French and they both live in France their children seem to be more bilingual than when the mother is French and the father is British . This is what we called mother tongue , isn't it ? Time Published Niamh average rating is 3 out of 5 Such an interesting article! Time Published LOAD MORE

American Studies and English < Back Amaia Robertson Nogues Amaia is an American Studies and English student and spent her year abroad in Vermont, USA. In her free time she likes to read, draw and drink copious amounts of tea. Latest Articles by this Author Year Abroad Tales: Anonymous Stories 08/12/22

Hangeul: A Scientific Alphabet Aidan Cross Monday, 9 October 2023 Find out the history behind the creation of the Korean alphabet and why it is so incredible to celebrate Hangeul Day (9th October). Hangeul Day (9th October) in South Korea is a celebration of the Korean alphabet (한글), its creation by King Sejong the Great in 1443 CE and its proclamation in 1446 CE in The Proper Sounds for the Instruction of the People (훈민정음, Hunminjeongeum). The name Hangeul was coined in 1912 by Ju Sigyeong, a Korean linguist, with “han” (한) meaning “great”, as well as referring to Korea (한국), and “geul” (글) meaning “script”. The Korean language was originally written using the Chinese characters called Hanja (한자), but, due to the differences between the two languages and the number of characters that had to be learned, only the most educated could read or write. King Sejong, therefore, created Hangeul to improve literacy amongst his people. However, the Korean elite saw this as a threat to their status and continued to see Hanja as the only true way to write Korean, referring to Hangeul disparagingly as Eonmun (언문), or “vernacular/vulgar script”. It was also created as a way to allow the lower classes to express their grievances against those in power, and its use become a revolutionary act. So much so that, in 1504, King Yeonsangun banned the study of Hangeul after commoners wrote documents criticising him. Its use was even more revolutionary during Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945), as Japanese was made the official language in Korea, and the teaching of the Korean language was banned in schools in 1938. After Korea regained its independence in 1945, Hangeul became, and continues to be, a symbol of national pride and identity. Nowadays, South Korea is one of the most literate countries in the world, with a literacy rate of almost 98%. The reason that Hangeul is so easy to learn is that it is a logical and scientific alphabet. Hangeul is a featural writing system (a term that was introduced by linguist Geoffrey Sampson to describe the Korean alphabet), meaning that the design of the letters is not arbitrary. Rather, it conveys the phonological features of the phonemes (sounds) that they represent. The shape of the consonants is based on articulatory phonetics. This mean that the consonants reflect the vocal organs used to make the sounds that they correspond to, as follows: · ㄱ & ㄴ tongue · ㅁ mouth · ㅅ teeth · ㅇ throat Meanwhile, the shape of each vowel is based on the three basic elements in traditional East Asian philosophy, as below: · ㅣ Person · ㅇ Sky · ㅡ Earth In Hangeul, there are 24 basic letters made up of 14 consonants (ㄱ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㄴ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅇ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅎ) and 10 vowels (ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅓ, ㅕ, ㅗ, ㅛ, ㅜ, ㅠ, ㅡ, ㅣ), as well as 5 double (or tense) consonants (ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ) and 11 complex vowels (ㅐ, ㅒ, ㅔ, ㅖ, ㅘ, ㅙ, ㅚ, ㅝ, ㅞ, ㅟ, ㅢ), which are formed by combining the basic letters. Now that you understand the history behind Hangeul and the importance of its creation, why not learn this incredible alphabet? About the Author Aidan is one of the founding members of Lingo Magazine and has a passion for languages – never studying less than three at once, hoping to become a polyglot! – as well as the histories and cultures of the peoples and places that use them. They are especially interested in translation and the connections between different languages and cultures across the world. They are looking forward to being Lingo's Treasurer this year and making the magazine and society as inclusive, informative, and interesting as possible. As for languages, Aidan is in their final year of Hispanic Studies & History at the University of Nottingham, studying Spanish and Portuguese, and in their free time also studies Korean - and has recently started learning Italian! Translation and the Untranslatable Aidan Cross Portuguese loanwords in Japanese Aidan Cross What makes a language “easy” to learn? Aidan Cross Copyright free images via Unsplash. For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: Aidan Cross Language Korean Hangeul Alphabet Categories: Language and Linguistics Global Culture Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! LOAD MORE

Recipe of the Week: Chicken Curry Emily Dawson Thursday, 10 November 2022 Recipe of the week with @ems.homecooking will teach you a new dish from around the world. This week's dish is chicken curry, a traditionally Indian recipe that can be made student friendly. Serves: 4 Difficulty: 2/5 Time: 40 minutes Origin: India Originally a dish cooked for celebrations within family homes, chicken curry is now a well-known dish across the world. This simple version can be combined with different vegetables to lift the dish even further. Usually served with traditional breads, such as rotis or chapatis or with rice, this meal can be enjoyed at any time of day. Ingredients 1 medium onion 3 cloves of garlic 3 chicken breasts, cut into about 1-inch cubes 1 tin of coconut milk 1 tin of chopped tomatoes 1 jar of chickpeas (optional) 1 aubergine (optional) 2 tsp garam masala 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp chilli powder 1 tsp ginger Chopped coriander Salt and pepper Method On a medium heat, cook all the chicken until brown. Add in the aubergine and cook until soft. Chop the onion and crush the garlic and slowly soften on a medium heat. Once softened, add in all the spices and mix to form a paste with the onions and garlic. Cook for a few minutes. Add in the tin of chopped tomatoes and the coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper and add in the coriander. If you’re not adding any vegetables, leave this to simmer on a lower-medium heat for about 20 minutes. Stirring every so often. If you are adding in vegetables, add them now. I added in the chickpeas at this point and left it to simmer on a low-medium heat for about 20 minutes. Stirring every so often. Serve and enjoy! For more savoury and tasty treat recipes, follow @ems.homecooking on Instagram. About the Author Emily is a fourth-year student, studying Spanish, Chinese and Business. She is an avid baker turned chef who can often be found in the kitchen making content for her Instagram (@ems.homecooking). Emily was our 2022/23 Treasurer. Recipe of the Week: Shakshuka with Merguez Emily Dawson Recipe of the Week: Chicken Curry Emily Dawson Recipe of the Week: Vegan Pasta Bake Emily Dawson Images provided by Emily Dawson For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: Emily Dawson Cooking Cuisine World Food Curry Categories: Culture Recipe of the Week Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! Barbara Dawson average rating is 3 out of 5 Lovely tasty dish. Try it you won’t be disappointed. Time Published Aunty Liz average rating is 3 out of 5 Very tasty and cheap. I often have this for tea! Time Published BETTS average rating is 3 out of 5 Being a bilingual family (French mother and British father,) living in France I thought your article was extremely interesting . Have you research on bilingualism ? It seems that when the mother is British and the father French and they both live in France their children seem to be more bilingual than when the mother is French and the father is British . This is what we called mother tongue , isn't it ? Time Published Niamh average rating is 3 out of 5 Such an interesting article! Time Published LOAD MORE

Recipe of the Week: Vegan Pasta Bake Emily Dawson Thursday, 17 November 2022 Recipe of the week with @ems.homecooking will teach you a new dish from around the world. This week's dish is a vegan pasta bake – an easy and student friendly dish that can be enjoyed by all. Serves: 2 Difficulty 2/5 Time: 30 minutes Who doesn’t love a hearty pasta bake after a long winter’s day? With a crispy cheese top layer, the crunch from the broccoli and the meatiness of the “sausages”, this dish is a perfect mouth-watering meal. While this dish is simple, it is full of flavour and hearty goodness. The special part of this recipe is that the ingredients used don’t have to be the same each time, it is very easy to throw in a bit of everything out of the kitchen cupboard (within reason of course…!) Ingredients 1 medium onion 3/4 stems of broccoli 1 pepper 2 cloves of garlic Half a jar of tomato passata 1 tbsp of tomato puree 2 tsp of harissa paste (optional) 2 portions of pasta (I used penne, but any pasta shape will work) 3 vegetarian/vegan sausages Cheese to top (optional) Salt and pepper 2 tsp paprika Chilli flakes (optional) Olive oil Method Heat oven to the temperature the sausages require to cook. Place sausages in the oven. While the sausages are cooking, in a pan on a medium heat sweat off the onions and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add in the paprika and cook off for a couple of minutes, stirring to combine with the onions and garlic. Chop the peppers into pieces and add them into the pan with the onions and garlic. Again, cook until they’re soft. Meanwhile, boil a pan of water with a sprinkle of salt ready to cook the pasta and broccoli. When the water is boiled, add in the pasta and cook for the required time (usually about 10 minutes if using dried pasta). A few minutes before the pasta is ready, add the broccoli to the pan of tomatoes and cook. In the pan with the onions, garlic and peppers, add in half a jar of passata, tomato paste and the harissa. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Then, add in the cooked broccoli, pasta and sausages, chopped into pieces. Place the mixture into an oven proof dish, cover the top with grated cheese and put it under the grill or in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese has melted and starts to crisp. Dig in! For more savoury and tasty treats recipes, follow @ems.homecooking on Instagram. About the Author Emily is a fourth-year student, studying Spanish, Chinese and Business. She is an avid baker turned chef who can often be found in the kitchen making content for her Instagram (@ems.homecooking). Emily was our 2022/23 Treasurer. Recipe of the Week: Shakshuka with Merguez Emily Dawson Recipe of the Week: Chicken Curry Emily Dawson Recipe of the Week: Vegan Pasta Bake Emily Dawson Images provided by Emily Dawson. For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: Emily Dawson Cuisine Cooking Pasta Vegan Categories: Culture Recipe of the Week Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! Barbara Dawson average rating is 3 out of 5 Lovely tasty dish. Try it you won’t be disappointed. Time Published Aunty Liz average rating is 3 out of 5 Very tasty and cheap. I often have this for tea! Time Published BETTS average rating is 3 out of 5 Being a bilingual family (French mother and British father,) living in France I thought your article was extremely interesting . Have you research on bilingualism ? It seems that when the mother is British and the father French and they both live in France their children seem to be more bilingual than when the mother is French and the father is British . This is what we called mother tongue , isn't it ? Time Published Niamh average rating is 3 out of 5 Such an interesting article! Time Published LOAD MORE

Why am I forgetting my English? Charlie Bodsworth Thursday, 21 April 2022 Ever wonder why you sometimes can’t recall words or have started wording things weirdly in English? So have I! And, don’t panic, you’re not forgetting your English. Let’s dive together into the lesser-known linguistic field of first language attrition and how this affects us as language learners. I wonder if any of you have had similar linguistic experiences to me recently: struggling to recall an English word, wording things a bit strangely, or even full-on dropping a phrase from your second language into your English! Sometimes these little interactions between our languages can catch us off guard - I often am left confused when I’m at a train station and my brain is only telling me that I need “voie deux” instead of “platform two”! Well, there’s no need to panic. There’s a fairly straightforward explanation for this. It is related to something called language attrition . Language attrition is a lesser-known and somewhat understudied area of linguistics that is concerned with decrease in language performance, whether first language (L1) or second language (L2). It can affect several layers of your L1, the main ones being your phonology, lexicon, and grammar. Let’s take a quick look at each of these categories. Phonology In simplified terms, this is our use and understanding of accents and groups of sounds within a language. When your L1 is attrited, you may start using some non-native-like pronunciation and may struggle to distinguish certain sounds and foreign accents. Lexicon There are many effects in this area as it is the most susceptible to attrition: a slow-down in recalling words, more pauses, repetitions, hesitations, self-corrections, and sometimes an impoverished lexical diversity. Grammar The grammar of your L2 can sometimes intrude on how you speak in your L1, especially in cases where the area of grammar is simpler or shorter in your L2. Similarly, though not strictly grammatical, there may also be times where you’ve picked up a useful turn of phrase in your L2 that has no equivalent in English, and upon finding yourself in a situation where you would use that phrase, you find yourself at a loss of what to say. So, this rather begs the question of why this all happens. On a small scale, when there are two words (or more!) for one meaning in your head, the one that is currently being used the most and deemed to be more important by your brain is the one that will come to you first. This is called activation. In my earlier example, the reason I often forget “platform” is because I’m in Paris train stations a lot nowadays. My brain uses and sees the word “voie” far more often than the word “platform”. So whenever I need to use the English word, it takes my brain longer to find it. On a more general scale, the cause is, unsurprisingly, a decrease in L1 use, which can certainly stem from increased use of your L2 (such as when you live abroad in a country that speaks your L2…sound familiar?). However, it is quite difficult to quantify how much each language is being used, so it’s difficult for researchers to actually chart this cause and effect. An alternative (and more quantifiable) hypothesis is that an increase in code-switching (which is the linguistic term for swapping languages in the middle of an utterance) can significantly contribute to the rate of L1 attrition. This is because it causes both languages to be activated at the same time, causing them to further intersect and interact in your brain. So, what is the takeaway from this? (Other than learning a nifty little bit of linguistics…) Personally, every time I experience these little moments of difficulty in English, I take it as a sign that my French has greatly improved over my year abroad and that I’m being truly immersed in the language! It can also be really cool to think about how your brain is dealing with having several languages at its disposal. Because it is true that your bilingual or polylingual brain is pretty cool! If you want a slightly more comprehensive overview of first language attrition, check out the short video below! References: ● Francis, N. (2005) ‘ Research Findings on Early First Language Attrition: Implications for the Discussion on Critical Periods in Language Acquisition ’, Language learning ● Gallo, F. et al. (2021) ‘ First Language Attrition: What It Is, What It Isn’t, and What It Can Be ’, Frontiers in human neuroscience About the Author A nerd in every sense, Charlie was our 2023-24 Language and Linguistics editor. She completed a BA in Modern Languages with Translation Studies, including a year spent in Paris, and is soon to complete her MA in Translation Studies. She speaks French and has just started learning Japanese! In her spare time, she plays video games, watches movies, and spends plenty of time with her two gerbils. 5 podcasts to help you improve your French Niamh Woodhouse The economic value to the UK of speaking other languages: realistic or idealistic? Rosie Loyd Our top 5 tips for keeping on top of your Chinese Rosie Loyd Copyright free images via Unsplash. For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: Charlie Finney Language Learning Attrition Linguistics Grammar Categories: Language and Linguistics Analysis Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! Barbara Dawson average rating is 3 out of 5 Lovely tasty dish. Try it you won’t be disappointed. Time Published Aunty Liz average rating is 3 out of 5 Very tasty and cheap. I often have this for tea! Time Published BETTS average rating is 3 out of 5 Being a bilingual family (French mother and British father,) living in France I thought your article was extremely interesting . Have you research on bilingualism ? It seems that when the mother is British and the father French and they both live in France their children seem to be more bilingual than when the mother is French and the father is British . This is what we called mother tongue , isn't it ? Time Published Niamh average rating is 3 out of 5 Such an interesting article! Time Published LOAD MORE

Lunar New Year in a Covid-19 world Rosie Loyd Tuesday, 15 February 2022 We have all heard of Chinese New Year, but what does it represent, and how are its festivities coping in a Covid-19 world? By including recent statistics and a breakdown of several of the traditions that take place during the two weeks of celebrations, our Current Affairs Editor, Rosie, attempts to scratch the surface of this globally renowned and vibrant festival. Fireworks, superstitions, dancing dragons, and lanterns: what do they all mean? Today marks the final day of the Lunar New Year, the most important festival of the year for Chinese people all over the world. Also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, this year’s events commenced on Tuesday 1st February, as determined by the lunar calendar. Particularly special to this year’s celebrations was that some Chinese citizens, for the first time in 2 years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, were able to travel again to be with family. The statistics, however, highlight that this was by no means the case for everyone; China’s Ministry of Transportation predicted 1.18 billion trips to be made during this period, which, although is a 35% increase from 2020’s figures, it is nowhere near to the 3 billion trips recorded in 2019. The presence of Covid-19 and China’s zero-Covid approach meant that many local provinces were under strict lockdowns, not permitting any travel. Similarly, the possibility of quarantining was a further deterrent, preventing many from taking day-long train journeys or flights out of cities into rural areas. Since this mass travel would, undoubtedly, increase the spread of the virus, some regional governments invoked incentives in order to persuade locals to stay in cities. For example, the government of Dongguan, an industrial city home to many economic migrants, announced that it would reward each non-local employee with a digital voucher worth 500 yuan (approximately £58) if they were to stay in the city during the New Year. Nonetheless, Covid-19 could dampen not the spirit and celebrations of this festival. As is tradition, cities were decorated by lanterns and banners in vibrant red, China’s notorious colour representing luck, joy and happiness. Firework displays and firecrackers, too, filled the sky - an age-old practice thought to scare away evil spirits with the loud explosions. During the two week festival, each day comes with its own unique customs. Day 3, for example, is known as ‘Day of the Red Mouth’. It is thought that arguments are more prone on this day, so those celebrating will tend to not go outside and keep away from social interactions. Day 6, on the other hand, known as ‘Horse’s Day’, is when people throw away the rubbish that has built up during the festival. This is believed to drive away the Ghost of Poverty and ultimately reflect one of the principal aims of Chinese New Year – to welcome in a fresh, hopeful and prosperous new year. The celebrations continue for two weeks later until the day of the Lantern Festival, taking place on day 15. This day honours deceased ancestors, marking the full moon of the new lunar year and signifying the end of the Spring Festival. Streets are packed with colourful lanterns, dancing dragon parades, and the traditional snack, ‘tangyuan’, is consumed, a glutinous rice ball filled with red bean paste. This year, it is the year of the tiger. Based on a 12-year cycle, the Chinese zodiac alternates each year between animals. The tiger is known to symbolise bravery, competitiveness and confidence. Thought by many to be the king of all beasts, the tiger is a powerful and resilient zodiac and very appropriate indeed for the strength needed nowadays to continue to battle through Covid-19. One professor from the University of San Francisco commented that the Year of the Tiger relates to new beginnings, linking in nicely with the hope for recovery from the past few years. Whatever your zodiac, the Chinese New Year is a time for celebrating family (even if it is through Zoom!), and for seeing in the New Lunar year with festivities. I personally chose to treat myself to a bamboo steamer and make bao buns with sticky pork belly ! About the Author As a keen Spanish and Chinese linguist, I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to share contemporary and engaging stories with readers. I love discovering surprising news stories that don’t always reach the headlines and finding a way to present them in a digestible and relevant fashion. Rosie spent her year abroad in Barcelona and Taiwan. You can read about her incredible experiences here on Lingo Mag! Rosie was our 2022/23 Current Affairs Editor. Lunar New Year in a Covid-19 world Rosie Loyd Misinformation vs Disinformation – what’s the difference? Rosie Loyd Copyright free images via Unsplash. For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: Rosie Loyd China Lunar New Year Covid-19 Traditions Categories: Cultural News Global Affairs Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! Barbara Dawson average rating is 3 out of 5 Lovely tasty dish. Try it you won’t be disappointed. Time Published Aunty Liz average rating is 3 out of 5 Very tasty and cheap. I often have this for tea! Time Published BETTS average rating is 3 out of 5 Being a bilingual family (French mother and British father,) living in France I thought your article was extremely interesting . Have you research on bilingualism ? It seems that when the mother is British and the father French and they both live in France their children seem to be more bilingual than when the mother is French and the father is British . This is what we called mother tongue , isn't it ? Time Published Niamh average rating is 3 out of 5 Such an interesting article! Time Published LOAD MORE

English and French < Back Holly Cromwell Holly was our 2023/24 Culture Editor. An English and French student, Holly is interested in languages and cultures, with a particular interest in film. For her, writing for Lingo is a way to enjoy this further and be a bit more purposeful with her interests, find and share new things! Latest Articles by this Author Students Protest the (Western) World Over 25/05/24 My Journey with Language Learning 13/02/24 Finding the Light: Reviewing a Beeston Film Festival Variety Pack 27/04/24 Ladies Lounge: The Story of One Man’s Entitlement and Why That’s The Point 18/04/24 Mental Health Awareness Week: What's Going on at UoN? 14/03/24

About What makes Lingo 'Lingo'? Lingo Magazine is said to have been officially established in 2022, but the publication was first thought of in 2021 over drinks and tales abroad. Now, with six print issues and counting, Lingo is the University of Nottingham's language and culture magazine with multiple accolades throughout its brief history. The publication aims to represent the opinions and narratives of writers regardless of background. The first issue, with no theme, travelled across the globe to light-heartedly us the origins of Tapas and an unforgettable experience in Zurich thanks to dating apps. But issues also highlighted prejudice and indifference towards deforestation and cultural appropriation. What were euro-centric travel anecdotes became streams of articles challenging narratives that we passively consume in mainstream media. Awards Winner of the Student Publication Association Regional Award for Best Digital Media 2024 and 2025. Highly Commended for Best Print Design 2025.

24 Hours as an English Student in Paris: A Survival Guide Kit Sinclair Thursday, 3 March 2022 Kit gives us a tongue-in-cheek account of the typical day in the life of an Erasmus student in Paris. Read on to follow her day around the French capital! “‘Paris syndrome’ (n.) - a sense of disappointment exhibited by some individuals when visiting Paris, who feel that the city was not what they had expected.” To help you avoid this unfortunate affliction, our writer clues you in to some of the realities of Parisian living. 10:00 Wake up to the dulcet tones of your alarm. Luckily, class doesn’t start until noon. 10:30 Croissant for breakfast! You thought ahead yesterday and grabbed a pastry on your way home: not quite as soft and tasty as if you’d bought it on the same day, but still excellent. Next, it’s time for a shower - try not to flood your entire apartment this time. 11:30 You’ve established through trial and error that the commute to university takes half an hour. This is not quite as cushy as some of your fellow students who live a 10 minute walk away, but better than those who live on the wrong side of the périphérique (the ring road that encircles the city). 11:40 Time to battle your way through the métro station. Tap your Navigo card on the turnstiles and look disparagingly at the tourists using their paper tickets - you’re a proper Parisian. This sense of superiority is the only highlight of your commute. 12:00 Made it on time to class! Today you’re studying Hamlet ( en français , of course). French university classes are 3 hours long, so get as comfortable as you can at your desk. 13:30 Halfway through and you get a 10 minute break, hallelujah! The entire class, including the lecturer, swarms to the coffee machines and picks up an espresso for 50 cents. This is the best deal you have found in the entire city, so follow their lead and grab one for yourself. 15:00 Class is over! Your French classmates invite you to hang out with them afterwards. Everyone smokes here, so expect them to offer you a cigarette. Next follows a spirited debate about the ethics of capitalism. This is a conversation you’d have difficulty with in English, let alone French, so just nod along politely. Ah, la France. 16:00 You want to fit in some culture before dinner, so you brave Châtelet (one of the biggest underground stations in the world) and make a quick visit to the Pompidou. As a visa holder, you can still benefit from the free entry for 16-25 year olds. Take the escalators to the top floor and admire the view over the city - you have yet to get tired of staring at the Sacre Coeur or the Eiffel Tower. 19:00 Meet a friend for dinner at a nearby crêperie . You both opt for the very affordable set menu, which offers a galette , a crêpe and a glass of cidre for €12. Unfortunately, there’s glass in your salad. Try not to swallow it. 20:00 Move on to the popular nearby bar Café Vigouroux for some drinks. The ubiquitous happy hour lasts from 4pm-midnight, and you wonder if anyone has ever bought a full price drink. Cocktails here come in pints, and at such reasonable prices, how could you refuse? 00:30 Realise you should probably get home before the métro closes for the night. In your tipsy haze you have forgotten that there are 7 flights of spiral stairs back up to your flat, and no lift. Merde. About the Author Kit studied French and Beginner’s Spanish. She spent the first half of her Year Abroad in Paris, so is well versed in the trials and tribulations of life in the famous French capital. During the second half of her year abroad Kit travelled to Cuba and studied at university for 5 months. Kit was our 2022/23 Language & Linguistics Editor. Barcelona’s Hidden Gems: Live like a local and escape the tourists Mhairi MacLeod 24 Hours as an English Student in Paris: A Survival Guide Kit Sinclair YEAR ABROAD TALES: Does Distance Make the Heart Grow Fonder? Francesca Wren Copyright free images via Unsplash. For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: Living Abroad France Paris Kit Sinclair Humour Categories: Travel Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! LOAD MORE

Impoliteness in Online Gaming: A Linguistic Analysis Kathrin Loithaler Monday, 4 November 2024 Have you ever had the delightful experience of joining a discord-voice chat full of guys as an innocent girl just wanting to play some League of Legends? Maybe not, but I certainly have, and as a result of my culture shock, I have made some observations on the language used within this specific environment. Content warning: Discussion of insults relating to self-harm, suicide and violence. There are a couple of things that separate online gaming spaces from the real world. For one, the presumed anonymity leads to lessened pressure in upholding social norms . This also has an effect on politeness: the need to be polite in communication isn’t as prevalent as it is in face-to-face interaction. Our self-image, or, following Goffman’s linguistic theory, the ‘ face’ , has two basic needs in interpersonal communication: (1) the positive face, which strives for validation from others and (2) the negative face, which strives for freedom of inhibitions by others. Both faces can either be catered to or attacked by face-flattering actions or face-threatening actions respectively. The positive face can, for example, be flattered by praise or compliments, and threatened by insults of personality. The negative face can be flattered by consideration of the other’s space and time, for example, through the use of politeness particles like ‘ please’ when asking for something, or threatened by direct commands , like the use of the imperative. In my search to find out more about specific patterns in impoliteness, I turned to online gaming spaces as the perfect environment to observe ‘unfiltered’ impoliteness. So – what better game to find out about impoliteness than League of Legends (LoL)? Renowned among the gaming community as the most toxic game there is , I went on a mission to find out how exactly insults in LoL present themselves linguistically and how often they occur in the selected LoL games. The data looked promising, especially after a few particularly tilted* players unleashed their wrath upon their poor teammates. Here are some of the recurring patterns in the insults in my dataset: Firstly, the use of animal denominators for players seemed to be very common. Everything from the simple ‘dogs’ to ‘brainless apes’ to ‘u fat low iq pig’ was used to insult teammates. The use of animal insults positions the insulting player as biologically and therefore presumably intellectually above the victim. This secures the insulting player a position of superiority, intellect and power by threatening the ‘ face’ of the hearer. A more extreme version of an insult would be the life-threatening insults that occurred in 40% of the games I analysed. After all, most people would rather be a ‘fat low iq pig’ than, well, dead. Insults ranged from ‘end ur life bro’ or the shortened ‘kys’ (k*ll yourself), to more elaborate descriptions like ‘wastes of oxygen’ or the simple command ‘SHOOT URSELF IN THE HEAD’. Even more cruel than animal pejoratives, these insults target the most precious thing each one of us has: our lives. Due to the lack of spatial closeness among the players, insults related to self-harm are used much more often than direct threats of violence in comparison to real-world spaces. This signifies a lack of power that the insulter has over the target of their aggression, which is compensated for by the most power-asserting linguistic structure there is: the imperative. The command to end one’s own life is the closest LoL players can get to men punching each other at a bar after spit-shouting ‘what u lookin at me like that?’. In total, the insult culture of League of Legends is an interesting space to analyse power dynamics and relationships. Sometimes, it can bring out the most creative of insults to avoid chat restrictions and player bans, resulting in strategies of impoliteness that are definitely worth further study. So maybe, all you bisexual black cat girlfriends should check out your nerdy golden retriever boyfriends’ Discord servers before fully committing to that new relationship? [*State of intense frustration and anger, exacerbated by negative in-game experiences, resulting in poor in-game decision-making and a decline in performance.] Note on sources: The data discussed in the article is based on a university research paper by Kathrin Loithaler, titled “Von Beleidigungen bis zum Bann: Sprachliche Aggression, die Umsetzung von Unhöflichkeitsstrategien und Chatbann-Vermeidung im Spielerchat von League of Legends”. About the Author I fell in love with language and reading early on in my life, and this passion has carried on during my language studies at university. Besides reading and writing poetry, I also love doing sports, especially ballet, yoga and figure skating. I also really enjoy travelling and exploring new countries... my dream destination is Antarctica. I am really grateful to have the opportunity to explore journalistic writing with Lingo Mag, as it covers all the things I'm interested in! Images provided by and credited to Kathrin Loithaler For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: Culture Clash Language Gaming Culture Gaming language Categories: I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! Barbara Dawson average rating is 3 out of 5 Lovely tasty dish. Try it you won’t be disappointed. Time Published Aunty Liz average rating is 3 out of 5 Very tasty and cheap. I often have this for tea! Time Published BETTS average rating is 3 out of 5 Being a bilingual family (French mother and British father,) living in France I thought your article was extremely interesting . Have you research on bilingualism ? It seems that when the mother is British and the father French and they both live in France their children seem to be more bilingual than when the mother is French and the father is British . This is what we called mother tongue , isn't it ? Time Published Niamh average rating is 3 out of 5 Such an interesting article! Time Published LOAD MORE

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