Please note: These links were valid
when this page was posted. However the Web is very volatile, and TKI
has no control over outside websites. Please let us know if you find
a broken link or if you have an update for a link. Te Kete Ipurangi
recommends that teachers view all websites we link to before using them
with students.
The Hot Topic this week looks at New Zealand English, English's evolution,
new (and old) words assimilated from around the world, and the effect
of dialect and accent on social status.
The topic is relevant to the Language and Languages,
and Social Sciences learning areas. The strand "Oral Language
- listening and speaking" addresses the features of spoken New Zealand
English. The Social Studies strand "culture and heritage" includes
the social importance of language types.
Note: The very nature of slang means that some of the words in the
following listed sites may not be appropriate for unsupervised work
with students. It is recommended that teachers review the sites carefully
prior to using them.
English Online's "New Zealand English" unit plan asks students to write
a report on an aspect of the development of New Zealand words and usages.
The unit plan assesses transactional writing, close reading and exploring
language.
The New Zealand Association for the Teaching of English has similar resources and links
to linguistic sites.
A neologism is a newly invented word or term, or an older word or term
with a new meaning.
The [Melbourne] Age reports that Australian children are reluctant
to use traditional Aussie slang, preferring new words from American-based
"World English".
Publishers Random House have selected some of the more familiar
words to have entered English since the 1940s, revealing "a great
deal about the changes that occurred in the world during the past sixty
years".
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Words borrowed from
other languages |
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Washington and Lee University lists 123 Yiddish
words found in the Oxford English Dictionary.
The publishers of the Merriam Webster dictionary take "A Brief Look at the
History of English".
Regional and international dialects and differences
The University of Wolverhampton's "Notes
on American English" explores the differences between British and
American English.
"Regional Dialects
in the United States", from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's
Language in the US web site, includes some audio samples.
The Phonological Atlas of North America, from the University
of Pennsylvania, has more technical information.
Etymology is the study of the origins of words and how sounds and spellings
have evolved over time.
"Rome's Influence", a classroom activity from the Discovery
Channel's DiscoverySchool.com, emphasises
the influence of ancient Rome on the modern English vocabulary.
If you know exactly what you're after, the 
