Maryann Torreson

Whether you’re staunchly anti-swearing, like George Washington, or unapologetically foul-mouthed, like Mel Brooks, you can’t deny that curse words are a significant part of human communication. So let’s put our knee-jerk reactions aside, don our lab coats and look at the phenomenon of swear words with calm, scientific detachment.

“The foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing is a vice so mean and low that every person of sense and character detests and despises it.” — George Washington

“I’ve been accused of vulgarity. I say that’s bullshit.” — Mel Brooks

Be warned: This article features enough curse words to merit an R rating. Hey, you can’t make an omelette without cracking some goddamn eggs!

What Makes Curse Words Bad?

“Dirty” Words

For a word to qualify as a swear word it must have the potential to offend — crossing a cultural line into taboo territory. As a general rule, swear words originate from taboo subjects. This is pretty logical. The topic is off-limits, so the related words aren’t meant to be spoken either. Certain topics are almost universally taboo — death, disease, excrement — you know, icky stuff. Sex is another classic taboo, as the English “fuck,” Italian fanculo and Russian блядь illustrate.

But preferred themes for profanity can also reflect differences among cultures. Germans are pretty relaxed about sex and nudity, so they rarely use sexually-themed curse words. These words are uttered so rarely that they still have the power to make people cringe. As a result, ficken sounds way dirtier and meaner to most German speakers than the word “fuck” sounds to most English speakers. German swearing parlance keeps things down-to-earth and poop-oriented with Kacke!, Mist! and the world-famous Scheiße! — which is used so often that it’s become as harmless as “darn it.”

Context

But subject matter isn’t the only criteria for curse words: context also plays a big role. Sex might be a taboo subject, but not in a gynecologist’s office. Try insulting someone using medical terms, and your victim will probably just be confused: “Did you just call me a reproductive organ head?” Among friends, you might curse quite casually and jokingly, but the same words would come across as terribly insulting during a job interview.

Blasphemy

High and holy things taken out of context create another category of curse words: blasphemy. For example, “God,” “hell” and “Jesus Christ” are inoffensive in the context of a sermon, but can be cutting when shouted in anger. So-called “liturgical swearing” is taken to rarified heights by French Canadians. A properly angry Quebecer can unleash a real scorcher like, Criss de calice de tabarnak d’osti de sacrament!, which translates literally to “Christ of the chalice of the tabernacle of the host of the sacrament!” This might sound tame in English, but it’s the French-Canadian equivalent of a hail of F-bombs.

The Power Of #&@%!

Like antibiotics, curse words can lose their power with overuse. Cable TV liberally douses American living rooms with as many “goddamns,” “shits,” “cocksuckers” and “motherfuckers” as Tony Soprano and Al Swearengen can string together. So, did those words make you cringe, or have you been watching too much TV?

It’s hard to say whether the increase of cursing on TV reflected an increase in cursing among average Americans, or whether TV “corrupted” how Americans speak. Regardless, the result is the same: more Americans are becoming inoculated against these words — perhaps even to the point of immunity. Taboos change, and so swearing must too.

Some taboos disappear — “damn” doesn’t carry the fire and brimstone heft of damnation that it once did — while social changes can bring about new taboos. Before the civil rights movement in the United States, derogatory epithets describing one’s race, creed or sexual orientation were used by all sorts of regular folks who didn’t consider for a second that they were being prejudiced. Today, these words are most certainly taboo. But negative epithets aren’t always pulled out of circulation. They can take 180º turns when they are reappropriated within marginalized groups: the “N-word” is an obvious example, but less charged examples include “queer” or even “nerd.”

Why Do We Swear?

“Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer.” —Mark Twain

1. Catharsis

Most of the time, swearing is an emotive reaction. When we’re frustrated, surprised or angry, cursing offers an emotional release. Experiments have even shown that swearing increases the body’s ability to endure pain. To test this, researchers at Keele University in the UK had volunteers hold their hand in icy water for as long as they could stand it. They found that participants were able to hold their hand there for 40 seconds longer, on average, when they repeated a swear word, and they also attested to a lower level of perceived pain when doing so.

2. Insult, Abuse & Exclusion

Curse words are not needed to insult someone — a simple “you’re ugly” usually gets the point across — but they do crank up the mean factor. They also act as rage concentrate: why explain to your neighbor that you hate him when “fuck you” puts that gosh darn son-of-a-gun in his place with only two words?

Please note: if you curse at people who can’t hear you (commuters in their cars, athletes on TV), you’re just letting off steam, which belongs to the previous category.

3. Group Solidarity

Among friends, swearing has a crucial social function: sharing a lexicon of words and breaking societal taboos is a form of bonding. Ritual insults among friends are not abusive, but actually a sign of belonging to the group. In this context, fuckface, dickhead, bitch and asshole can all be terms of endearment. People tend to curse more in same-sex groups of peers and when the atmosphere is relaxed. People swear the least when things are really tense.

4. Style & Emphasis

As any stand-up comedian can tell you, swear words are powerful tools. More often than not, a well-placed “fuck!” is the alchemical ingredient that turns lead into comedy gold. You can’t make a statement any more emphatic than by dropping an F-bomb where a more timid and prudent soul would use a boring old adverb. Swear words add emotion and urgency to otherwise neutral sentences.

Why Do Curse Words Capture Our Attention?

As far as your brain is concerned, swear words aren’t even words — they are concentrated lumps of emotion. They are even stored in a completely different part of the brain from every other word we know! Formal language is stored in the Broca and Wernicke areas in the brain. Curse words, however, are stored in the limbic system — a complex system of neural networks that control emotions and drives.

This is why one patient who suffered from severe aphasia (damage to the language center in his brain after a stroke) could still say “well,” “yeah,” “yes,” “no,” “goddammit” and “shit” — even though he had otherwise lost all faculties of speech. He could even produce these words in the appropriate context, but when asked by researchers to read them off a page, he was unable to do so.

This neurological insight helps explain why every effort to eradicate swearing throughout history has failed. Banning words that are actually linked to emotions is just as impossible as banning the emotions themselves. Knowing human nature — that will never fucking work.

The post The Science of Curse Words: Why The &@$! Do We Swear? appeared first on Babbel.

Have you ever wondered how much of the media you consume is factual? With so much of our time taken up by different forms of media, we need to make sure that we are consuming it wisely. 

In this article, we will explore what media literacy is, what makes it so important and ways you can become more informed about media literacy. We will also take a look at the impact of media literacy and some media literacy skills.

What is media literacy?

For those of you who haven’t heard of this term before, it may seem a little confusing. Perhaps you know what ‘media’ and ‘literacy’ mean but haven’t heard them used together before. Before we can understand the term, we need to understand the meaning of media and literacy separately. 

What is media? 

Media is a broad term, and encompasses many different forms. Media is any communication outlet used to distribute information, entertainment and data. Essentially, media is the method by which messages are distributed to an audience. 

When referred to as ‘mass media’ this is in relation to forms of media that can reach mass audiences in a short amount of time (such as newspapers and television). Let’s take a look at some other commonly used media: 

Social media (this includes platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We use these to distribute content amongst our connections on these platforms)

Film

Radio 

Video games 

Books

Artificial intelligence devices

What is literacy?

We can define literacy as the ability to identify, interpret, understand and communicate. Literacy skills include the ability to read, write, speak and listen effectively.

So, how do these two words tie together? Media literacy is the ability to understand information that is presented to us and respond appropriately. We need to make a conscious effort to understand how all forms of media are created and consumed. We’ll discuss why this is so important later in the article. 

The University of Newcastle Australia Understanding Media: Introduction to Media Literacy and Representation

University of Michigan Disinformation, Misinformation, and Fake News Teach-Out

The University of Sheffield Making Sense of Data in the Media

The impact of media literacy

Whether it’s scrolling through Instagram or soaking in the daily newspaper, we are surrounded by various forms of media on a daily basis. Media is how we stay entertained, connected and informed, so it has a huge impact on our lives.

With subscription services such as Netflix and smartphones rising in popularity, media has never been so easily accessible. Statistics show that Americans spend an average of 473 minutes each day consuming media. 

What’s more, is that the average daily social media usage worldwide is 145 minutes per day. Young people, in particular, tend to spend large amounts of time browsing social media apps each day. This can be incredibly dangerous for young minds, as we’ll discuss shortly. 

Many of us shape our opinions based on media, stay connected with friends and family via media, and educate ourselves using media. There’s no doubt that the media influences our lives in many different ways. 

Media messages vs media effects

As we discuss media literacy, it’s important to distinguish between two central concepts; media messages and media effects: 

Media messages 

This is the underlying message and intention of all media that is distributed. Media messages usually aim to entertain, persuade or educate. It’s possible for a media message to have multiple intentions, such as an entertaining yet persuasive advertisement, for example.

To put it simply, media is created to serve a purpose. Media messages are the intended information that creators wish to convey to push their goals, whatever that may be. 

Media effects 

On the other hand, media effect is a measurable effect that occurs as a result of media messages. The type of effect and level of effect is dependent on the media message itself, and the audience it is broadcasted to. 

Mass media can impact an audience’s thoughts, attitudes, and behavior, often playing part in shaping modern culture. Such effects can also reinforce existing beliefs, whether for good or ill. The media we consume also has the potential to evoke important changes – big or small. 

Why media literacy is important

Despite many positives, there are many risks and issues within the world of media. Without cautiousness and care, these risks can make media consumption potentially problematic. Media literacy allows us to question the intent of media and protect ourselves from any negative impacts of media. 

So, what are some of the negative aspects of media consumed without media literacy? 

Fake news

Thanks to the power of the internet, we are all able to share information with the world. We can share information on social media, email, or even update open-source websites such as Wikipedia. With so much free reign on sharing information, it’s inevitable that not all of it can be considered trustworthy. 

Fake news and disinformation has become widespread in the internet age, so it’s important to be able to differentiate between fake news and real news. The media we consume shapes our opinions on many different important topics – including politics, healthcare, and current events.

The last thing we want is to base such important opinions on lies and misinformation. Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook allow rapid sharing of information, which gives news a chance to spread quickly, often making the fake news seem believable. 

Not all fake news is distributed with ill intent; there is a landscape of both intentional and unintentional misinformation. If you’re keen to build on your skills to spot fake news in the media, check out our Disinformation, misinformation and fake news teach-out course. 

Media bias

As we explored in our understanding media bias blog post, media bias is an ongoing issue within the media industry. Media bias is the biased opinions of news distributors when selecting which stories and events get covered and broadcasted. 

This is an extremely important issue to tackle; without the knowledge of media literacy, people could completely miss or misinterpret the huge events that are happening due to media bias. Journalists and news producers often paint situations in a light that favours one side of the story. 

We need to be able to form our own opinions and views on situations. Media bias can lead to consumers not getting a full understanding of scenarios and topics, and affect our opinions massively. This is why media literacy is important; it allows us to think critically about the information we take in. 

You can find out more about how data is used and manipulated in the media with our course from The University of Sheffield. 

Mental health concerns

Sadly, a lot of the media available today poses a threat to the mental health of young individuals. Studies have shown a link between heavy social media use and anxiety and depression, for example. 

Along with the risk of bullying and harassment online, there is also the pressure of comparing yourself to everyone else on social media platforms. Influencers are now prominent over all social media platforms, painting a picture of what you should look like or should be doing.

However, as with a lot of things online, these posts are not always truthful. These photos do not portray every aspect of people’s lives and tend to only highlight the luxuries. Often, they’re sponsored or highly curated content with the intention of selling or promoting a certain brand or product. 

Younger audiences, in particular, may not understand the full extent of these posts and compare themselves to what seems like an ideal life. Critical thinking skills are essential for viewing such content objectively. 

The ability to differentiate between worthwhile content on social media could be the difference between a positive or a negative social media experience. By developing social media literacy skills, we can help work towards a future where no one feels socially isolated. 

Internet and media access

Another thing to consider is access to media and the internet. For many of us, having a strong wifi connection and the technology to access the internet does not seem like a luxury. However, there are many people who do not have such a privilege.

Those who are not fortunate enough to have easy access to online platforms may not be as accustomed to news formats and information online. When exposed to media they may struggle to differentiate fake information from real information, so it’s important to educate everyone on the topic of media literacy.   

Media literacy skills

To ensure you are safely consuming media, you can pick up some key media literacy skills and start your journey to being media literate. Let’s look at some helpful skills to get you started: 

Analyse and evaluate media content 

We are living in an era with a vast library of information available to us. In order to pick what media we consume, it’s best to first analyse the information in a media literate manner. When analysing a piece of media, you should take note of the relevance, accuracy, bias and reliability of the content. 

This skill is referred to as media analysis and encompasses all research involved in critiquing a piece of media. By analysing content, you can determine what the purpose of the content is and the potential impact that media may have. Media literacy is very closely tied with critical thinking – it’s an essential skill to unpick media content. 

Create content 

As we’ve mentioned throughout this article, it is easy for us to produce media on the internet ourselves. Some of the ways we can contribute to the world of media are via blog posts, YouTube videos, podcasts and even social media posts. 

With a strong understanding of media literacy, you’ll be able to create online content with good intentions and add to the wealth of helpful media available online. You could even use media outlets to try and educate others on why media literacy is important. By creating your own media, you’ll develop your media literacy skills along the way.

Act based on your knowledge

The ability to act on your knowledge of media literacy is a very important media literacy skill. Making a change in your life based on a very reliable source of media is acting on your media literacy knowledge.

For example, if a reliable source shares information about a world issue and you commit to volunteering to help aid that cause – that’s acting on your media literacy knowledge.

Similarly, you may want to get involved in various areas of the media. Our ExpertTrack How to be a Journalist in a Social Media and Digital Age gives you the skills to produce and consume high-quality news. 

How to become media literate 

We now know that we shouldn’t believe everything we see and read in the media. But how do we know what to trust? Let’s look at some ways you can become media literate. 

Educate yourself on media literacy

You’re already one step ahead by taking the time to read this article. But you can never have enough knowledge, and a great way to develop your skills is to carry on learning. There are plenty of resources available online to help you on your media literacy journey. 

A great place to start is by taking our Introduction to media literacy and representation course. 

Practice your skills

Considering the amount of media we are exposed to each day, it’s near impossible to analyse every single piece of media in great depth. However, the more you practice your media literacy skills, the better you’ll be at analysing and evaluating media. 

Our course on digital skills for work and life can help you develop the skills to thrive in the digital world of work.

As you work on these skills, your critical eye for the media and cautiousness around what you consume will become a habit and you’ll be able to consume content in a healthier manner. 

Question the media you consume

You should make a conscious effort to assess the media you consume. You can do this by asking yourself some key questions about the media you come across. By doing so, you can find out the intent of what you consume and determine whether or not it is worth consuming. 

Here are some things you could ask yourself: 

What is the purpose of this content?

Who is it geared towards, is it targeted to a specific audience?

How could this be interpreted by different audiences? 

Has this information come from a reliable source?

What, if any, information has been left out? 

The future of media literacy 

By now, you should be able to tell that being media literate is a great skill to have. So, what does the future hold for media literacy as a whole?

Media is continually growing and advancing, so there’s a lot to keep up with. Platforms such as artificial intelligence devices and virtual reality headsets are now commonly owned in households despite being relatively new. The way you approach media will depend on the way that it is presented, so new media presents new opportunities and risks.

Algorithmic literacy 

This new concept stems from the algorithms that websites and applications use to provide you with media that is specific to you. A lot of the content that is presented to you online is shown to you based on previous activities and habits. 

Algorithmic literacy is the ability to understand that these things are shown to you based on algorithms. It’s important to understand that you may not be receiving the full information available on a topic if it is personally targeted towards you; you may only be shown what algorithms determine is relevant to you. 

As algorithms grow stronger and manage to target you with even more specific content and ads, we can expect algorithm literacy to become more important in the future. 

Samsung Designing for a Future Where No One Feels Socially Isolated

University of Michigan Mindware: Critical Thinking for the Information Age

University of Leeds How to Create Great Online Content

Final thoughts

With so much information and media consumed on a daily basis, media literacy is more important now than ever before. We hope that this article has broadened your knowledge on media literacy, and prepared you to critically evaluate any media you come across in the future. 

If you’d like to learn more about how the media affects us, check out our Introduction to media literacy and representation course. 

  The post What is media literacy and why does it matter? appeared first on FutureLearn.

The relationship between humans and death is complicated. Some of our oldest rituals were created for burying the dead. And while every culture must deal with death, each one treats it slightly differently. In many parts of the western world today, a death is an unfortunate circumstance that is, for the most part, not talked about. In other parts, however, death is more candidly confronted. Nowhere is this clearer than in the festivals of the dead.

A festival of the dead is different depending on where it’s done, so the loosest definition is that it’s a time set aside each year to honor ancestors. Halloween is technically a festival of the dead — or at least it comes from one — but it’s become more about candy and horror than honoring anyone. Exploring the various celebrations around the world, you can see how different cultures deal with the inevitability of death.

United Kingdom

Names: Halloween, Samhain, Allantide (Cornwall), Calan Gaeaf (Wales), Hop-tu-Naa (Isle of Man)

Once a Pagan holiday, Christianity modified the festival of Samhain by merging it with All Saint’s Day and rebranding it as All Hallows’ Day, Hallowmas, Feast of All Saints or Solemnity of All Saints. The evening prior became known as All Hallows’ Eve and was the Catholic day to reflect on the realities of hell and to mourn the souls lost to evil.

Traditionally the Celts would wear ghostly disguises as a way to trick roaming malevolent spirits, and what we know today as trick-or-treating or guising used to be called souling or mumming. On All Souls’ Eve, the poor in Scotland and Northern Ireland would beg the rich for a pastry known as Soul Cake. Families would later share the cake, light candles and join in on prayer and songs.

In parts of the country near Somerset, children carve punkies, which were large beetroots. Carrying their creations, the children visit homes singing the “Punkie Night Song” and would offer prayers in return for cake or money. You can see parts of these traditions in the carved pumpkins of North America (chosen because pumpkins are indigenous to the continent).

Derry, Northern Ireland, hosts the United Kingdom’s largest Halloween celebration, complete with street carnivals, bonfires, firework displays and a hearty dinner of Colcannon (cabbage and mashed potato) and Barmbrack (fruit cake).

Mexico

Names: El Día de los Muertos, The Day of the Dead

One of the world’s most famous festivals, The Day of the Dead comes from a two-month-long Aztec festival of offering foods, alcohol, flowers and ceramics to the Goddess Mictecacihuatl, or “Lady of the Dead,” to celebrate the harvest and honor death. Today, Día de los Muertos is a blend of the Aztec festival and the Catholic traditions of the Spanish conquistadors.

From October 31 to November 2 each year, homes are awash with color and altars decorated with photographs, flowers, drinks and food. The flowers’ brief lifespan symbolize the brevity of life, while brightly colored bunting, streamers and tissue paper symbolize energy and joy. Beside altars, families leave a washbasin and soap for the dead to wash after their long journey, and light incense to guide them home. On the final day of the festival, relatives have a picnic at graves with tequila and a mariachi band.

Mexican street parades are some of the most invigorating and lively parties on the planet, but the parades are not actually part of the original tradition. Rather they are consequence mainly of famous fictional spy James Bond, specifically the Daniel Craig film Spectre. In the movie, Bond encounters a Day of the Dead parade that didn’t actually exist. Tourism officials in Mexico decided to adopt the parade, though. In these parades often a living person is carried in a coffin through the streets as vendors toss flowers and fruit into the casket.

China

Names: 盂蘭節, Yulan or Zhongyuan, The Hungry Ghost Festival

Taoist and Buddhist cultures celebrate their festival of the dead on the fifteenth night of the seventh month (Ghost Month). It’s believed that hell’s gates open and deceased spirits roam on earth for twenty-four-hours in search of food and comfort. These spirits are pretas — malevolent souls who are unburied or never received a ritual send-off after death. They have long needle-like necks, because their families had not left food at the grave. Alongside the pretas, there are friendly ghosts that also return. To please the kind spirits families burn joss paper and incense, prepare an elaborate meal, and keep seats empty at the table for the spirits.

Fourteen days after the festival, families set lotus-shaped lanterns afloat on rivers or the sea to guide the lost souls to the next life. When the lanterns go out, that’s a sign the dead have moved on.

Japan

Names: 于蘭盆會, Obon Festival, Matsuri or Urabon Festival

Sanskrit for “hanging upside down,” this Japanese festival is celebrated to ease the suffering of the dead. Obon begins on the 15th day of the seventh month, when dead ancestors return to the world of the living. Families prepare a feast, and as the sun sets, hang paper lanterns outside to guide the spirits home. On the last day of the festival, the lanterns are cast out to sea and huge bonfires are lit. The bonfires and lanterns lead the spirits back to the afterlife until next year.

In the ancient story of Maha Maudgalyayana (Mokuren), a disciple of the Buddha visits his deceased mother in the afterlife. Desperate to set her free from limbo between life and death, the disciple dances the Bon Odori and successfully helps his mother reach the next life. Today, Japanese families dance the Bon Odori to ensure their relatives pass on safely.

Nepal

Names:  गाई जात्रा, Gai Jatra, Cow Festival

The Festival of the Cow worships Yamaraj, the God with power over life and death. Celebrations take place on the first day of the dark fortnight, Gunla, in line with the lunar calendar (some time between August and September). Every family who had lost a relative in the past year walks through the streets leading a cow. The cow, being highly venerated in Hinduism, is believed to help the dead ascend to heaven. If a cow is unavailable for the family to walk down the streets with, a young boy in a cow costume is an adequate substitute.

The Gai Jatra parade originated when the son of King Pratap Malla of Nepal  died in 1674 CE. Desperate to make his distraught wife smile again, the king asked his people to dress in elaborate masks and tell jokes. The story goes that the people were able to make the queen smile once again. Today, costumes and colors remain central to Gai Jatra.

India

Names: पितृ पक्ष, Pitru Paksha, Fortnight of the Ancestors

Pitru Paksha is a sixteen-day Hindu festival of the dead that involves a lot of food. The festival falls on the second paksha of the lunar month, Bhadrapada (the first full moon in September), and lasts until the next new moon, Sarvapitri amavasya or Pitru Amavasya. The central ritual is the death rite, Shraddha or Tarpan. Some Hindus believe that for three generations the dead reside in Pitru-loka, a realm between heaven and earth, with Yama, God of the Dead. A son in the family of the dead must perform Shraddha to help his ancestor ascend to heaven. The son calls on his ancestor to reside inside a ring of kush grass, which he wears on his finger. If the ancestor is happy with his son’s performance, he will grant him health, wealth, knowledge, longevity and moksha (salvation).

This Indian festival feast must include Kheer (a sweet rice with milk), lapsi (a sweet porridge made of wheat grains), rice, dal, the vegetable guar (spring bean) and a yellow gourd.

Different cultures and people deal with death, and more specifically the returning of the dead in different ways. Having a party with lots of food, candles, and celebration seems to be common preference for many. Perhaps that’s what many of the zombie-horror flicks got wrong — they forgot to bring their dead some Pan de muerto!

The post Festivals Of The Dead Around The World appeared first on Babbel.

Should you, an American, ever happen to wash up on the shores of Australia, the first thing you should keep in mind is that people have smartphones there, so you probably don’t need to rely on animals to help you find your way. Even if you’re not totally sure how to speak Australian, standard English should work just fine while you’re still a newcomer to Aussie slang.

The second thing you should keep in mind is that while Americans and Australians both speak English, they don’t entirely speak the same language.

For one, Australians have a charming habit of abbreviating words, or giving everything a nickname, and giving nicknames to nicknames. For instance: “afternoon” becomes “arvo,” “breakfast” becomes “brekkie,” “mosquito” becomes “mozzie,” and your name would almost certainly have an “ie” tacked on at the end. As a matter of fact, it was Australia that gave us the word “selfie.” At the end of the day, you’re not using Australian slang, after all — you’re using Aussie slang.

Apparently, as legend would have it, these abbreviations were invented through necessity — more specifically, the need to clench your teeth to keep the blow flies from getting in your mouth. Many of these diminutives are just as long, if not longer, than the original words, so this probably isn’t entirely true. It’s an aesthetic, but also something more. The relaxed, informal nature of Aussie slang points to a deeper truth about the culture. Australian humor is about “taking the piss out of someone,” or ribbing them. To be Australian is to not take life — or yourself — too seriously, which makes the Australian brand of sarcasm occasionally difficult to detect for some overly earnest Americans.

“Australians are really dry and sarcastic, so half the stuff we say is a joke,” said Raj Barker, an Australian expat living in New York City. “Our humor is about putting people down, but in a joking way. That’s why Americans can sometimes get offended by us.”

Beyond its unpretentious candor, Aussie slang is also fairly crude, but who knew there were so many applications for the word “piss,” and what else would you expect from a language that’s here to take you down a few pegs?

Without further ado, here is a brief field guide to Australian English for your next journey to Oz. (Heads up — some of these terms are pretty vulgar.)

Aussie Slang You Need To Know

it’s pissing down — it’s raining

a bit dusty — hungover

what a pearler — what a beauty

ocker — someone who speaks crudely

chuck a U-ey — make a U-turn

chockers — full to the brim

she’ll be right — she’ll be okay

sweet as — good (as in: “How’s your day?” “Sweet as”)

yeah nah — no

nah yeah — yes

Sheila — a woman you admire and respect (as in: “She’s a top Sheila”)

cooked — tired, had enough

to have a face like a dropped pie — ugly

to have a face like a burnt thong (flip-flop) — ugly

to have a face like a smashed crab — ugly

going off like a frog in a sock — lively, hopping (as in: “This party’s going off like a frog in a sock”)

carrying on like a pork chop — being a dickhead

I’m not here to fuck spiders — I’m not here to fuck around

old mate — that guy

budgie smugglers — men’s swimming shorts

got the shits — pissed off

up at sparrow’s fart — up really early

bit how’s your father — it was okay (as in: “How was the movie?” “Eh, bit how’s your father”)

Bob’s your uncle — and there you have it

chuck a sickie — call out sick

dead-set mole — bitch

fang us a durry — give us a cigarette

bloody ripper — really awesome

I’ll be there in a tick — I’ll be there in a minute

died in the ass — broke (as in: “Ugh, my phone died in the ass”)

heaps — lots

have to get a wriggle on — have to be quick

he couldn’t swing a cat in there — it’s really crowded

bugger off — get lost

I was buggered — I was tired

you beauty — hell yeah

fair dinkum — for real/seriously?

it’s the duck’s nuts — it’s really good

she’s such a dag — she has no style

wanker — someone who’s pretentious or stuck up

get a dog up ya — get fucked

give something a red hot go — give it a real try

I’ve having a very shocker — I’m having a bad day

I’ve got to take the kids to the pool/I’ve got to drop the kids off — I have to take a dump

she’s such a sook — she’s such a sulker

wouldn’t piss on it if it was on fire — equivalent to the American “wouldn’t touch it with a 10-foot pole”

dunny/dunny can — toilet

on your bike — fuck off, move along (as in: “Watch where you’re going.” “On your bike!”)

I’m busting — I really have to go to the bathroom

piece of piss — really easy

be there in two shakes of a lamb’s tail — be there in no time

flaming galah — idiot (a galah is an Australian bird)

pash — passionate kiss

bog — a poop

I’m going to a piss up — I’m going to a party

first cab off the rank — first to do something

mole — essentially, this is a horrible thing to call someone

waffling on — talking a lot

get nicked — go away

yobbo — redneck

tucker — food

feeling crook — not feeling well

bulldust — bullshit

The post How To Speak Australian appeared first on Babbel.

As we explored in our recent World Teachers Day blog post, teachers are a completely essential part of our society, but teaching can be a difficult and stressful job at times. 

Particularly when working with children and teenagers, it can be hard to retain focus, manage behaviour, and encourage active participation. In addition, teaching adults can have its own challenges – it can be difficult for adult learners to absorb new things and change old thinking patterns.

One thing that may help you deal with some of these challenges is learning about the different teaching methods available. You don’t need to pick one method and stick to it, but you may find that certain methods and styles are perfect for different learning environments. 

For example, you might find that student-centred learning is perfect for KS2 children, and game-based learning works wonders for KS3. You may discover that using technology such as VR can elevate history and geography lessons, while experiential learning methods can be effective during science experiments and group projects. To find out more, read about our top 6 most effective learning methods below.

1. Online learning

Teaching online may not have been the norm for most teachers before the COVID-19 pandemic, but there have always been some teachers who prefer to work online. Online tutors often enjoy the freedom of working from home, choosing their working hours, and being their own boss.

But what exactly does teaching online consist of? Essentially, it’s the process of educating others using the internet, whether that’s through individual or group video calls, webinars, or messaging platforms. Normally it’ll be a combination of things to keep students engaged.

If you’re thinking about teaching online, or your current job requires you to teach online, you’ll need to be comfortable with technology and the internet. This is because all of your communication will be online, and you’ll need to create digital resources for your students. These resources might be presentations, lesson plans, worksheets, videos or audio lectures.

The great thing about online learning is that it’s accessible to many people. Not everyone is able to go to school, but more people have access to the internet. Of course, technology can be a barrier to education too, but as the years go by, this barrier is, fortunately, breaking down.

The best place to start if you want to learn how to be an excellent online teacher is our highly rated How To Teach Online: Providing Continuity for Students course. You’ll learn how to successfully move from face-to-face teaching to online teaching so that you and your students get the most out of learning.

University of Leeds Blended Learning Essentials for Vocational Education and Training

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National STEM Learning Centre Teaching Practical Science: Progress Student Learning Through Hands-On Science

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Tablet Academy Google for Education Fundamentals

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2. Experiential learning

If you haven’t heard of experiential learning before, it’s the idea that learning is a product of experience. If it sounds like something that you might be interested in, we have a whole article that explores how to apply experiential learning in the classroom and beyond.

We can only gain experience from interacting and engaging with the world and people around us. This learning theory comes from David Kolb’s experiential learning cycle, and considers the role of all our experiences in learning, from emotions and cognition, to our environment. 

Kolb’s 1984 theory suggests that there are four main stages in the learning cycle:

Concrete experience. This is when the learner has a new experience, such as riding a bike for the first time.

Reflective observation. After the concrete experience, the learner must reflect on their actions and watch others perform that action.

Abstract conceptualisation. The next step involves the learner making sense of their reflections and making a plan for going forward. They might come up with next steps and seek insight from experts.

Active experimentation. During the final stage, the learner will consider their reflections and previous lessons and then retry the original experience to see if any progress has been made. This will lead to a new concrete experience, and so the cycle restarts.

Experiential learning is a great teaching method because it encourages creativity, helps students learn from mistakes, fosters reflective thinking, and prepares students for future experiences. It can be effective for several subjects, especially during science experiments, sports coaching, and group projects. 

Some simple ways to encourage experiential learning in your classroom include encouraging students to assess themselves regularly and reflect on what they’ve learnt. As a teacher, you might want to record yourself teaching or keep feedback journals so that you can reflect on previous lessons. 

You can learn more about reflective practices in our open step by the British Council or delve into learning from experience in our open step by the University of South Wales.

3. Differentiation

Differentiated learning is a teaching method that tailors instructions to students depending on their individual needs. This method could be a great option if you’re teaching mixed-ability classes and want everyone to get the most out of each lesson. To become a pro at this teaching method, you can join our Differentiation for Learning course by STEM Learning.

This is a fairly traditional approach to teaching mixed-ability classes, but it can be successful if managed sensitively. For example, some teachers may choose to teach entirely different content depending on student ability. However, this can cause students to feel embarrassed and teachers to feel burned out from trying to do too much at once. 

On this note, it’s important for teachers to ensure that they create an inclusive classroom where students of all abilities are welcome, regardless of gender, race, sexuality or disability. Differentiated learning should never be used to make some students feel inferior to others.

A better way to approach differentiation is to teach in a variety of ways, including books, films, images, and verbal presentations. This gives different students the opportunity to get involved and understand the lesson content. You can even go further than that and offer differentiated class activities and assessment styles.

For example, if the class topic is a Shakespeare play, you could allow students to demonstrate their understanding in a number of ways. They could write an essay, give an oral presentation, create an illustration or comic, or play to any other strengths they have.

4. Blended learning

The next teaching method we’ll be exploring is blended learning. Essentially, blended learning is a combination of traditional face-to-face learning and technology-based learning. Although blended learning did exist before the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s become more popular with schools and universities in the two years. You can read all about it in our blended learning blog post.

Using a blended learning model can be great for both students and teachers because it forms a middle ground between traditional and technology-based methods. It uses enough technology to keep students focused and interested, but it also provides opportunities for students to talk in-person to teachers and fellow classmates, which can be invaluable. 

Some great examples of blended learning include:

Station rotation. Students rotate around different ‘stations’ during lessons, with these being a mixture of online and hands-on activities.

Flex learning. Students are in class with teachers, but they primarily use online learning methods. Teachers are there for support and instruction whenever needed.

Virtual Reality. Students are in a physical classroom but are able to use Virtual Reality (VR) to immerse themselves in an environment. This could be a historical landmark, art gallery, or natural wonder, with the aim of capturing their attention and furthering their learning.

Enriched virtual learning. Activities and coursework are completed online using digital technologies, but students can arrange face-to-face sessions when required.

It’s likely that blended learning models will become more predominant as time goes on and our physical and digital lives become increasingly interlinked. If you’re looking for a short course on the subject, you might be interested in our Blended and Online Learning Design course by UCL, or our Making Blended Education Work course by the University of Edinburgh and EMBED.

FutureLearn How To Teach Online: Providing Continuity for Students

National STEM Learning Centre Differentiation for Learning

University of Cape Town Education for All: Disability, Diversity and Inclusion

5. Game-based learning

If you want to focus on making your lessons more fun, engaging and interactive, then look no further. Game-based learning, also known as gamification,  is a great way to engage students, particularly those in primary and secondary education. 

The definition of gamification is a strategy that implements game-like elements into non-gaming activities to enhance motivation. Since children are very interested in games, from video games and mobile applications to simple playground and board games, this can be a great place to start.

As we explore in our blog post about gamification in education, playing video games has been linked to dopamine production. So, incorporating some ideas from video games into education can actually have positive effects on the mood of students, making them more determined to succeed.

However, it is worth mentioning that gamification shouldn’t necessarily be used in every context. Sometimes, lessons require more serious discussions. In addition, too much game-based learning is likely to remove some of the fun and increased motivation that children feel.

Here are some of the ways you can incorporate game-based learning into your lessons:

Points systems

Levels and progress bars

Challenges and competitions

Unique rewards

Learning badges

6. Student-centred learning

You can probably guess what this approach focuses on – your students. While the success and happiness of students is always a high priority for teachers, student-centred learning is different to more traditional teaching methods. 

Teacher-centred learning, which is more common, requires the teacher to give classroom instructions and lead the class for the majority of the time. With student-centred learning, students are given more opportunities to choose what they want to learn and how they want to learn it. This is also known as personalised learning.

In student-centred learning approaches, students are encouraged to take an active role in the classroom, rather than taking part in more passive activities like listening to a lecture or writing an essay. They will have lots of discussions with their peers and teachers, and they’ll also be encouraged to ask questions, which is linked to inquiry-based learning.

Some great examples of this kind of approach include students taking part in debates, small group projects, and fun roleplay scenarios together. As a teacher, it’s your job to be an excellent facilitator. You should encourage open communication, curiosity, creativity and exploration. At the end of a classroom activity, the teacher should urge students to reflect on what they’ve learnt.

British Council Teaching and Assessing Core Skills

The Open University The Online Educator: People and Pedagogy

The University of Kent Communicating Effectively with Vulnerable Children and Young People

Final thoughts

Hopefully, this list of effective teaching methods has given you some ideas to bring to the classroom. You’ll find further details on many of these topics, as well as many more, with our teaching courses. These can help you work on some of the skills that can improve your lesson planning and execution, benefiting you and your students.

The post 6 effective teaching methods and how to use them appeared first on FutureLearn.

There can be no denying that human activities are changing the climate of our planet. Multiple studies have concluded that anthropogenic (human-made) climate change is the culprit behind the climate-warming trend observed over the past century. The UN Climate Change Conference, known this year as COP26, aims to assess the progress being made to combat climate change. 

Here, we take a closer look at COP26, why it matters, the progress made so far, and whether the conference can truly make a difference. We’ll also highlight some of our environment and sustainability courses that can help you learn more about some key environmental issues. 

What is COP26?

First, let’s look at what COP26 actually means. You’ve likely heard and seen the term in the media recently, as there’s a lot of buzz about the upcoming event. So, what is it? 

COP26 is the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference. Also known as the Conference of the Parties (hence the title of COP), the summit aims to address some of the vital issues surrounding climate change. 

You can explore some of the global issues during COP26 and be part of the call for collective action with our Learning for a Sustainable Future: Live at COP26 course. 

When is COP26, and what is the schedule?

World leaders will converge in Glasgow, Scotland between 31 October and 12 November. The event, which was postponed during 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will see countries plan and negotiate over some of the most pressing matters relating to the climate. 

As well as these negotiations, there will also be exhibitions and multiple events around the city of Glasgow. There are a few important negotiation sessions taking place, including:    

Twenty-sixth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26)

Sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties – serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP16)

Third session of the Conference of the Parties – serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA3)

We’ll explore the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement in more detail further down. There will also be sessions and events dedicated to environmental issues linked to areas such as fashion, finance, education, and gender.

The University of Edinburgh Learning for a Sustainable Future: Live at COP26

Stockholm University Taking on the Climate Crisis with Social Change

University of Bergen Causes of Climate Change

Who will attend? 

It’s expected that delegates and representatives from over 200 countries, businesses, organisations and faith groups will attend COP26. The main players will be representatives of The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which totals 197 countries. 

Some of the most high-profile world leaders include: 

President Joe Biden from the United States

Prime Minister Boris Johnson from the UK 

Queen Elizabeth II from the UK 

President Emmanuel Macron from France

President Justin Trudeau from Canada 

Chancellor Angela Merkel from Germany  

There will be other well-known attendees, too, with the likes of climate activist Greta Thunberg and natural historian Sir David Attenborough planning on making an appearance. 

However, there are some notable absentees; President Xi Jinping from China and President Vladimir Putin from Russia won’t attend the conference. 

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and COP26

Above, we mentioned the UNFCCC – an international environmental treaty that was established to combat human impact on the Earth’s climate. The representatives from 165 countries signed the treaty at the ‘Earth Summit’ in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, and legislation came into force in 1994. 

As explored in our open step on COP21 in 2015, those signing the treaty agreed to a framework for action. This was aimed at stabilising atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) to avoid “dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.”

Since its inception, the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) has convened annually to assess how countries are implementing the UNFCCC framework. World leaders and representatives meet at these events to discuss, negotiate, and introduce new laws. 

Why does the Conference of the Parties matter? 

So, why is COP26 important? The Glasgow climate conference has already been featured in the news for months ahead of its start. Many are claiming that COP26 will be the world’s best last chance to control climate change. 

We’ve already explored issues around climate change and sustainability in other posts. We’ve explained how greenhouse gas emissions have already damaged the Earth’s climate, and that if left unchecked, our activities will push climate change beyond its tipping point. 

And, while it is possible for individuals to reduce their carbon footprint, action needs to happen on a global scale. Policymakers, governments, and organisations must act to tackle climate change. We are beyond the point where we can simply make changes to reduce our impact; as a species, we’re going to have to actively correct our mistakes. 

COP26 presents a chance for world leaders to assess the current landscape, reflect on whether previous pledges have been met, and introduce new and decisive actions to reduce emissions and control climate change.  

The Open University Climate Change and the Polar Regions: Tools for the Climate Crisis

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The Open University Tackling the Climate Crisis: Innovation from Cuba

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Except Integrated Sustainability Systems Thinking for Sustainability: Complex Systems Analysis

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Key moments so far 

Although the UN Climate Change Conference takes place annually (with the exception of 2020), there have been some notable milestones from previous COP events. We’ve mentioned two of these already; the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement: 

The Kyoto Protocol. The first agreement to come from the UNFCCC was the Kyoto Protocol. Although agreed upon in 1997 at COP3, it didn’t come into force until 2005, yet it set binding emission reduction targets for 36 industrialised countries and the European Union.

The Paris Agreement. At COP21 in 2015, representatives committed to limiting global temperature rises, limiting greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero between 2050 and 2100, and for wealthier countries to help poorer regions adapt to climate change and renewable energy. 

Although both of these agreements have had their flaws, it’s hoped that they can form the basis for tackling climate change going forward. Similarly, many people hope that the Glasgow climate conference of COP26 will produce even more robust global legislation. 

What are the COP26 themes? 

It’s worth taking a look at some of the themes and issues that will be discussed at COP26. These points are some of the most pressing ones related to climate change, and as well as the main negotiations, there are workshops and events related to these themes. 

Below, we’ve highlighted some of the interesting areas being covered in the COP26 schedule: 

Gender

The topic of gender may not be the first thing you think of when considering climate change. However, it’s one of the themes that is going to be fairly prominent across the events and workshops of COP26. 

As the UNFCCC explains on their website, women in poverty often face a greater risk and higher burden from the impacts of climate change. They’re also less likely to have equal participation in key decision-making processes and labour markets. 

There will be several events throughout COP26 that will discuss issues around gender and climate change.

Finance

Another key point of discussion is that of finance in relation to climate change. There will be workshops on issues such as financial systems for net-zero, responsible business conduct and climate action, and transformational economics. 

Finance ministers from across the world will also meet to discuss topics such as how to deliver finance for emerging and developing markets, as well as long-term climate finance. 

As we mentioned, a central aspect of the Paris Agreement was for wealthier nations to help poorer regions adapt to climate change and renewable energy. 

Fashion

One of the global climate action events from COP26 is the discussion of the UNFCCC fashion industry charter for climate action. This charter, signed at COP24 in 2018, aims to drive the fashion industry to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions no later than 2050.  

One of the targets of the charter is to reduce GHG emissions by 30% by 2030, as well as to set a pathway for decarbonisation in the industry. 

We explored some of the issues of sustainability in the fashion industry in a separate post, and you can learn more about the subject with our course on fashion and sustainability. 

Education

Part of the challenge of addressing climate change is in raising awareness of the problems and solutions. As well as a joint event with the education and environment ministers on climate action, there is also an event focused on girls education and climate adaptation action. 

Teaching the mechanisms and consequences of climate change can help to inspire the next generation of scientists, activists and policymakers to be a force for change in the future. 

Can the UN Climate Change Conference make a difference? 

Over the last 30 or so years, climate change has gone from a fringe issue to one of the most pressing concerns of our time. Despite pledges, commitments and legislation, it seems that all we hear about in the news is the latest climate disaster. So, can things like COP26 actually help? 

The need for action is clear. Global sea levels are rising, Arctic sea ice is declining, and we’re seeing a loss of biodiversity and impacts on human health. 

In the Paris Agreement, the nearly 200 countries who signed up committed to keep global warming below a 2C rise from pre-industrial levels. The aim is to limit this to 1.5C, and during COP26, countries will be asked about their plans to achieve this between now and 2030. 

Similarly, we can expect to see further steps that countries will take, as well as a formal declaration. A potential ‘Glasgow Accord’ could see commitments to reducing coal power, protecting vulnerable ecosystems, and adding more protection for those who are vulnerable to climate change. 

Whether or not current or future rules will be enough to avert a climate disaster remains to be seen. 

Criticisms of COP26 

Although, on paper, the UN Climate Change Conference seems to have made progress, the results so far have been mixed. What’s more, there are questions over whether COP26 will be effective. 

Recent reports have shown that climate financing is falling short of the $100 billion per year pledge made in recent years. Furthermore, plans to cut carbon are falling short of what’s needed to keep temperature rises under 1.5C, and greenhouse gas levels reached new highs in 2020. 

Similarly, leaked documents show that countries including Australia, Japan and Saudi Arabia are trying to play down the need to move away from fossil fuels. Combine this with the notable absence of the leaders of China and Russia, and it’s easy to see why there are concerns about how effective it will be.  

University of Bristol Unleash Your Potential: Sustainable Futures

University of Reading Planet Partners: Tackling the Climate Crisis Together

MSQ How to Measure, Reduce, and Offset your Company’s Carbon Footprint

Final thoughts

We are living through a critical period in history, where our actions as individuals and nations could well impact generations to come. How kindly our future societies will judge us is still within our hands, but we have to make events such as COP26 effective. 

The effects of climate change are here already and will only continue to worsen if we don’t make a concerted effort to save our planet. Policymakers and world leaders have a responsibility to take action, but we elect those leaders. Similarly, many of us are lucky enough to choose our choices and actions when it comes to living a sustainable and responsible life. 

The post What is COP26, and why does it matter? A guide to the UN Climate Change Conference appeared first on FutureLearn.

The Babbel Instagram sweepstakes run from October 25, 2021 (12:00pm) until November 25, 2021 (11:59pm) ET.

During the sweepstake period visit instagram.com/babbelusa. The prize for this sweepstake is a pair of Apple Airpods.

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The Babbel May sweepstakes is open to all individuals located within the United States who are 18 years or older and that participate for private purposes only. Directors, officers, management, employees, other staff and family members of Babbel or any of its affiliated companies and other persons involved in this sweepstakes are not eligible to enter this sweepstake.

The sweepstakes is open from October 25, 2021 (12:00pm) until November 19, 2021 (11:59pm) ET. Participants may only enter the sweepstakes once: •   Instagram:  1. Follow @BabbelUSA on Instagram

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A fair and inclusive environment makes for a happy and healthy classroom. Teachers strive to maintain optimal classroom settings, and one of the best ways to do so is to implement inclusive education. 

If you’re a teacher who wants to make a difference and enhance learning opportunities for all of your students, this article is for you. We will discuss what inclusive education means, its importance, and explore how you can implement inclusive education in the classroom. 

What is inclusive education? 

Let’s begin with a definition of inclusive education. We can define inclusive education as a teaching model whereby all students, regardless of their ability, learn together in one environment. 

The aim of an inclusive education environment is to ensure that all students are treated fairly and get equal opportunities. Within an inclusive education environment, student diversity and uniqueness should be celebrated without discrimination. 

Sadly, there are still instances of children being treated differently based on their unique qualities. No students should be ostracised or segregated based on their differences or learning capabilities. Nor would any teacher ever consider doing this, if they knew what to look out for.

Some issues that students are often discriminated against include disability, race, gender, their household income or the language that they speak. Inclusive education aims to combat discrimination against all students. 

These issues are not only present in physical classrooms but in online and blended learning environments too. Our microcredential Online teaching: embedding social, race, and gender-related equity offers a range of skills to equip you to teach an inclusive online lesson.

Studies have shown that the number of students with known disabilities is increasing. We need to be able to accommodate these students and give them equal access, as they all have a right to education. 

Types of inclusive education

All students are different and therefore have different individual needs. It’s important to choose the right type of inclusive education for your students based on their individual requirements.

Full inclusion

This teaching model is centred around the theory that all students belong within the main classroom. A full inclusion model means that students with visible or hidden disabilities will always work alongside their peers.

If a school is using the full inclusion model, they will need to closely monitor student progression and ensure that the plan is working for students. If a full inclusion plan is too much, a partial inclusion plan can be implemented instead. 

Partial inclusion

This teaching model is also built around allowing all students to learn and interact with the main classroom. However, partial inclusion also involves separated learning for students that need additional support outside of the classroom. 

For students involved in a partial inclusion plan, they will still spend the majority of their learning time in the main classroom. However, they will also spend time away from the main class to receive additional support from special education teachers. 

Some of the additional support given could also be disruptive if carried out in the main classroom; take speech-based lessons, for example. Partial inclusion is more flexible and allows classroom separation when it would be more beneficial for all students. 

Mainstreaming

With the mainstreaming method, disabled students will begin their education journey in a self-contained classroom away from the main classroom. 

If students are performing well within their self-contained classroom, they can be integrated into the main classroom based on their readiness. This method can be less daunting for some students, and allows them to gradually become a part of a fully inclusive classroom.

If you’re interested in learning more about how school systems support learning for all, check out our Right to education: breaking down the barriers course. 

The University of Glasgow The Right to Education: Breaking Down the Barriers

University of Bath Good Practice in Autism Education

The University of Kent Communicating Effectively with Vulnerable Children and Young People

Key features of inclusive teaching and learning

How you implement an inclusive education environment will differ between schools and situations. However, there are some key aims to keep in mind when creating your inclusive classroom plan. Let’s look at some important factors of this teaching model:

All students have an equal right to education

Classrooms should be made up of students with mixed abilities

No children should be separated from main groups based on discrimination

Appropriate activities should be planned and each student’s personal needs taken into consideration

Create an accessible environment (e.g. wheelchair ramps, and visual alternatives to lesson content for students with hearing impairments)

Support should be provided to all students to assist and allow them to reach their full potential

Importance of inclusive education

A welcoming and diverse educational environment can massively improve the wellbeing of students. But what makes inclusive education so important? 

Student confidence

Traditional methods of dealing with students with disabilities or learning difficulties can have a harmful impact on a students’ self-worth. Separating them into small groups and teaching them away from the main classroom pushes the idea that they are different and should be treated differently. 

Studies have shown that students with learning disabilities have lower self-esteem than those without, so we need to be careful and try to combat this. 

By giving all students the opportunity to mingle and be a part of the class, students will hopefully feel a sense of belonging and take part in positive peer interactions. However, there are instances where students may need additional support away from the classroom, such as after school classes for help with specific subjects. 

This does not mean that they cannot be a part of the main classroom for the larger chunk of their school days. In cases where students would benefit from being taught away from the main classroom for certain reasons, partial inclusion may be better than full inclusion. 

Improved communication skills

An inclusive classroom allows for all students to improve their ability to communicate with one another. If students were segregated, their social circles would be much smaller, and they would have fewer opportunities to interact with the wider classroom.

With an integrated classroom, students are able to interact with a wider range of students with a variety of abilities. This will open up opportunities for them to strengthen their communication skills and adapt to a varied level of social interaction. 

Additionally, this will help prepare them for the after school world and make the students career-ready. Once students have entered the workforce, they will be working alongside diverse communities with a range of abilities. It only makes sense that we prepare them for that and simulate the environment in the classroom. 

Quality of education

Every child should have equal access to high-quality education from their local schools. By offering an inclusive classroom environment, you can be sure that all students are offered the same level of education. Since separated classes for disabled students are often smaller, their lessons can vary from that of the main classroom. 

Teaching all students in one place ensures that no students are missing out on any of the curriculum. Teachers will also have different teaching styles and paces, so being taught by the same teachers can ensure that all students have equal access to the lesson content.

That being said, lessons should still be adapted to fit the needs of all students. Differentiated learning opportunities allow for each student’s educational needs to be met, and optimise their environments and let them reach their full potential.

University of Cape Town Education for All: Disability, Diversity and Inclusion

Raspberry Pi Foundation Creating an Inclusive Classroom: Approaches to Supporting Learners with SEND in Computing

University of Groningen Young People and Their Mental Health

How can I implement inclusive education in the classroom? 

It’s clear that an inclusive classroom can be beneficial for many students; it’s crucial to give all students a fair chance to learn in the right environment for them. Let’s look at some of the ways you can implement inclusive education in the classroom.

Cooperative learning

A great way to implement inclusive education in the classroom is to present tasks and activities in a way that encourages cooperative learning. By learning in groups, students are all given the opportunity to participate. When arranging group work, you may want to designate fair groups rather than giving students the opportunity to pick themselves. 

As well as giving students the chance to be a part of something, they will also be able to develop crucial social skills amongst each other. Group learning doesn’t just benefit those with disabilities or behavioural differences. It encourages all students to work alongside a range of different people and encourages inclusion even further. 

Specialised training

To make sure that teachers are creating the best possible learning environment, they should be equipped with the necessary tools and training. If you are a teacher and you’re keen to improve student inclusion, upskilling and acquiring additional training would be very beneficial.

Courses and training related to inclusion or student diversity can be very helpful for acquiring tips, techniques and strategies. Training in areas of student issues such as trauma awareness, autism or SEN (special educational needs) can prove incredibly useful. These courses can equip teachers with the knowledge of how to deal with struggles that students may be facing.

Our Good practice in autism education course is a great place to start if you’re interested in learning more about the topic. 

This training should not be limited to teachers, but instead should be offered to teaching assistants too. SEN training for teaching assistants can help develop the skills needed to focus on disabled students and provide any necessary additional support. 

SEN support has increased by 12.2% in the UK between 2020-2021, so classrooms are already heading in the right direction. 

Adapted lessons and tasks

Traditional teaching isn’t always ideal for students with visible disabilities or learning difficulties. The curriculum should be altered to accommodate these students and make lessons more versatile. You could do this by making lessons more immersive to keep students engaged. 

A more engaging approach to learning could be helpful to those who struggle with learning from text-based content. You can do this by incorporating more videos and pictures into lessons, involving educational games or object-based learning to increase engagement. A lot of students learn through play, and this can be an engaging way to immerse them in lessons.

It’s important to know your students and take into account their specific needs when providing educational material. Make sure that all students are engaged in your lessons and actively participating in tasks. If you identify an issue with student engagement, consider reviewing the intended learning outcomes and how you could take steps to adapt your lessons to explore new approaches 

Use diverse methods of marking 

Assessing all students’ work in the same way isn’t always the best way to approach marking work. Some children may struggle with certain types of assignments, or struggle to put their thoughts onto paper. 

You can be more inclusive with your marking by assessing the content and ideas separately from English and grammar, for example. You could also assess effort as an additional points system. When giving feedback to students, make sure that it is clear and comprehensible to the student, and check with them that they understand your suggestions. 

It can be beneficial for students to see examples of others’ work, or attempts on assessments,  however you do not need them to compare or be competitive with grades or the feedback they have received. 

The last thing we want to do is have a negative impact on students’ confidence, and potentially cause them to regress and not put their best efforts into homework and classwork. 

You do not need to make grading and assessment into a competitive exercise for your learners. Peer comparisons may only further limit currently unmet potential.

You may want to set individual goals that are specific to each student, rather than setting high expectations for students that aren’t performing as well. If you’d like to learn some tools and techniques for communication, check out our Communicating with vulnerable children course. 

Supplementary materials 

Offering additional materials in the class can be incredibly helpful for students with visible or hidden disabilities, as well as anyone who needs a bit of extra support. Most students, even those who appear highly attentive, will struggle to just absorb information from simply watching or listening to a lesson. You will want to add an exercise or task to this content, however small, to ensure they can put what they are learning into longer team comprehension 

Providing them with learning aids such as calculators or physical science models can help develop a students’ understanding of the lesson. Pictures and flashcards can prove particularly useful to students struggling with language barriers.

Reteaching topics or recapping lessons is a great way to help students that may have a harder time understanding lesson content. You can also offer additional textbooks or help sheets to students, or even record the lesson and make it available for them to recap at home.

The Open University Teacher Development: Embedding Mental Health in the Curriculum

Queensland University of Technology Trauma-Aware Education: Teaching Students Who Have Suffered Complex Trauma

The Open University Online Teaching: Embedding Social, Race and Gender-Related Equity

Final thoughts

We hope this article has helped develop your understanding of inclusive education and its importance. The implementation of inclusive education is vital for the development of all students. 

By following the tips in this article, you can nurture confident students that are given equal opportunities to learn regardless of their ability level. If you’re interested in learning more about how to make education inclusive, check out our Education for all course.  

The post What is inclusive education, and how can you implement it? appeared first on FutureLearn.

You might think Spanish sounds the same and is spoken the same way everywhere, but there are many differences and subtle nuances you can observe between Spain Spanish and, well, Everywhere Else Spanish. Beyond just the categorical differences between European and Latin American Spanish, there are also a ton of regionalisms that distinguish the Spanish spoken in various countries — even the ones that are geographically close to one another.

Let’s get complicated and delve into the differences between the varieties of Spanish spoken in Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Colombia and Argentina.

Accent And Pronunciation

In Spain, Z usually sounds like “th”; the same goes for a C when it comes before an E or an I. In Latin America, Z sounds like an S, and so does C before an E or I.

And what do people in the Caribbean and parts of southern Spain do to the letter R? They kick it to the curb and turn it into an L!

In parts of Argentina and Uruguay, the “ll” in words like llamar, lloro and lluvia is not pronounced like an English Y (like in Spain and the rest of Latin America), but instead like a “sh.”

Grammar

In the Spanish language, there is a marked difference between the informal tú and the formal usted when addressing someone, with tú used almost everywhere. But only in Spain will you find a difference in the plural with the informal vosotros and the formal ustedes. In Latin America, only ustedes is used.

In Spain Spanish

¿Vosotros tenéis ganas de salir?

(Do you all want to go out?)

In Latin American Spanish

¿Ustedes tienen ganas de salir?

(Do you all want to go out?)

The different continents also use different past tenses.

In Spain

Hoy no he desayunado.

(I haven’t eaten breakfast today.)

In Latin America

Hoy no desayuné.

(I didn’t eat breakfast today.)

Greetings

The differences between various regional versions of Spanish are not only linguistic. When you greet people in different countries, learn the local customs! Don’t get into a confrontation by accidentally disrespecting someone.

In Spain

Women: greet everyone with a kiss on either cheek. Men: greet women with a kiss on either cheek, and greet other men with a handshake.

In Mexico & Colombia

Women: greet everyone with one kiss on the cheek. Men: greet women with one kiss on the cheek, and give men a handshake.

In Argentina

Both men and women greet with one kiss on the cheek.

Vocabulary

Depending on which country you find yourself in, you will be confronted with different names for the same:

Objects

“Bus”

Spain: autobús

Colombia: bus

México: camión

Puerto Rico & D.R.: guagua

Argentina: colectivo

“Pen”

Spain: bolígrafo or just boli

Mexico: pluma

Colombia: esfero

Argentina: lapicera

“Apartment”

Spain: piso

Latin America: departamento or apartamento

“Cell Phone”

Spain: móvil

Latin America: celular

“Computer”

Spain: ordenador

Latin America: computadora or computador

Situations

“To have a hangover”

Spain: tener resaca

Mexico: tener cruda

Colombia: tener guayabo

Chile: tener caña

Expressions

“That’s cool”

Spain: esto mola

Mexico: está chido

Dominican Republic: eto tá

Puerto Rico: está chévere

Colombia: está bacano

The post How Is Spanish In Spain Different From Spanish In Latin America? appeared first on Babbel.

Tourism is a huge part of our global culture, allowing us to explore different parts of the world, meet people from different walks of life, and experience new traditions and activities. Since it brings many benefits to both travellers and communities, it can generally be seen as a force for good.

However, the industry is changing. As the years go by, we’re becoming more and more aware of the threat of climate change and our role in escalating it. Across all industries, our global community is thinking about ways we can lessen our impact on the earth.

A study published in 2018 by Nature Climate Change suggested that tourism accounts for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, which is a very large percentage when we consider all of the possible sources of emissions. For this reason, it’s clear that we need to move towards a more sustainable tourism model, and that’s why we’re having this discussion today.

In this article, we’ll offer definitions of sustainable tourism and ecotourism, discuss the pros and cons of the tourism industry, explore how sustainable tourism could offer a solution to our current challenges, and finish with some examples of sustainable tourism. 

What’s the definition of sustainable tourism?

Sustainable tourism can be defined as a kind of tourism that has more benefits than negative impacts, especially relating to the environment, the economy and communities. Truly sustainable and responsible tourism should make destinations better for people to live in as well as visit.

If you’re interested in this topic, you can learn more about the planning and development of tourism activities in our International Culture and Tourism Management ExpertTrack by Nankai University. You’ll also discover strategies for sustainable tourism management. 

The main responsibilities of sustainable tourism include:

Protecting the environment, natural resources, and wildlife

Providing socio-economic benefits for communities who live in tourist destinations

Conserving cultural heritage and creating authentic tourist experiences

Bringing tourists and local communities together for mutual benefit 

Creating inclusive and accessible tourist opportunities.

Ecotourism vs sustainable tourism

You may have heard the terms ecotourism and sustainable tourism being used interchangeably. Although both are important, there is a slight difference between what they mean. 

While sustainable tourism is about creating travel opportunities with minimal impact and positive benefits for destinations and their communities, ecotourism is more focused on educating tourists about nature and the environment, and travellers taking part in conservation and cultural activities.

While ecotourism should always be sustainable, not all examples of sustainable tourism are ecotourism. For example, you might take a train to stay in a sustainably powered lodge. While this is a sustainable option, you’re not necessarily learning about nature and your local surroundings in an educational sense.

For a more detailed look at ecotourism, you can take a look at our open step from Coventry University and find a definition from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). 

Samsung Designing for a Sustainable Future

The Global Travel and Tourism Partnership (GTTP) Introduction to the Travel & Tourism Industry: Passport to the World

Wintec Design Thinking for Sustainable Development

Facts about the tourism industry

Before we delve more into the impact of the tourism industry, let’s explore some recent facts and figures so that we have a better sense of the current situation. On their website, Sustaining Tourism state that international tourist arrivals have increased from 25 million in 1950 to 1.32 billion in 2017. 

They also state that travel and tourism made up 10% of total GDP in 2016, and the average international tourist receipt is over 700 US dollars per person. Therefore, it’s clear that tourism has a huge economic impact on communities, and the industry is continuing to grow at a staggering rate.

For an in-depth and detailed look into the tourism industry today, our The Impacts of Tourism course by Coventry University will tackle all the issues we’re discussing today and more. 

What are the positive impacts of the tourism industry?

There are a few main ways we can look at the positive impacts of the tourism industry. We can start by looking at the social and cultural benefits, before moving on to study the environmental benefits. This will provide us with some well-rounded insights into different key areas.

Social and cultural benefits of tourism

Strengthened communities due to more money and resources

Improved infrastructure including buildings and transport systems

Higher rates of employment due to the tourism industry

Improved understanding of different cultures and traditions

Preservation of local cultures 

Commercialisation of art and culture

Conservation of heritage including architecture and natural sites

Increased number of events and celebrations

Environmental benefits of tourism

Creation of natural parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Reduced numbers of animal poaching

Improved water quality

Increased funding for nature conservation and protection

What are the negative impacts of the tourism industry?

It’s not all positives, unfortunately. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be such a need for sustainable tourism and ecotourism. Once again, we’ll split these negative impacts into the social and cultural impacts and the environmental impacts of tourism.

Negative social and cultural impacts of tourism

The negative socio-cultural impacts of tourism can vary heavily depending on location and culture, but there are definitely some patterns that repeatedly show themselves. Our open step by Coventry University suggests three things that can happen:

Staged authenticity: This refers to when events or cultures are manufactured just to bring in tourism and money, even when they don’t reflect the local culture of destination communities. This can cause bad feelings between tourists and locals, and can also lead to the eradication of local culture.

Standardisation: Often tourists seek familiarity even when they are visiting a foreign country, and this can lead to a loss of cultural diversity. For example, you can find McDonald’s and Starbucks all around the world, and these huge companies can take business from smaller companies.

Commodification: In some ways, this is similar to staged authenticity, because it happens when tourism destroys the true meaning of cultural performances, events and customs. Instead, they are transformed to suit the time frames and wishes of tourists. Understandably, this can make local communities feel taken advantage of and disrespected.

Negative environmental impacts of tourism

As discussed in our open step by Coventry University, there are two main ways that tourism can negatively impact the environment: through the development of the area, or through the behaviour of tourists. Some examples of both include:

Development of the area

Damage of wild habitats due to new infrastructure

Weakened resilience to natural disasters

Beautiful scenery ruined by hotels and car parks

Deforestation

Overuse of water due to influx of people

Behaviour of tourists

Air pollution due to traffic congestion

Destruction of nature due to littering and disregard

Wildlife relocating due to increased noise levels

Higher consumption of energy

Plastic pollution in the ocean affecting sealife

Luleu00e5 University of Technology Placemaking and Public Space Design: Unlocking Tourist Destinations

University of Leeds Renewable Energy: Achieving Sustainability through Bioenergy

Coventry University The Impacts of Tourism

How sustainable tourism is providing a solution

It’s not just local communities that live in tourist destinations that are feeling the negative effects of tourism. As tourists ourselves, many of us prefer to visit places that are clean, not too crowded, and safe. We also usually want to preserve local cultures, traditions, religions, and buildings, rather than experience an inauthentic ploy for money. 

Therefore, we all have a lot to gain from alternative forms of tourism, including sustainable forms. The best places for sustainable tourism to be developed are regions with natural resources, landscapes, or cultural buildings – all features that attract tourists who might want to explore and admire local destinations and cultures in an environmentally friendly way.

You can learn more about what makes a tourist destination so attractive in our Placemaking and Public Space Design: Unlocking Tourist Destinations course by the Lulea University of Technology.

The goals of sustainable tourism

The World Tourism Organization and the United Nations Environment Program suggested twelve main goals for sustainable tourism in 2005. These will help to demonstrate the ways in which sustainable tourism can provide a solution to some of the global challenges facing the industry today:

Economic Viability: To make sure that tourism destinations and businesses are viable, competitive, and able to achieve long-term success. 

Local Prosperity: To ensure that tourism activities help local communities thrive economically and retain a large amount of the economic contribution.

Employment Quality:  To increase the number of local jobs created in the tourism industry and ensure that the pay and working conditions are fair, safe and offered to workers without discrimination.

Social Equity: To ensure that tourism increases the amount of economic and social benefits being distributed across local communities, improving all areas of life.

Visitor Fulfillment: To create a safe and fulfilling holiday experience for tourists without discrimination based on race, gender, sexuality, disability or other.

Local Control: To empower local communities to have a role in planning and decision-making regarding tourism in their neighbourhoods.

Community Wellbeing: To improve the quality of life and wellbeing of local communities, ensuring they have access to resources and are not disrespected or exploited in the name of tourism.

Cultural Richness: To respect the cultural heritage, traditions, authenticity and uniqueness of host communities.

Physical Integrity: To look after all landscapes, whether urban or rural, and ensure that they are not degraded physically or visually as a result of tourism.

Biological Diversity: To conserve natural areas, wildlife, and unique habitats, protecting them and ensuring they are not damaged.

Resource Efficiency: To use sustainable and renewable resources when possible in the development and operation of tourism facilities and services.

Environmental Purity: To protect the land, air and water from pollution, littering and other waste that may come as a result of tourism businesses or visitors.

What are some examples of sustainable tourism?

There are plenty of different examples of sustainable tourism, but the main thing you need to do before you plan a sustainable trip is making sure you’ve done your research. While one aspect of a trip may seem sustainable, it’s worth considering the holiday in its entirety before you solidify any plans.

One example of sustainable tourism is the Six Senses Fiji resort, which is powered solely on solar power, recycles rainwater, runs on a low-waste model, and uses handiwork such as furnishings and artwork created by local villagers. 

However, this is obviously a high-budget type of experience. For something simple, how about organising a self-sufficient camping trip, choosing sites accessible by train or bike? Or if you’re looking for something more wildlife-focused, how about looking for a sustainable conservation program abroad?

Rural tourism

One kind of sustainable tourism is rural tourism, which you can read about in more detail in our open step by Coventry University. It must occur outside of an urban environment and tends to focus on actively participating in a rural lifestyle. With rural tourism, tourists tend to stay with local people, understand their lifestyles, and even help out with manual labour. 

While rural tourism is more of a branch of ecotourism, by nature, it’s normally pretty sustainable. This is because it helps to support local people, focuses on the rural environment, and doesn’t involve vast numbers of tourists all being in the same place at once.

Community tourism

In a similar vein, community tourism can also be a great example of sustainable tourism. This is because it’s at the opposite end of the spectrum to mass tourism. Normally, local residents and communities invite tourists to stay with them, and they may offer different events, activities and experiences.

While this could be similar to rural tourism, it doesn’t have to focus on natural surroundings. Instead, the purpose of community tourism is more about empowering local communities to plan, implement and be responsible for tourism activities in their home destinations. While they will gain economic benefits, tourists will enjoy authentic experiences.

Final thoughts

Hopefully, this has enlightened you on the importance of sustainable tourism in our current society. The tourism industry is by no means a bad thing, but there are so many opportunities for it to develop and grow into something that is beneficial for tourists, local communities, and the planet, all at the same time. 

Plus, if you’re interested in a career in sustainable tourism, we have an excellent Master of Business Administration (Sustainable Tourism) degree from Coventry University. If you join, you’ll become an expert in contemporary sustainable tourism principles and practices. 

Nankai University International Culture and Tourism Management

Minca Ventures Social Innovation: Global Solutions for a Sustainable Future

Nankai University Tourism Policy and Planning

  The post What is sustainable tourism and why is it important? appeared first on FutureLearn.

Technology is embedded in just about every area of our lives. We rely on it to navigate the world around us and communicate with others. Yet until recently, we’ve had to rely on purely text-based inputs and commands to interact with technology. Now, natural language processing is changing the way we talk with machines, as well as how they answer. 

Here, we take a closer look at what natural language processing means, how it’s implemented, and how you can start learning some of the skills and knowledge you’ll need to work with this technology. 

What is natural language processing? 

Let’s start with a definition of natural language processing. On a very basic level, NLP (as it’s also known) is a field of computer science that focuses on creating computers and software that understands human speech and language. 

As we explored in our post on what different programming languages are used for, the languages of humans and computers are very different, and programming languages exist as intermediaries between the two.

Yet the way we speak and write is very nuanced and often ambiguous, while computers are entirely logic-based, following the instructions they’re programmed to execute. This difference means that, traditionally, it’s hard for computers to understand human language. Natural language processing aims to improve the way computers understand human text and speech. 

NLP uses artificial intelligence and machine learning, along with computational linguistics, to process text and voice data, derive meaning, figure out intent and sentiment, and form a response. As we’ll see, the applications of natural language processing are vast and numerous. 

CloudSwyft Global Systems, Inc. Applied Artificial Intelligence: Natural Language Processing

FutureLearn Data Analysis and Fundamental Statistics

Lancaster University Corpus Linguistics: Method, Analysis, Interpretation

Why is NLP an important field? 

The concept of natural language processing dates back further than you might think. As far back as the 1950s, experts have been looking for ways to program computers to perform language processing. However, it’s only been with the increase in computing power and the development of machine learning that the field has seen dramatic progress. 

When we think about the importance of NLP, it’s worth considering how human language is structured. As well as the vocabulary, syntax, and grammar that make written sentences, there is also the phonetics, tones, accents, and diction of spoken languages. 

We convey meaning in many different ways, and the same word or phrase can have a totally different meaning depending on the context and intent of the speaker or writer. Essentially, language can be difficult even for humans to decode at times, so making machines understand us is quite a feat. 

Yet with improvements in natural language processing, we can better interface with the technology that surrounds us. It helps to bring structure to something that is inherently unstructured, which can make for smarter software and even allow us to communicate better with other people. 

Ultimately, NLP can help to produce better human-computer interactions, as well as provide detailed insights on intent and sentiment. These factors can benefit businesses, customers, and technology users. 

CloudSwyft Global Systems, Inc. Deep Learning and Python Programming for AI with Microsoft Azure

5 courses 21 weeks Intermediate

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The Open University AWS: Machine Learning Foundations

1 courses 10 weeks Undergraduate

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CloudSwyft Global Systems, Inc. Advanced and Applied AI on Microsoft Azure

4 courses 15 weeks Intermediate

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How does natural language processing work? 

Now that we know a bit about what natural language processing is, let’s delve into the basics of how it works. It’s worth noting that NLP is a fairly advanced application of AI, so we’ll be looking at a very top-level explanation of the software. For a more detailed introduction to natural language processing, check out our Applied Artificial Intelligence: Natural Language Processing course, part of our AI ExpertTrack. 

The first thing to know about natural language processing is that there are several functions or tasks that make up the field. Depending on the solution needed, some or all of these may interact at once. 

On a basic level, NLP software carries out three main processes:

First, it breaks down the language (voice or text) into its pieces 

Next, it tries to understand how these pieces of information relate to each other 

Finally, it attempts to create meaning from these relationships. 

There are, of course, far more steps involved in each of these processes. A great deal of linguistic knowledge is required, as well as programming, algorithms, and statistics. 

Natural language processing techniques

Below, we’ve provided some further details on how natural language processing works in relation to certain tasks: 

Speech recognition. This is the process of turning spoken voice data into text data. Speech recognition software breaks down the voice into individual sounds, using algorithms to piece together meaning. 

Word sense disambiguation. In many languages, the same words can have different meanings depending on context. Word sense disambiguation (WSD) is the process of analysing language to distinguish between meanings. For example, ‘they finished second’ and ‘it was completed in the last second’. 

Coreference resolution. This process helps to determine if and when words in text or voice refer to the same entity. A good example is resolving which pronouns (he, she, they) refer to which person or object. 

Sentiment analysis. Language often has a lot of subtleties. NLP can be used to extract emotions and attitudes, whether positive or negative, from language.

NLP, AI and ML 

Natural language processing is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI). It also uses elements of machine learning (ML) and data analytics. As we explore in our post on the difference between data analytics, AI and machine learning, although these are different fields, they do overlap. 

Each area is driven by huge amounts of data, and the more that’s available, the better the results. Bringing structure to highly unstructured data is another hallmark. Similarly, each can be used to provide insights, highlight patterns, and identify trends, both current and future. 

Natural language processing shares many of these attributes, as it’s built on the same principles. AI is a field focused on machines simulating human intelligence, while NLP focuses specifically on understanding human language. Both are built on machine learning – the use of algorithms to teach machines how to automate tasks and learn from experience. 

If you want to learn the highly sought-after skill of machine learning, our AWS: Machine Learning Foundations microcredential is the ideal place to start. 

Natural language processing examples 

So far, we’ve focused on some of the general ways in which we can use natural language processing. Let’s turn our attention to some specifics. Below, we’ve highlighted some natural language processes use examples: 

Language translation

One of the challenges of NLP is to produce accurate translations from one language into another. It’s a fairly established field of machine learning and one that has seen significant strides forward in recent years. 

Of course, there are many elements to consider here. A direct word-for-word translation often doesn’t make sense, and many language translators must identify an input language as well as determine an output one. 

Older forms of language translation rely on what’s known as rule-based machine translation, where vast amounts of grammar rules and dictionaries for both languages are required. More recent methods rely on statistical machine translation, which uses data from existing translations to inform future ones. 

Smart assistants

As we explore in our open step on conversational interfaces, 1 in 5 homes across the UK contain a smart speaker, and interacting with these devices using our voices has become commonplace. Whether it’s through Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant or other similar technology, many of us use these NLP-powered devices. 

Many of these smart assistants use NLP to match the user’s voice or text input to commands, providing a response based on the request. Usually, they do this by recording and examining the frequencies and soundwaves of your voice and breaking them down into small amounts of code. This code is then analysed by an algorithm to determine meaning. 

If you want to learn more about how and why conversational interfaces have developed, check out our introductory course. 

Search engine results

Search engines have been part of our lives for a relatively long time. However, traditionally, they’ve not been particularly useful for determining the context of what and how people search. 

Semantic search, an area of natural language processing, can better understand the intent behind what people are searching (either by voice or text) and return more meaningful results based on it. 

As well as providing better and more intuitive search results, semantic search also has implications for digital marketing, particularly the field of SEO. 

Predictive text

You’ve likely seen this application of natural language processing in several places. Whether it’s on your smartphone keyboard, search engine search bar, or when you’re writing an email, predictive text is fairly prominent. 

This type of NLP looks at how individuals and groups of people use language and makes predictions about what word or phrase will appear next. The machine learning model will look at the probability of which word will appear next, and make a suggestion based on that. 

Future applications of natural language processing 

Natural language processing is a technology that many of us use every day without thinking about it. Yet as computing power increases and these systems become more advanced, the field will only progress. 

Below, we’ve highlighted some of the ways in which NLP might advance in the future: 

More advanced assistants. Smart assistants will likely become smarter, being able to carry out more functions and communicate more naturally than they can currently. We may rely on them for more tasks in our daily lives.

Greater integration. Natural language processing may become more ingrained in our lives. Both inside and outside of the home, we might find ourselves communicating with computers a lot more. 

More automation. We may see NLP automate more tasks. Chatbots and digital assistants could be used in more areas of customer service, answering queries, sending emails, and offering support.  

Smarter insights. Big data and sentiment analysis will give us a more detailed understanding of how people interact with technology, what they want from it, and how it can be better. 

Instant translations. Natural language processing could even allow us to instantly communicate with others, no matter whether we share a language with them or not. 

Learning natural language processing 

If you’re interested in getting started with natural language processing, there are several skills you’ll need to work on. Not only will you need to understand fields such as statistics and corpus linguistics, but you’ll also need to know how computer programming and algorithms work. 

Below, we’ve picked out some of the main skills you’ll need to work in NLP: 

Start with Python 

We’ve already explored the many uses of Python programming, and NLP is a field that often draws on the language. What’s more, Python has an extensive library (Natural Language Toolkit, NLTK) which can be used for NLP. 

Beginners in the field might want to start with the programming essentials with Python, while others may want to focus on the data analytics side of Python.  

Discover AI and machine learning 

Next, you’ll want to learn some of the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and machine learning, two concepts that are at the heart of natural language processing. 

Our ExpertTrack on deep learning and Python programming for AI will develop some of the knowledge you’ll need to pass the Microsoft Azure AI Engineer Associate Exam. For those interested in machine learning, our AI Design and Engineering ExpertTrack is the ideal place to start. 

Specialise in NLP 

Once you have a working knowledge of fields such as Python, AI and machine learning, you can turn your attention specifically to natural language processing. 

Our course on Applied Artificial Intelligence looks specifically at NLP, examining natural language understanding, machine translation, semantics, and syntactic parsing, as well as natural language emulation and dialectal systems.

UAL Creative Computing Institute Introduction to Conversational Interfaces

FutureLearn Programming Essentials with Python

University of Leeds Computer Programming for Everyone

Final thoughts 

Natural language processing is a fascinating field and one that already brings many benefits to our day-to-day lives. As the technology advances, we can expect to see further applications of NLP across many different industries. 

Those interested in learning more about natural language processing have plenty of opportunities to learn the foundations of topics such as linguistics, statistics, Python, AI, and machine learning, all of which are valuable skills for the future. 

The post What is natural language processing? Examples and applications of learning NLP appeared first on FutureLearn.

If you’ve ever met a bunch of Brits or consumed any British media, you’ve probably noticed that the inhabitants of these islands communicate in an array of fascinating, wonderful and sometimes difficult-to-understand accents. The differences in pronunciation, regional vocabulary and phrasing are so vast that even Brits can have trouble communicating with one another! So how did such a small place end up in such a linguistic stew? A Scot might say Ah dinnae ken! (I don’t know!) But, luckily for you, we do!

In the interests of intercultural communication and fewer bar brawls, we took on the task of enlightening the world about the eccentricities of British pronunciation. The British Society for the Preservation of Regional Accents was born, and several non-native guinea pigs were cajoled into learning some of our accents — with varying levels of success. The video above will show you exactly how it went.

Want to dive deeper into the accents? Our experts put together articles on all of the accents featured above. We have an overview of each below, but click the links to learn even more about the history and pronunciation of each of these accents.

8 British Accents From Around The Isles

Geordie

Sample Phrase: Wey aye! (“I agree heartily.”)

Geordie might just be the most popular of British accents.. But how did this delightful cacophony come to rule the streets of Newcastle? If you have a few Danish friends, you might have an inkling…

When the Angles came over from the German coastal region of Schleswig-Holstein and the Danish Peninsula to settle in the east of England, they brought their Old English tongue with them. On top of this, the Vikings later joined the party and contributed Old Norse to the mix, which is why Geordie is littered with Danish-sounding words. Why’s it called “Geordie” though? Although various theories abound, it’s likely that the name comes from the prevalence of the name George among the working-class population of this region.

Welsh English

Sample Phrase: Tidy darts! (“Brilliant!”)

The accent Welsh English is sometimes called Wenglish. Yes, Wenglish. That is, English spoken with a Welsh accent. How and why, do you ask? Well, at the time the English were going around colonizing their neighbors, they tried their best to linguistically subjugate the Welsh, who had (and still have) their own thriving Celtic language, Cymraeg (a.k.a. Welsh). And despite being forced to adopt English, a good bit of the Welsh lexicon and pronunciation spilled over, lending us charming terms such as cwtch, meaning a “little cuddle” and daps for “shoes.”

Many phonological and lexical features of the Celtic languages remain in the Welsh accent. For example, the slight trill of the R-sound is something Standard British English doesn’t have. Also, the way Wenglish syllables are stressed falls, unsurprisingly, somewhere between English and Welsh — a result of bilingualism.

The influence of other British accents, including the Scouse, Merseyside and West Country dialects, creep in where they border Wales, which further muddies the waters. Perhaps this explains the proliferation of Wenglish words for “unpleasant”: buzzing, hanging, bogging, scrunting, manking, buling and muling!

Scottish

Sample Phrase: Yer aff yer heid! (“You’re quite mad.”)

Moving north, we find ourselves in the land of the Gaels. You could (and I imagine some brave scholar has) write volumes about the diversity of Scottish English dialects, but for now, we’ll focus on Standard Scottish English, or SSE.

SSE is similar to Welsh in the fact that it’s heavily influenced by its Celtic roots. The most striking feature of Scottish English pronunciation is the disappearance of the letter T in many words. “I can’t do it!” therefore becomes I cannae do i’! Likewise, “out” sounds like oo’, with a glottal stop at the end. Not convinced? Well, a skeptical Scot might say Yer bum’s oo’ tha windae! (“Your bottom is out of the window!”, meaning “You’re quite mistaken!”).

Scouse

Sample Phrase: You alright lid? (“Are you alright, child?”)

Lid? What the …? Well, it’s a Scouse shortening of bin lid — rhyming slang for “kid.” The Scouse dialect, otherwise known as Liverpudlian, is mostly confined to the city of Liverpool, and it’s an especially rich source of delightful terminology. Liverpudlians call people from the areas surrounding Liverpool wools or woolly backs, for example. “Don’t listen to them plazzy wools la” is a warning not to trust people from these areas, with plazzy meaning “fake” (presumably from plastic).

So how did this British accent come into being? The name Liverpool comes from the Old English liver, meaning thick or muddy, and pol, meaning a pool or creek. What started as a small fishing village came to be a thriving imperial center for intercontinental trade and shipbuilding. “The New York of Europe,” as it came to be known, was especially popular with Irish immigrants, and this influx of accents from all over the world is responsible for the distinctive dialect we hear today.

Cockney

Sample Phrase: Me ole china (“My old friend”)

Imagine you’re walking through one of London’s many leafy parks, watching governesses pushing baby carriages when you’re accosted by a Cockney chimney sweep. The problem is, he seems to be trying to communicate in some weird code. “Alright me ole china?” he enquires. “Got a farthing for me skin and blister, she’s Moby Dick!”  

What on earth does the fellow mean? In short, he’s using rhyming slang to ask how you are (china plate meaning “mate”), and follows this up by asking for some loose change for his “sister,” who’s “sick” (and not a fictitious whale).  

Cockney gained celebrity status through films such as My Fair Lady and Mary Poppins, and is still occasionally heard in nuclear subs (pubs) and markets in South East London. The Cockney accent is synonymous with working-class Londoners, who tend to pronounce the TH-sound in words like an “F.” Likewise, the H-sound in words such as “hospital” or “holiday” is dropped entirely so that they sound like ‘ospital or ‘oliday.

Cockney rhyming slang’s origins are debatable, but one theory is that working-class scallywags came up with a bunch of rhymes to prevent the police from listening in on their conversations. Others believe that market traders in the 19th century began using it to catch shoppers’ attention, or worse yet to confuse their buyers and wrangle more cash out of them! Whatever its origins, the beloved Cockney accent is still alive today, although you’d be hard pressed to find anyone regularly communicating in rhyming slang.

West Country

Sample Phrase: Proper job! (“That’s a job well done!”)

If you’ve ever been to the annual Sidmouth Folk Festival, you’ll be aware that a pint o’ rough is West Country dialect for a pint of cloudy cider poured from an unlabeled plastic bottle (that probably came out of a barrel with at least one dead rat in it). The West Country — comprising the counties Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset and Bristol — is famous for its apple orchards and strong cider. In fact, the growing conditions are so favorable that when a Brit wants sound like a “farmer,” they’ll often imitate this accent (an imitation that is sometimes called “Mummerset“).

The other association is, of course, the swashbuckling pirate. In days of yore, the hidden coves of Cornwall were awash with smugglers bringing contraband goods into the country, a tradition the Cornish recall with pride.

But what does West Country sound like? Well, to an English speaker’s ear, it’s a warm, melodic accent with all its “ooohs” and “arrrrghs.” If you pay a visit, prepare to be charmed by Alright me’ansum? (“How are you, sir?”) and to respond with Oh I be pert viddy, me boody (“Oh I’m very well, my friend”). West Country grew out of various West-Saxon dialects, and the region’s relatively isolated position means that it’s retained many traits from its Germanic roots.

Yorkshire

Sample Phrase: Tha’ meks a better door than window. (“You’re blocking the view.”)

What do you get when you cross a Saxon with a Viking? A pitchfork-wielding brute? Well, not quite. You actually get a Yorkshire squire. Back up north, on the border of bonny Scotland, we find one of the most beautiful regions in Britain, famed for its rolling hills, the earthy dialect of its folk and a dazzling array of idioms.

Here, “young men” are overwhelmingly lads and “young women” are indisputably lasses. “Right” is reet (in this case meaning “very”) and owt (“something”) is always better than nowt (“nothing”). Laden with remnants of Old English, you’ll find the definite article “the” in short supply here. And if you’re happy about this fact, you can say either That’s proper champion, that (“That’s truly wonderful”) or I’m chuffed t’bits wi’ that (“I’m so pleased about that”).

The Yorkshire dialect has a famously short A-sound, often imitated by people in other parts of England. Full of wit and wisdom, our Yorkshire friends might well respond to taunts with the famous phrase: There’s nowt s’queer as folk (“People are awfully strange”).

Received Pronunciation

Sample Phrase: Ra, jolly hockey sticks! (“Fabulous!”)

Ever wondered what the difference is between the Queen’s English, BBC English, Oxford English, Standard English and British Received Pronunciation? Well, the answer is there isn’t one. All these British accents are what we colloquially call “posh” English.

RP appeared in the late 18th century among the upper classes and spread across the establishment and far reaches of the British Empire. The accent was a sign of “superior” social status, as the underlying intention was to eradicate “inferior” regional accents. It’s still common among those who went to public (confusingly to non-Brits, actually private) schools, and universities such as Oxford and Cambridge. Until recently, it was common practice for university students, public figures, TV and radio presenters to adjust their accents to get ahead — a trend that is falling out of fashion.

Three phonetic indicators of RP are the following:

the clear pronunciation of the letter H at the beginning of words such as “hat” and “hamper”

the inaudible R in words such as “car” and “heart”

the long vowels, which require an incredibly high palate (try saying “darling” and “oh” with your mouth wide open, like you’re at the dentist)

If you’re keen to bone up on your Oxford English, you can either watch reruns of the Queen’s annual Christmas address or — more entertainingly — read the classic Jeeves and Wooster novels by P.G. Wodehouse. As the eponymous Bertie Wooster would say: Spiffing, eh what?  (“Great, isn’t it?”)

This article was originally published on November 16, 2018. It has been updated.

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