Words of the Year 2023 in UK, USA and Australia

Each major English dictionary has recently chosen the 2023 Word of the Year. Next, you can find links to the articles that explain the winning words in the UK, USA and Australia,  the reasons to choose the winners, the shorlists and longlists of candidates etc. 

Many dictionaries have chosen words related to Artificial Intelligence and new technologies.  The Collins Dictionary, based in Glasgow, has directly chosen "Artificial Intelligence" as the overall 2023 winner and it adds an illustrated shortlist of another 9 neologisms with their definitions. The Cambridge Dictionary has chosen "hallucination" with the meaning "when artificial intelligence hallucinates, it produces false information" and the article explains why their dictionaries are better tools to learn a language than artificial intelligence, among other things.  The Merriam-Webster Dictionary has chosen "authentic", in an era of "deepfakes" and "post-truth", when authenticity "is questioned and valued more than ever", according to the Associated Press News. 

On the other hand, The Oxford English Dictionary, has chosen "rizz", meaning "charisma" or "charm", similar to the verb "to rizz up", which means "to attract for a sexual encounter" or to chat up and Macquarie Dictionary, in Sydney, has chosen "cozzie livs" a humorous play on "cost of living", among an interesting shortlist of runner-ups in Aussie English. 

Most of the articles can be read by B2 students, but, perhaps the Merriam-Webster and Macquarie texts are more suitable for C1 students.  You will find fascinating words like: 

Collins: bazball, influencing, nepo baby, ultra-processed, canon event, debanking, greedflation, semaglutide , ULEZ.

Cambridge: to spark [a worldwide discussion], natural language processing, to track [changes in the language], trustworthy, to prevent from [happening], accurate, a prompt, a quizz, ephemeral, ghost [work], [voice] cloning.

Merriam-Webster: a lookup, to boost, to delve into [the reasons], to head for, a spike, deeds, a cockney [accent], worthy, a [data] cruncher, to filter out, evergreen, a bevy, a runner-up, EGOT, rizz, kibbutz, to implode, a deadname, an onslaught, to curtail [LGBTQ+ rights], doppelganger, a springboard, to soar, deepfake, a lawsuit, dystopian, covenant, to indict.

OED: to pertain, to rizz up, a prompt, to harness, a prompt engineer, situationship, to blend, to coin [a word], the noughties, swiftie. 

Macquarie: to coin, to resonate, clipped, reminiscent, menty b, locky d, to be joined, settled, blue-sky flood, algospeak, a deluge, to circumvent, surveillance, low-lying, flow, floodwater, cessation, substantial [rainfall], coded, to shadowban, innocuous, generative AI, to touch a nerve, skimpflation, succinct.

Finally, you can listen to the Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC, where Ben Zimmer, a linguist and language columnist from the The Wall Street Journal, discusses the words of the year 2023 with the radio host and some listeners in the segment 2023 as Defined by the Words of the Year, an audio recording (25:32) which is recommended for C2 students without the help of the transcript, or for C1 students with the support of the transcript.

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A mini-lesson plan for B2+/ C1/ C2 students: To activate some vocabulary through interaction, you can discuss the following questions with your students or mates in English: Which of these words do you like most? Which of these words make you feel uneasy? Do you have your own, 2023 word of the year either in English or in Spanish? Which one and why?

If you want to keep on talking, you can find more questions on the topic "Words" at ESL Discussions.com/Words.

You can also read here about "Goblin Mode", the Oxford Word of the Year 2022.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas & Let It Snow by Michael Bublé

'Twas the Night Before Chirstmas is a poem originally written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1987 with the title "A Visit (from St. Nicholas)", and still today, it is a favourite bedtime story for children on Christmas Eve.

Here you can find a fill-in the gaps task & key for B2 students based on Michael Bublé's rendition of 'Twas was the Night Before Christmas, with a direct link to YouTube below, and my transcription of Bublé's version plus Moore's original poem.The task is rather easy, but the vocabulary includes many descriptive words which are more C1 level than B2, you will find these expressions: to stir, a stocking, to be nestled, snug, sugar-plums, 'kerchief, cap, to settle down, a nap, the lawn, the clatter, to spring (sprang, sprung), a flash, to tear (tore, torn), a shutter, the sash [window], the breast, new-fallen [snow], the lustre, a sleigh, a reindeer, to whistle,  the porch, to dash away, a hurricane, to mount, the coursers, a twinkling, to prance, to paw, a hoof, a bound, a fur, to be tarnished, ash, soot, a bundle, to fling (flung, flung), a pedler (Am Eng), to twinkle, a dimple, merry, the cheeks, droll, to be drawn up, a bow, the chin,the stump, a pipe, [to hold] tight, to encircle, a wreath, a broad [face], a [round] belly, a bowlful of jelly, chubby, plump, jolly, an elf, a wink [of his eye], a twist [of his head], to dread, a jerk, to lay [a finger], to give [a nod], to rise (rose, risen), a whistle, the down [of] a thistle, [out of] sight.

If you want to listen to another Christmas song by the contemporary clooner from Canada Michael Bublé, you can play the song Let It Snow, and do another fill-in the gap task with its key, which is also accessible to B2 students. Some interesting words you will find here are: frightful, delightful, to pop, [the lights are] way [down] low, to kiss good night, [to hold somebody] tight. 

 

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You can find more texts and recordings about Christmas on the following entries in this blog: Christmas (18/12/20), The Magic of Christmas (25/12/22).

The Science and Lawfulness of Cow Belching

Cow belching has recently become central in climate change research. Cows and sheep produce tons of methane, a gas that contributes to global warming 84 times more than CO2 does, so, scientists are trying to figure out how these emissions can be curbed to make farming more competitive in a world with higher environmental standards. 

BBC News has recently published the article How New Zealand is reducing methane emissions from farming, which looks into the latest scientific techniques to measure methane emissions in cows and explores changes in emission reduction policy in New Zealand, a cow and sheep farming country. This long article is tough, and only suitable for C2 learners and Experts for a number of reasons: ordinary language learners will not be very familiar with the complexity of its technical and legal content, and the language is a challenging mixture of different registers (scientific, technical, legal and political): it begins with very precise language to describe the methane emission monitoring device for cows, and moves on to describe emission reduction technologies, in a formal, dense, almost academic style, while, in earlier paragraphs, it also adds some light-hearted words to entice the general public to start reading it. 

In the story you will find a rich set of words like: [to reach] a goal, to curb [emissions], a hood, to scoop up, a pellet, to chew, to flick [his ears], to exhale, a contraption, high-tech, to cook up, to be laced with, the digestive tract, to hoover up, a fan, a gallon, a device, to snack, a burp, to churn out, livestock, to scrutinise, mischief, to be enticed, tasty, a hay cube, a lolly, a barn [stay], [food] intake, weight gain, a cattle breeding [cooperative], and counting, a first step in, to curtail [emissions], an [unusual emissions] profile, to hang around, to tackle a [powerful] lever, to sign up to [a pledge], to focus on, to plug a leak, an oil field, [a gas] pipeline, to brew, a niche, to punch above its weight, biogenic [methane], waste, to be consistent with [global efforts], an [international] commitment, to unveil [its strategy], greenhouse gases, a low-emissions [future], an [important] player, a chunk [of the pie], a pricing scheme, to boost, mitigation tech [development], the demise, a shift in policy, gene editing [technology], [to have] what it takes, to harness [scientific tools], a [methane-blocking] vaccine, a silver bullet, to seek, to fund, the inception, [scientifically] challenging, a shortfall in [feasible options], an [available] approach, to milk, a set of [technologies], the [2030- 2040] bracket, to pay dividends, to be likely, to make the grade, a feed-additive, feedlot [animals], tricky [to implement], grazing, to munch [grass], to figure out, [economically] viable, a holy grail, long-lasting, pasture, elusive, the toolbox, [methane] outputs, [dairy] herd, [to verify] the trait, to breed, a low-emitting cow, a [gut] bug, feed, to be underway, sired, to be monitored, a curveball, to handle, a painstaking [process], to yield, a flock [of sheep], fatty [acid], [the spectre] to loom [large], a levy, to date back to [2003], a [fart tax] furore, a misnomer, a cowpat, to lobby, to be roped into, an outlier [industry], to campaign on [a promise], to secure [a deal], [well-thought-through] policy, to achieve [climate targets], input, a scheme, to be meant to [come into effect], to fall over, expertise, emissions pricing policy, a delay, damaging, to catch up, costly, to reward, invidious, to focus on [mitigation], to level the playing field, to dip [by 1.4%], a blip, a [stubborn] plateau, a [new] trend, to be offset, [not to be] on track, [to meet] the overall [emissions], to result in [reductions], [to be] steadfast in [its commitment to the Paris agreement], a keystone [climate policy], to be set to [be discarded], work-in-progress, proven [interventions], to be up to [the new government], to heed [the commission's advice], to fail [to meet], carbon credits. 

That vocabulary and a first reading of the previous article can be an introduction to help students understand some of the following videos about the same topic. Vice News thoroughly explained in July 2023 the confronting political views and the science of the issue in a very informal and funny report, which features ordinary New Zealanders speaking with their local accents in the video "Are Cow Burps Destroying New Zealand?" (16:21), the video has subtitles and a helpful transcription for C1 learners, and has been copied at the bottom of this entry. Vox News explains the basic chemistry of the issue in the video "Cow burps are a climate problem. Can seaweed help?" (5:58), which can also be watched at C1 level with English subtitles.  Finally, the potential of the cow belching problem to develop brand new high-tech tools can be fully appreciated in the Reuters story "Satellites measure cow belches from space" (2:23), which can also be accessible to C1 students with the English subtitles. 

American Friends of the Prado Museum

American Friends of the Prado Museum is a philantropic organisation dedicated to "the preservation, dissemination and enjoyment [...] of the legacy of the Prado Museum". They recently bought a 15th Century painting by Lluís Borrassà, originally displayed in the altarpiece of the Saint Martha chapel in the Barcelona Cathedral, to expand the Catalan Gothic collection of the Prado Museum. They also produce a weekly video to comment on a different work of art, which is sent to Museo Nacional del Prado followers via Facebook or Instagram.  Some of these videos can also be seen on American Friends YouTube Channel. 

First you can watch the video comment about Goya's Majas, which lasts 7:38 and it is suitable for B2+ students with subtitles and C1 students without subtitles. The vocabulary is not too technical, you will find words like: naked, clothed, to elicit, praise, to scratch, a stir, a portrait, to be commissioned, to be displayed, an exhibit, sculpture, lifted, bent, elbow, nudity, reclining, a goddess, a nude, void, a burning [question], a patron, curly [hair], a duchess, keen to [get rid of], [to have a body] exhumed, to rumour, to paint over, [to bear] a resemblance, a leading [expert], [to cause] stir, Fine Arts, to be stored, censorship, appealing, upper-class, to bend the rules, liberal [sexual attitudes], controversy, brushstrokes, a precursor.

You can also watch the comment on Goya's Black Paintings, recommended for C1 students (12:25).  The Black Paintings are the most personal and imaginative work of the Aragonese genius, they depict the "unsettling" and "terrifying" evils of Goya's society like "superstition, magic, inequality, ignorance" or the "cruelty of war". These paintings placed Goya in a unique position in the history of art, as the precursor of avant-guard movements like expresionism and surrealism. Another fascinating video you can watch is the commentary on Goya's historical paintings of the 2nd and 3rd of May 1808, where Goya becomes a forerunner of photo journalism, which is available on Facebook. There are many more comment videos on Velazquez, Veronese, Rubens, El Greco, Zuloaga etc.

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You can also find more entries about art in this blog, like the lesson plan on Art and Feminine Power, about the British Museum exhibition currently on at CaixaForum Madrid, the post marking Goya's 275th Anniversary or the entry about the blogger and photographer Jonna Jinton, you just have to look up the tag "Art" on the right column of the web version of this blog.

Rowan Atkinson (with Elton John, Wedding from Hell & How to Date)

Rowan Atkinson is one of the funniest British comedy actors ever, according to The Observer and to his fellow comedians. He has enjoyed an incredibly long career on TV starring in the title role of Blackadder (1983-1989), Mr. Bean (1990-1995) and Johnny English (2003-2018), and he has also performed in very successful British films like "Mr. Bean", the Bond film "Never Say Never Again", "Four Weddings and a Funeral", "Love Actually" or voicing Zazu in "The Lion King". 

Here you can find three of his sketches. The first one is Rowan Atkinson's interview to Elton John (5:46). The humour in this video with subtitles is based on facial expressions, and the language is quite simple so, it can be watched by B2 students and above, who, nevertheless, will find interesting words like: a performer, to encompass, to come by [a name], awkward, to cock up, a [record] sleeve, lyrics, presumably, chronic, forgetfulness, to follow, fair enough, a candle, a Christian name, pointless, bloody. a dickhead.

The second video is Wedding from Hell (Part 3). Father In-Law (3:30). This parody of a wedding reception speech is more complex linguistically as it mixes formal literary vocabulary with British slang and vulgar language, so it is recommended for C1 students, who can choose to use the subtitles or not (they are not perfect). Some of the interesting words you can find here are: damn, sloshed, delightful, charming, witty, well-placed, fertile, therefore, to hell with, a prick, a simile, a compost heap, a weed, to prop up, blatter, lush, a heard, steaming, to spurn, rabid, [to propose] a toast [to], the caterers, a pigeon, to crap, the (bride)groom, to sod off.

The third sketch is How to Date (Part 1) (2:28). The humour in this video with subtitles is basically gestual and the language is rather simple, so it can be recommended for B2 students and above. You will find interesting words and collocations like courting, the turnout, gratifying, to take [a girl] out, a [complex] issue, a [crucial] step, to arrange, to pick up [your date], a complete idiot, to overdo [something], to be introduced to, attitude, all-important, casual, keen, to escort [her to your table].

If you want to keep on laughing with other sketches by Rowan Atkinson, you can watch "Rowan Atkinson's Sermon" (16/06/2020) and "Will Mr. Bean Be Back Again?" on this blog, or you can subscribe to Rowan Atkinson Live YouTube channel.

"We the People": The Spanish, American and UK Constitutions

Wednesday, December 6th is Constitution Day in Spain. In this entry you can find a short introduction to the Spanish Constitution (1978), the American Constitution, and the unwritten Constitution of the United Kingdom, a lesson plan for C1 level, and some extra articles to expand your knowledge for C2 students and Experts (beyond C2).  You can look up the most difficult words appearing in the body of this post at the very bottom of this entry, just above the video.

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The Constitution of the United Kingdom is the oldest and most peculiar of the three. It is not written in a document, it is "an uncodified constitution", so it is based on a set of customs, usages and codes that establish parliamentary sovereignty, democracy and the rule of law (including the upholding of international law and human rights).  The British constitution is interpreted by the UK Supreme Court, and it applies to the United Kingdom, including Scotland, Wales and England after the Acts of Union (1707) and to Northern Ireland after the Acts of Union (1800), which were signed by the kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland. The UK Constitution dates back to the Magna Carta signed by King John of England (1215), which limited the absolute power of the monarch and granted some basic legal rights. The Magna Carta was later on augmented by the Bill of Rights (1689), which is a crucial statute in English constitutional law and sets out more civil rights like freedom of speech; the right of petition; the right to suffer no cruel or unusual punishments; legal immunity for members of Parliament (on actions of deeds made in the course of their legislative duties) etc.

In recent years there has been talk and some initiatives to reform the UK constitution. Devolution of power to the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland assemblies, has been the most conspicuous. Here you can read the BBC article "Devolution: What is it and how does it work across the UK?", which comes with a C1 lesson plan.  At the bottom of this post you will find some of the key words in this article. 

The Institute for Government, a moderate centre-left think tank, and the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge have recently published some reports to review certain constitutional issues, like Parliament, devolution in England, electoral reform, the House of Lords, the Monarchy, the role of the political parties etc. The video "Review of the UK Constitution" (6:48) summarizes their goals and conclusions. The use technical legal vocabulary (jargon), and the density of complex constitutional concepts in the narration, raise the difficulty of the video and make it suitable for C2 students, even though there are subtitles. If you are extremely interested in the subject, you can check out the Institute for Government web page, and the short conclusions in the Review of the UK Constitution: Final Report, which is recommended for Experts, (above C2 level).  Brian Christopher Jones, on the other hand, offers arguments to keep the unwritten UK constitution as it is now in the article A single written UK Constitution may only make things worse.  This highbrow academic essay is suitable for experts in British law (Ex level).

The American Constitution (1789) establishes the separation of powers in three branches: the legistalive in the US Congress, which is composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the executive which includes the President, the Vice president and the cabinet at federal level (and the governors at state level), and the judicial, whose highest court if the U.S. Supreme Court. The original American constitution was amended to include civil rights in the U.S. Bill of Rights. At the bottom of the post, you can find a TED-Ed video (3:34) that explains the U.S. Bill of Rights, which is included in the lesson plan for C1 students, and a list of key words.

Some political movements call for reform of the American constitution one way or another.  For example, the progressive Brennan Centre for Justice calls for the expansion of voting rights, the revision gerrymandering, the limitation of big donations to finance political campaigns, or the ending mass incarceration, among others. But the reality of the judiciary branch of power is that the current US Supreme Court has the largest conservative majority in the past 90 years, as 6 out of its 9 members (or "justices") were appointed by presidents Bush and Trump -NPR reported in the article "The Supreme Court is the most conservative in 90 years"- so, in recent years, they have overturned historical court rulings like Roe v. Wade, that established the federal right to access abortion and, as a result, women in certain states no longer have the right to abortion, as CNN reported in "Abortion law state map: See where abortions are legal or banned".

The Spanish Constitution (1978) is the supreme law of the Kingdom of Spain. It is the culmination of the Spanish transition to democracy, and its approval in a referendum meant the legal end of the the Francoist dictatorship. According to Wikipedia, "article 1.1 states that Spain is a social and democratic state under the rule of law with the legal values of liberty, justice, equality and political pluralism. Article 1.2  refers to national sovereignty, which is vested in the Spanish people, article 1.3 establishes parliamentary monarchy as the political form of the Spanish state". All in all, there are 169 articles and a number of additional and transitory provisions in the Spanish Constitution.

Some of the key words in the body of this post are: codes, sovereignty, to uphold, to date back to, to grant [legal rights], to augment, a statute, to set out, a petition, deeds, devolution, conspicuous, a think tank, jargon, highbrow, [the three] branches [of power], the cabinet, to be amended, civil rights, gerrymandering, incarceration, to overturn, a court ruling, a dictatorship, to state, to be vested, a provision.

Some of the key words in the BBC article "Devolution: What is it and how does it work across the UK?", are: to be run, an elected body, policy, tax, to raise/ lower [income tax], forestry, courts, stamp duty, welfare, to argue for, highways, landfill [tax], power-sharing, mandatory, to be dissolved, [relations] break down, a mayor, to set [priorities], [bus] fares, the Tube, a target, affordable.

Some key words in the TED-Ed video, "U.S. Bill of Rights" below include: assembly, to bear [arms], an amendment, search, seizure, privacy, a trial, a jury.