February 26, 2013 · 11:45 am

The Death of Cromarty

How many people noticed the end of Cromarty, a fisherfolk dialect? 12065731951765855270johnny_automatic_New_England_fisherman.svg.medFortunately, a researcher collected examples of Cromarty dialect words and recordings were made of the language before the death of its last native speaker in October 2012.

Follow this link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-19802616

Should we make concerted efforts to ensure the survival of minority languages? Or should they be left as charming relics of a by-gone age in a world where language is increasingly homogenised by our use of electronic media?

Follow this link:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/oct/04/cromarty-gone-now-have-spanglish

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September 29, 2012 · 11:55 am

Hello language-lovers!

This is going to be a ‘work-in-progress’. It will take time, but the aim is to create  a comprehensive set of language study materials. The focus will be on knowledge of key concepts and practical reinforcement.

I’m going to start with the basics because a secure foundation makes the transition to higher levels of grammar more manageable. I want to make you feel confident about analysis at phrase, clause and sentence level. It’s not as difficult as you think and, for those of you following examination courses, examiners love to see discussion that moves beyond word classes!

I hope this site will be useful to teachers and students who study language formally, but also to anyone who has a general interest in language, or a desire to know more about the ways in which language works. I welcome comments and questions so get in touch and let me know what you would like to see appearing on these pages …

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