11 h. ago Truckers fear job loss as new English language rules take effect

Brushing up on English has taken on new urgency for truck drivers in the United States

Politics

3 d. ago The school where NONE of the pupils speak English as first language

Kobi Nazrul primary school in London 's East End is unique. It's thought to be the only school in the country with no pupils who speak English as a first language.

Politics

2 w. ago From ‘Tudo bem?’ to ‘Gracias,’ a growing share of US residents speak a language other than English

New figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau show that 22% of U.S. residents spoke a language other than English at home

Politics

2 w. ago How the use of a word in the Guardian has gotten some readers upset | Elisabeth Ribbans

‘Got’ was changed during the editing of an opinion piece, leading to correspondence lamenting a slide into American English. But language isn’t a fortressIn Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Part II, a messenger breathlessly announces to the king that, “Jack Cade hath gotten London bridge”. Hold this late 16th-century text in mind as we fast forward to last week when Martin Kettle, associate editor and columnist at the Guardian in the UK, was seen to suggest in an opinion piece that, if King Charles has pushed the boundaries of neutrality, such as with his speech to open the new Canadian parliament, he has so far “gotten away with it”.In a letter published the next day, a reader asked teasingly if this use of “gotten” – and another writer’s reference to a “faucet” – were signs the Guardian had fallen into line with Donald Trump’s demand that news agencies adopt current US terminology, such as referring to the “Gulf of America”.Elisabeth Ribbans is the Guardian’s global readers’ editorguardian...

Politics

3 w. ago Video stars: the booming VJ scene localising Hollywood films for Ugandans

Part-interpreters, part-comedians, video jockeys translate and contextualise western movies for audiences at homeOn a recent Saturday afternoon in an informal settlement in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, dozens of young men sat on benches in a dark shack to watch a bootlegged version of the Hollywood comedy-horror film The Monkey.As the English-language action unfolded on the screen, a voiceover translation in the Bantu language Luganda by VJ Junior – one of Uganda’s top video jockeys – boomed into the room. Continue reading...

Culture

3 w. ago You're probably showing your age if you use these 13 words and phrases, which are at risk of dying out

The English language has some brilliant words and phrases, some of which you’ll rarely hear outside of the UK.

Events

3 w. ago Lucy Spraggan says she became more 'palatable' as a lesbian on TV after weight loss and a boob job

In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Lucy - who has just realised her new single The Lesson opened up about being a lesbian in the public eye.

Politics

3 w. ago ‘It’s thrilling’: almost three centuries of the Belfast News Letter go online

The surviving editions of the world’s oldest, continuously published English-language daily can now be accessed freeThere was a packed news agenda on 3 October 1738. The father of the notorious highwayman Dick Turpin had been arrested after being found with a stolen horse. Cannon fire rang out in St Petersburg to mark a Russian victory over the Ottoman Empire. In America, four families had been killed in Virginia in clashes with Native Americans. Meanwhile, a horse fell in the Thames at Westminster, nearly causing a drowning.Welcome to the pages of the Belfast News Letter, where updates on the French Revolution run alongside adverts for brandy and the American Declaration of Independence was reported as a contemporary event. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago What it’s like to be in the graduating class of 2025 in Gaza | Nadera Mushtha

While students around the world dream of classrooms, students in Gaza dream of survivalBefore the war, students in Gaza were surrounded by books, not bombs. They woke each morning to the voices of their mothers urging them to get ready for school, not to the sound of airstrikes and screaming. They were focused on building a future, working hard to shape a better life for themselves and their homeland.Before the war started, my best friends and I used to go to the restaurants that were near the university, talking, laughing, eating and studying together, eating our breakfast together under a blue sky before going to the first lecture.Nadera Mushtha is a writer and poet from Gaza who is studying English language education at the Islamic University of Gaza. Her writing has been published on Al Jazeera, Mondoweiss, the Electronic Intifada, and the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Faizan Zaki, 13, rebounds from stunning gaffe to win National Spelling Bee crown

Texas teen Zaki wins 97th Scripps National Spelling BeeSpelling Bee quiz: can you beat the past years’ winners?Gallery: Best shots from the National Spelling BeeFaizan Zaki nearly threw away his opportunity to go from runner-up to champion at the Scripps National Spelling Bee with a shocking moment of overconfidence. Given a second chance, he seized the title of best speller in the English language.The 13-year-old from Allen, Texas, who lost in a lightning-round tiebreaker last year, outlasted eight other accomplished spellers to win the title on Thursday night, including two that he let back into the competition after his own careless flub. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Faizan Zaki wins the Scripps National Spelling Bee a year after finishing runner

Faizan Zaki has seized the title of best speller in the English language at the Scripps National Spelling Bee

Politics

3 w. ago French Open: Jannik Sinner and Coco Gauff in action on day five – live

Live coverage from Roland Garros from 10am UK timeKyrgios’s latest injury casts doubt on tennis futureYou can send your thoughts to Daniel via emailKrueger is playing nicely. Andreeva forces her through deuce in order to endorse, but she get there in the end; they’re both smacking it, but it’s the American whose radar is working better so far and she leads 2-0.Email! “Isn’t it nice, at Roland-Garros, to have the umpire giving the score only in French,” writes Michael Bulley. “Sadly, in all other tournaments where the local language is not English, the umpire gives the score bilingually, with an English translation. It’s really irritating. Nobody needs it. If the tournament’s in Germany, German will do fine.” Continue reading...

Politics

4 w. ago AP PHOTOS: Top young spellers compete in 100th Scripps National Spelling Bee

The best young spellers in the English language are competing at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

Culture

4 w. ago Scripps National Spelling Bee guide: How to watch, who the notable spellers are, rules and prizes

The best young spellers in the English language are set to compete at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year

Politics