Lippy Linguist

Featured image: Let’s get things done!

Let’s get things done!

Andreea Calude • Feb 15, 2019

If language is about getting a message across and about getting things done, then there is nothing that does it better than a verb. The more I study verbs, the more I feel this humble grammatical object is key to understanding so much about how we communicate and how our minds work. All you need is VERBS If actions speak … Read More

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Featured image: Does good grammar really matter?

Does good grammar really matter?

Andreea Calude • May 08, 2018

This post was originally published on The Spinoff. The emphasis placed on formal written grammar in schools obscures the fact that English has many kinds of grammar – and they’re all equally valid, writes Waikato University senior lecturer in linguistics, Andreea Calude. “But don’t you want your kids to get a job one day?” There are almost 200 people … Read More

Featured image: Language lost and found – keeping your mother tongue going one song at a time

Language lost and found – keeping your mother tongue going one song at a time

Andreea Calude • May 02, 2018

I still sing that song sometimes – if you ever hear me sing it, you really wished you hadn’t, trust me! I just can’t sing. But in a foreign language, even bad singing sounds bearable. Or so I tell myself. Mi-a zis mama că mi-o da, văleleu, văleleu, zestre când m-oi mărita, văleu, văleu, văleu, Două-zeci de perne moi … Read More

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Featured image: The slippery grammar of spoken vs written English

The slippery grammar of spoken vs written English

Andreea Calude • Mar 16, 2018

Andreea S. Calude, University of Waikato This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. My grammar checker and I are on a break. Due to irreconcilable differences, we are no longer on speaking terms. It all started when it became dead set on putting commas before every single “which”. Despite all the … Read More

Featured image: I spy with my little eye a few grammar misconceptions

I spy with my little eye a few grammar misconceptions

Andreea Calude • Feb 26, 2018

I don’t know how other people are, but certain things immediately evoke strong emotions for me; freshly brewed coffee makes me feel warm and cosy, hearing “kia ora” makes me feel at home, and reading pieces such as Paul Little’s latest article reminds me why I write this blog post: because people sometimes need to know the truth and … Read More

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Featured image: The linguistic landscapes of bilingual picturebooks: Teaching children that languages are created equal

The linguistic landscapes of bilingual picturebooks: Teaching children that languages are created equal

Guest Author • Feb 02, 2018

By Dr Nicola Daly Often when we hear someone speak, we start making inferences about the characteristics and personality of the person. There is a considerable body of research concerning language attitudes which shows, for example, that when we hear a person speaking with a Received Pronunciation or RP British English accent (also known as the Queen’s … Read More