Tag Archives: The English Project

Goalposts and Googlies: sport and the English language

On 23 March 2012, I’m giving the keynote address to the English Language Student Conference at the University of Winchester. This is a one-day conference for all students of English, from A-level to Masters, and papers are being given by undergraduate and postgraduate students from the universities in England, Wales, Poland, and Iran. My paper will explore some of the links – historical and contemporary – between sport and language, and will include a discussion of what we mean when we say ‘Olympic’. I will also take part in the plenary session, hosted by the English Project.

For more information, contact Dr Carolin Esser-Miles at the University of Winchester

 

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Sports Tweet of the Year Competition

13 October 2011 sees the start of The English Project‘s year-long series of events around the Language of Sport. Any historical study of sport will show you how meanings change over time. Think about how the word ‘amateur’ used to be a term of praise in sport, but is now more frequently a term of abuse, or how the simple word ‘football’ can mean one of many different sports and games depending on time and place. And don’t get me started on how ‘Olympic’ has meant so many different things over time.

There are many ways in which everyone can get involved with this fascinating work. The first is a Sports Tweet of the Year competition. The deadline is very soon, so get tweeting.

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