Is English a creole? Actually, what is a creole?
Hits in the headlines #87
In the world of basketball, there has been one person who has arguably changed that future of the sport, more than anyone else. That person is Caitlin Clark. Whether you have heard her name or not, she has drawn enormous crowds and viewership to women’s basketball, and has changed the way that many people view the sport. Whilst clear divides between the men’s and women’s game are still very present, the growth of women’s sports is unmatched. In the UK, the nation finally brought home an international trophy when the Lionesses (England’s women’s football team) won the European Championship in 2022. Since then, there has been a rapidly growing interest in the spot. And the same is certainly true for women’s basketball in the US. The biggest difference is that the change in the US has been mostly sparked by interest in one individual. The story is great, it has wide implications for sport, and there are plenty of surprises too.
The second story this week is about a skill that many colleges and programmes claim to be able to teach, but studies suggest that it doesn’t really work. The skill in question is “speed reading”. Some speed readers claim to be able to read as much as 1000 words per minute. It is likely that this is much less effective than reading at a more comfortable pace. Here lies the issue: speed reading might get you through the pages more quickly, but does it come with any cost? Whether you set yourself reading goals or not, the idea of reading faster is pretty appealing. For some, the speed that they read at is a big factor in how often they read, and improving this could be a way to increase that enjoyment. Comparing with others is rarely a useful exercise, but we all know people who seem to finish a book every couple of days. It might seem like they are just some of the quickest readers. The truth is not so clear. So is this skill actually something you can learn?
Finally, a big question is posed by the video this week: Is English a creole? You may already be asking, “What even is a creole”? Well, a creole is a language that develops when languages mix together, develop, then have native speakers. When two groups of different language speakers come together, they may learn small amounts of each other’s language. Without learning a whole new language, these speakers often borrow words and grammar from each other’s language. As the language is spoken more and more, rules develop and the number of speakers grows. At this point, the language is often referred to as a “pidgin”. Once this pidgin has native speakers – that is, people who speak this language at L1 – the language would typically be categorised as a creole. So, now with a better understanding of what it is, we can focus on the question from the video: Is English a creole?
Why not use this as a chance to learn some new language?
Try to note some new language that you see or hear in the articles or video and bring it to the class.
https://www.vox.com/explain-it-to-me/397103/caitlin-clark-wnba-nba-super-bowl-tickets
https://bigthink.com/smart-skills/neuroscience-speed-reading-bullshit/
Remember, I always encourage you to send in your interesting articles, videos, or podcasts. You can message me directly, or email me here.
Have a great week.
See you in class!