Professor John Hajek
Discipline Chair of Languages, School of Languages and Linguistics, Faculty of Arts, University of Melbourne
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Arts & Culture
I don’t think that word means what you think it means
Words change their meaning over time, but it can be hard to keep up, especially when some words evolve to mean the opposite of their original definition
Arts & Culture
The power of the pun
Love them or hate them, puns have been around for centuries and still endure today. But what is it about the pun that has ensured their persistence? Because sometimes they’re not that funny
Education
Go Figure
Why are Australians linguistically lost?
In the 1960s, the structured teaching of English grammar was taken off the Australian curriculum, so many of us left school without knowledge of it. But it’s being phased back in, and that’s going to help a lot of students as the world gets
Politics & Society
Will Berlusconi make a comeback in Italy? It’s anybody’s guess
Italians head to the polls for the country’s General Election under a new electoral system amid anti-immigration sentiment, promises of cash for retirees and proposals of a new currency
Arts & Culture
Go Figure
Why doesn’t modern Australia have diverse regional accents?
Unlike other countries the modern Australian-English accent doesn’t have huge regional variations. So what are the factors that lead to the evolution of an accent?
Arts & Culture
Eurovision skyrockets into orbit with Timberlake
Eurovision’s knack for capturing the zeitgeist is paying off amid Swedish savviness and raw US star power
Arts & Culture
Visions of Eurovision
The famous song contest is as serious as it is fun - and it’s also a great way of learning about Europe