The Language That Never Stands Still
Grammar: Discourse markers and connectors
A Level 4 English lesson exploring media.
What's in this lesson
A Level 4 (upper intermediate) ESL lesson on media, practising discourse markers and connectors. The worksheet has a reading, target vocabulary and discussion questions.
From the reading: The Language That Never Stands Still
In 2011, the word selfie appeared in an Australian online forum. By 2013, Oxford Dictionaries had named it Word of the Year. That journey — from a niche internet joke to a dictionary entry in under three years — is, admittedly, one of the fastest in English history. Nevertheless, it is part of a pattern that linguists have tracked for centuries: language does not wait for permission to change.
Vocabulary
- mainstream use
- niche internet
- track a pattern
- Word of the Year
- flattened out
- moved into
- named
- take over
- tracked
Discussion questions
- Does slang make a language richer or weaker?
- What is the most useful English word you have learned recently?
- Should dictionaries include internet words like 'slay' or 'lowkey'?
The Language That Never Stands Still
Grammar: Discourse markers and connectors
What's in this lesson:
Full lesson plan with reading, grammar, vocabulary, and discussion.
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