Runglish is a hybrid language that fuses elements of English and Russian, commonly spoken by English-speaking astronauts and Russian cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS). It has emerged throughout history whenever English and Russian speakers have come into contact, and is characterized by a mix of words, sounds, phrases, and expressions from both languages. Runglish is not the only example of people melding their mother tongue with a second language, as similar instances can be found among immigrants in other communities, such as the development of "Spanglish" dialects.
In today's English learning podcast, Princess Kate apologizes for altered photo, a Pacific grey whale is discovered in the Atlantic, scientists are developing small tissue organs from cells of pregnant women, and a discussion on organoids is followed by a lesson on pronunciation and fast speech.
Today's English podcast covers lessons from the war in Ukraine, the impact of a NASA mission to crash a spacecraft into an asteroid, and a discussion on reduced forms in the English language.
Cathay Pacific has terminated three flight attendants after they were accused of mocking passengers' English. A passenger on Sunday's flight from Chengdu, China to Hong Kong accused the flight attendants of discriminating against non-English speakers. An apparent voice recording of the incident shared on social media seems to show a crew member saying: "If you cannot say blanket in English, you cannot have it." The incident sparked outrage in China's state media.
An analysis of all performances since 1999 shows that, on average, songs in languages other than English receive 7% fewer points than those in English at the Eurovision Song Contest. However, performers who mix English lyrics with another language can be a hit: they receive 3% more votes than those who sing in English alone. Despite the declining popularity of English in the music industry overall, 17 of the 26 songs in this year's contest are fully or partly in English, while just one is in French.
Sanaz Toossi, a 31-year-old Iranian American playwright, won the Pulitzer Prize in drama for her first produced play, "English," which is about a language test-prep class in Iran. Toossi said the play was about "the pain of being misunderstood, and how language and identity are interwoven." She hopes the Pulitzer win signals to Iranians that their stories matter and that one day soon, the play can be performed in Iran. Toossi is also a member of the Writers Guild of America and is currently on strike.
Ana de Armas revealed in her Saturday Night Live monologue that she learned English by watching Friends, calling Chandler Bing the "best English tutor." The Cuban actress also shared a heartwarming story about Robert De Niro visiting her father at work after telling her he would say hello to her family if he ever went to Cuba. De Armas reflected on her banner year in Hollywood, including her recent Oscar nomination and upcoming American citizenship. She will next be seen in the Apple TV+ film Ghosted with Chris Evans.
Ana de Armas, the Cuban actress and star of "Knives Out" and "No Time to Die," hosted "Saturday Night Live" for the first time and revealed that she learned English by watching "Friends," with Chandler Bing as her best tutor. She also shared a touching story about Robert De Niro visiting her father at work and finished her monologue by paying tribute to her dad. De Armas will next co-star with Chris Evans in "Ghosted," a rom-com action thriller out April 21 on Apple TV+.
Ana de Armas made her debut as the host of Saturday Night Live and started off the monologue in Spanish, fooling viewers before revealing she speaks English. The Cuban-born actor said she learned English by watching Friends. She also talked about her Oscar nomination and becoming an American citizen in three weeks. De Niro's visit to her family in Cuba was also mentioned.
The Italian government has introduced legislation that could fine individuals up to €100,000 ($108,705) for using English and other foreign words in official communications, particularly in acronyms and job titles. The bill requires public officials to have written and oral knowledge of Italian and prohibits the use of English in official documentation. The legislation also requires foreign entities to have Italian language editions of all internal regulations and employment contracts. The Culture Ministry would establish a committee to oversee the correct use of the Italian language in schools, media, commerce, and advertising. The move to safeguard the Italian language joins an existing bid by the government to protect the country’s cuisine.
Italy's nationalist Brothers of Italy party, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has proposed a draft bill that would impose fines of up to 100,000 euros on public and private entities that use foreign terms, particularly English, instead of Italian in official communications. The bill aims to protect and nurture the Italian language, stating that the spread of English "demeans and mortifies" Italian. The proposed law also requires all public and private bodies to use the language of Dante to promote their goods and services, and stipulates that all job titles in companies operating in Italy should be spelt out in the local language.
New York state is set to lower its minimum test scores for student proficiency in math and English after a "learning loss" during the pandemic. The changes come after the scores for third through eighth grade tests slumped in 2022 compared to 2019. The committee is now resetting the lowest scores for each test to be deemed proficient. In 2019, 45.4% of New York’s students were graded proficient in English and 46.7% were in math.
