The Linguist

20 The Linguist Vol/64 No/4 The year in politics 1 Berlin police banned all languages except German and English, and said "anyone who speaks Arabic endangers public safety", at a protest against what? a) The war on Gaza. b) An anti-migrant demonstration. c) Germany's new immigration policy. 2 Why were thousands of truckers taken off the road in the USA? a) For displaying Spanish signage. b) Their driver's licence wasn't translated. c) For failing a new roadside English test. 3 What service is Reform's so-called 'waste- busting Doge' unit planning to axe in Kent? a) Translation of council communications. b) English classes for migrants. c) 'Other language' pages of the council's website. 4 Which country adopted English as its only Official Language this year? a) USA. b) Zambia. c) Niger. Test your knowledge of the language stories this year Fun facts 1 The Ig Nobel Peace Prize (for science that makes you laugh and think) was won this year by a study that found what? a) Participants' language proficiency improved after drinking vodka. b) Animals interrupt each other as much as humans (in a study on turn-taking). c) Language learners who wore a funny hat in class progressed more quickly. 2 What is unusual about Spain's new Scrabble champion Nigel Richards? a) He now holds the title in five languages. b) He doesn't speak Spanish. c) He enters in a different language each year. 3 In 2025, which city was declared a City of Languages, joining eight others in the UK? a) Newcastle. b) Portsmouth. c) Sheffield. 4 Which app's £20,000 Language Challenge encouraged UK MPs to study languages? a) Duolingo. b) Babbel. c) Rosetta Stone. Embarrassing mistakes 1 Why did Meta apologise to the Chief Minister of Karnataka, India, following an error with their automated translations? a) He was referred to using a racist slur. b) He was erroneously declared dead. c) 'Chief Minister' was rendered as 'mob boss'. 2 Why did Labour apologise for using a song by DJ Holanda in a TikTok promo video? a) It has misogynistic lyrics in Portuguese. b) The track was used without permission. c) They were responding to criticism that they hadn't used a British artist singing in English. 3 Why was Donald Trump slammed for asking Liberian President Joseph Boakai where he learnt to speak English "so beautifully"? a) It is the official language of Liberia. b) He used an interpreter with other African leaders when they were speaking English. c) He never uses other languages himself. 4 In which language did a road sign refer to a school as having an "angry look", rather than paying tribute to the town's miners? a) Polish. b) Xhosa. c) Welsh. 3 By how many percentage points has the gap in GCSE language take-up widened between the least and most affluent areas? a) 22. b) 33. c) 55. 4 By how much was funding for the UK's flagship National Consortium for Languages Education (NCLE) cut? a) 11%. b) 32%. c) 45%. Schools out 1 Which UK universities curtailed plans to axe their language departments after protests? a) Cardiff and Aberdeen. b) Bangor and Nottingham. c) Oxford and Cambridge. 2 FFT Datalab came to what worrying finding? a) Languages are (still) graded more harshly than other subjects in the UK. b) Decline in language take-up in the UK will reach the point of no return by 2028. c) Use of ChatGPT in coursework is distorting GCSE results by up to half a grade. The language quiz 2025

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