8 new words in English for 2024

 Language is constantly evolving and adapting to the needs of its speakers. The dynamic nature of language ensures its survival and relevance in a rapidly changing world. Each year, dictionaries select their Word of the Year. In 2023, the Oxford University Press chose rizz (noun), which means to have charisma. Other dictionaries chose hallucinate (verb), which is when an AI model produces incorrect or false information and AI (noun) which means artificial intelligence. These choices demonstrate that words and phrases are continually being added to the English language, so it’s important to keep up to date with them. Let’s have a look at 8 new words in English for 2024 you’ll likely hear a lot.

1. prompt (noun)

Although you might have heard this word before, it’s taken on a new meaning with the evolution of AI. 

• A prompt is an instruction given to an artificial intelligence programme, which determines or influences the content it generates.
  The prompt for the chatbot was to provide information on the latest tech trends.

Relevance
With the increasing use of AI, the term prompt has become essential in discussing how AI systems function and how to generate content with human input.

2. heat dome (noun)

• A heat dome is a persistent high-pressure weather system over a particular geographic area. It traps a mass of hot air below it.
  The heat dome resulted in record-breaking temperatures across the region.

Relevance
Discussions around climate change introduce new meteorological terms like heat dome. Many more will likely develop in the near future. 

3. free-range (adjective)

Though this term has been around for a while, it has only recently been added to the dictionary. 

• When something (e.g. chickens, eggs) is free-range, it means that animals are kept in natural conditions and can move around freely, rather than being kept in cages.
  I only buy free-range eggs. 
  

Relevance
There are more and more discussions about animal welfare, and knowing how animals are treated before they are consumed. 

4. situationship (noun)

• A situationship is a romantic or sexual relationship that is not considered to be formal or established.
  They were in a situationship for months before deciding to make their relationship official.
  

Relevance
This word reflects modern relationships beyond traditional labels.

5. figurehead (noun)

• A figurehead is a person who has an important-sounding title or position in a group or organisation but doesn’t have much real power or authority.
  The CEO was seen as a figurehead in the company, while the true decision-making power was with the board of directors.
  

Relevance
This term highlights the distinction between a symbolic leader and one with actual authority.

6. life admin (noun)

• The routine tasks and responsibilities in daily life, such as paying bills, making appointments or organising paperwork.
  Su Jin spent her Saturday morning tackling her life admin, from sorting through emails to scheduling appointments.

Relevance
This term helps explain the various mundane but necessary tasks that keep our lives running smoothly.

7. buzzed (adjective)

• When you’re buzzed, you’re excited.
  He was buzzed to hear the news. 
  

Relevance
Who doesn’t want a new English word to describe a good feeling?!

8. large language model / LLM (noun)

• An LLM is a computer program or artificial intelligence system capable of understanding and generating human-like text based on extensive language training and data.
  ChatGPT, a large language model (LLM), can generate coherent and contextually relevant responses to a wide range of text inputs.
  

Relevance
Large language models like ChatGPT are revolutionising the way we interact with technology and engage in natural language conversations, emphasising the importance of staying informed about cutting-edge language developments.

 

Language is a reflection of our ever-changing world, and as it evolves, it expands our ability to express new ideas and concepts. By staying up to date with emerging words, we further our communication and embrace the dynamic nature of language. 

10 Reasons To Use Songs In The Young Learner Classroom from Oxford University Press

 Songs are a great way for children to learn English. But where do we start and how do we go about it? In this post, Nick Manthei, OUP Senior Professional Development Consultant, shares his thoughts.

Name one activity that gets all students to give their full attention, supports pronunciation in English and allows fun movement of the body. As you can guess from the title of this blog, it is songs that can do all this consistently, plus start a lesson well, repair a lesson when things get a little chaotic, and can close a lesson with a review of the language learned.

Here, I present you with ten reasons to use songs with your young learners along with song ideas!

1. Songs create a positive atmosphere

Singing and movement naturally put a smile on everyone’s face. Songs are fun and learners look forward to joining the harmony whenever they get a chance. They can even make learners giggle, which is one of the best sounds to hear from a class. A fun example of this is with the song ‘Here is the Beehive’ and pretending to sting each other after the chorus.

2. Songs help to balance energy levels

When learners are bored or distracted, I find that a good upbeat song is the thing to recapture their energy for the lesson. An example here could be ‘Wheels on the Bus. When learners are overstimulated and it’s time to reorganize to start a new task, I find slow songs can be helpful in the transition from lots of movement to lesser amounts of movement. An example here could be ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’.

3. They are very effective in signalling transitions

Moving from a coursebook activity to a non-coursebook activity, or vice versa, can be a real challenge for young learners. A short and simple song can really help learners speed up their tidying-up process and can get them motivated for the next activity. It signals to the learners that we are moving on to the next activity so let’s get ready. An example here could be a Tidy Up or Clean Up song.

4. Songs use the body

Sitting still for long periods of time is not something young learners are known for. They are curious, want to learn, and also want to move. Moving and singing at the same time can actually help vocabulary retention and understanding meaning. A great song example for this is ‘Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed’.

5. They allow everyone to participate

Some of our learners come to our classes with a lot of English vocabulary, while others in the same class may be learning English for the first time. Singing is an activity that children of all levels can enjoy equally. Students with low levels of English will be able to follow along with gestures and dances as they gradually learn the language in the song. More advanced students can enjoy singing and dancing while improving their rhythm, intonation, and pronunciation, even if they already know all the words. A great example here could be ‘If you are happy and you know it’ as it is quite easy to pick up the lyrics as well as allowing advanced learners to make up lyrics like ‘If you are sad and you know it start to cry’.

6. They can be used for group participation

Any song can get boring after a dozen times. To keep it exciting why not ask students to break into groups? You can have one group sing one line and the second group sing the next. This back-and-forth makes it fun for all. Additionally, you could give each group a keyword. Everyone sings sitting but when the keyword is said the group with that keyword stands up briefly and sits down. Great fun with this vocab game is while singing ‘Old McDonald’.

7. Songs allow for quick review

It can sometimes be difficult to provide as much review as we’d like for our students. Songs are a fun, easy way to quickly recycle language from earlier lessons. An example when reviewing body parts is ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes’.

8. Songs stay in the minds of young learners for a long time

When you teach with songs, you can be assured those songs will bounce around your students’ heads long after the class is over. They can spontaneously start singing in the park, while washing hands or even when in bed. The same can’t be said for most other teaching tools. ‘Baby shark’ is an example that seems to get stuck in everyone’s head, especially the teacher’s!

9. They can help make a strong lesson routine for your learners

Learners thrive when they know what to expect in the lesson. Why not make it part of your everyday routine so that learners know to expect a song or two at a certain time of their lesson? This helps them mentally prepare both for the lesson as well as the songs.

10. Songs can be used to help the four skills

Taking songs one step further, I often include a skill exercise to really exploit the song. For reading you could print out the lyrics and scramble them for your learners to put back in order. For writing you could use parts of the song as a dictation or simply just write their favorite line. Learners could listen to an unknown song first and ask them what it is about and then show them the lyrics. And finally, you can turn the song into a speaking activity where learners get into groups of three and decide on new lyrics for the song. Any song could be used to help you work on any skill.