LINGUA
Being part of the School of Modern Languages, the Lingua section is extremely valuable to us all. It remains interesting and useful for language students without the usual pressure of extensive grammar rules. This issue's section is particularly exciting, containing a deeply insightful article about the important links between language and culture.
We’re so used to speaking and communicating every day that we tend to forget that language is a complex man-made construct that reflects the nature of the humans who first formed it. And as society evolves day by day, so does the way we speak and interact with each other. Different groups adopt their own preferred means of communicating, – often translated into ‘dialects’, ‘slang’ and ‘languages’- some words gain more or less importance over time, expressions are formed, language is coded and given varied meanings and connotations. Picking out and analysing the connections between language and culture is the challenging and fascinating task that Elizabeth Ross undertakes in her article. She brilliantly investigates the lessons the beloved Italian language teaches us about the culture. Her exploration is extremely thorough, even presenting us with twelve Italian expressions solely based on food – the cherry on top of the cake. Even better: this wonderful new article is written entirely in Italian! Simply ideal for this part of La Civetta. New perspective, new knowledge through a light, smooth read. Skip it and you’ll regret it!
Nathalie Perthuisot, Lingua Editor