tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post7748154394248600028..comments2023-04-21T15:19:04.905+08:00Comments on Being Multilingual: Language and languageMadalena Cruz-Ferreirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14782492322928803326noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-20306069536694295112011-12-16T22:41:47.446+08:002011-12-16T22:41:47.446+08:00I’m very glad I’m not the only one worrying about ...I’m very glad I’m not the only one worrying about these matters, Rebecca! All words are vague, we know that, but it does irk me to see professionals turn to using them in ways that obscure understanding even further. How can we make sense of things, when we need to stop at every word to wonder what so-and-so means by their use?? <br />Thank you for your support!<br />MadalenaMadalena Cruz-Ferreirahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14782492322928803326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132547320196715283.post-45098258779964251392011-12-15T22:01:04.787+08:002011-12-15T22:01:04.787+08:00Hi Madalena -- the increasing problem of terminolo...Hi Madalena -- the increasing problem of terminological imprecision in news media outlets is a major problem, I agree. A particular bugbear for me is how this (mal)practice has become especially corruptive in political reporting and commentary, as "ideology-creep" insinuates itself into the work and co-opts terminology to serve a prejudice that goes unacknowledged. In the case of the error in the BBC headline, it is careless and clumsy. You were fully justified in bringing it to the editors' attention (your "non-native intuition" is right-on). We can hope that it is the blindness of only one editor in this case. I, for one, really appreciate your attention to this matter.Rebecca Helm-Ropelatonoreply@blogger.com