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English with Creative Writing < Back Bethan Beddow Bethan, an English with Creative Writing student, has a passion for writing, specifically writing about things close to her heart, such as underrated Welsh culture! Latest Articles by this Author Exploring the hidden treasures of Wales 15/12/22

Recipe of the Week: North African Chicken and Chips Emily Dawson Saturday 10 December 2022 Recipe of the week with @ems.homecooking will teach you a new dish from around the world. This week we're back in North Africa with a twist on the typical dish of chicken and chips. Serves : 2 Difficulty : 3/5 Time : 1hr to 1hr 20 minutes Origin : North Africa This dish is a North African twist on your mum’s typical Friday night chicken and chips dinner. While it sounds complicated, this meal is super simple, and it basically cooks itself – something a bit different to the typical, potentially boring meal. You can add any vegetables that take your fancy (or even eggs, which is traditional) to further enhance the flavours and the heartiness of the dish. While the presentation of this dish looks a little funny, the flavours are incredible. Ingredients 3 chicken drumsticks 1 medium onion 2 cloves of garlic 1 stock cube 2 tsp ras el hanout (cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ginger and turmeric) 1.5 tsp cumin 1 tsp parsley Half a jar of chickpeas 1 or 2 potatoes Salt and pepper Method Preheat the oven to 180/200ºC. On a medium heat, cook off the chicken drumsticks until the skin has browned and the outside of the chicken looks cooked. Add in the chopped onions and garlic and cook off until they are soft. Stir in the spices ( ras el hanout and cumin). Once these spices are mixed in, add in one stock cube with enough boiling water to just cover the chicken. Season with salt and pepper and the parsley. Then, leave the pan on a medium-low heat covered with a lid for about one hour. In the meantime, peel the potatoes and chop them into chips. Place them onto a baking tray with a drizzle of oil and season with salt and pepper. Once the chicken has been cooking for 15 mins, put the chips in the oven to cook for 45 minutes. With 10 minutes left before the chicken is ready, add in half a jar of chickpeas. At this point you can add in any other vegetables that you might want; green beans, peas and broccoli are some of my favourites. After 45 mins, the chips should be crispy, and the chicken should be falling off the bone. This is the sign that everything is ready to serve. I take the chicken off the bone beforehand so it’s easier to serve between two. Enjoy! For more savoury and tasty treat recipes, follow @ems.homecooking on Instagram. Let us know if you recreate Emily's recipe at home! About the Author Related Articles Recipe of the Week: Shakshuka with Merguez Emily Dawson Recipe of the Week: Chicken Curry Emily Dawson Recipe of the Week: Vegan Pasta Bake Emily Dawson Images provided by Emily Dawson. For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: Emily Dawson North Africa Cuisine Chicken Cooking Dinner Categories: Recipe of the Week Culture Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! LOAD MORE

German and English Studies < Back Kathrin Loithaler I fell in love with language and reading early on in my life, and this passion has carried on during my language studies at university. Besides reading and writing poetry, I also love doing sports, especially ballet, yoga and figure skating. I also really enjoy travelling and exploring new countries... my dream destination is Antarctica. I am really grateful to have the opportunity to explore journalistic writing with Lingo Mag, as it covers all the things I'm interested in! Latest Articles by this Author The Art of Fictional Languages: Deconstructing Dothraki and Klingon 16/12/24 Impoliteness in Online Gaming: A Linguistic Analysis 04/11/24

Remembering the GDR: How Post-Reunification-Cinema Keeps Us Thinking about East Germany Isaac Shoffren Monday 4 November 2024 The Berlin Wall is etched into the identity of modern Germany – but what did its collapse look like from the inside? October 3rd, 1990. A wave of revolution is spreading through the Eastern Bloc. In a swift move, the socialist East Germany is absorbed into its Western counterpart. 8 months ago, reunification was a radical idea. Now capitalism, consumerism and freedom of travel are the new way of life. Two films produced in the early 2000s capture this whiplash moment. In Good Bye, Lenin! (2003) we watch Germany reunify through the eyes of the Kerner family. After falling into a coma, Christiane is oblivious to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of her beloved socialist homeland. Under doctor’s orders to avoid any sudden shocks, her children Alex and Ariane hide the reality of reunification from their frail mother. The GDR (German Democratic Republic) is back...if only within the walls of their apartment. Alex finds himself caught between two worlds – the socialist fantasy suspended in his mother’s bedroom and the reality of reunified Germany that he’s not ready to face. Spinning the façade into an ever more elaborate lie, Alex rewrites a palatable version of events, softening the blow for his mother and for himself. Alex refuses to let go of the past; he’s tied to the GDR by memories of his mother. Vignettes of Alex’s childhood are warm and cozy, while the oppressive GDR state machinery takes a back seat. Seeping with GDR iconography, Good Bye, Lenin! mirrors the trend of Ostalgie - a portmanteau of the German words for “East” and “Nostalgia” . Since reunification there has been a wave of demand for GDR-era products. Across the East, themed restaurants, hotels and corner shops offer a step back in time. While these could easily be written off as kitschy tourist traps, many are run by and for former East Germans nostalgic for simpler times. While GDR archives tell of a dictatorship with history’s biggest secret police force, those who toed the party line lived in relative comfort. Like Alex, many East Germans are bound to their former lives by memory. Berlin is in Germany (2001) follows Martin, recently released into reunified Germany after a 10-year stint in prison. The fish-out-of-water struggles to adapt to the reunified Berlin, which he's only seen through a TV screen. Martin has – in a popular saying- “emigrated without leaving home”. Berlin’s streets have been relieved of their socialist eponyms and the once familiar city is now foreign. Director Hanns Stöhr doesn’t set the film against the iconic Brandenburg Gate or Unter den Linden . Rather it's the soviet-built TV tower that shapes the skyline, a nod to the Berlin Martin knew. The ex-con drifts across Berlin, governed by train routes and parole meetings. He isn’t under the control of GDR anymore, but Martin still doesn’t control his own narrative. Martin’s circumstances may be unique, but his isolation from the West rings true for many East Germans. After reunification, a clear rift appeared between the two halves. Any demographic data of present-day Germany tells the same story – East Germans have low average wages, life satisfaction and differing voting patterns. The Berlin Wall may be gone, but the “mental wall” remains ever present. Ostalgie is by no means universal. Victims of the regime who were isolated in political prisons find it harder to don rose-coloured glasses. Remembering the GDR is not just about honouring the victims of the state but also seeing the bonds that, like Alex and Martin, keep the East tied to its past. About the Author Related Articles Copyright free images by Pexels For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: culture germany german film film german reunification Categories: I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! Barbara Dawson average rating is 3 out of 5 Lovely tasty dish. Try it you won’t be disappointed. Time Published Aunty Liz average rating is 3 out of 5 Very tasty and cheap. I often have this for tea! Time Published BETTS average rating is 3 out of 5 Being a bilingual family (French mother and British father,) living in France I thought your article was extremely interesting . Have you research on bilingualism ? It seems that when the mother is British and the father French and they both live in France their children seem to be more bilingual than when the mother is French and the father is British . This is what we called mother tongue , isn't it ? Time Published Niamh average rating is 3 out of 5 Such an interesting article! Time Published LOAD MORE

Unveiling Hidden Connections: The Surprising Parallels Between Korean and Tamil Anika Jennifer Mariel Thursday 25 July 2024 Unraveling the unexpected yet riveting connection between two seemingly unrelated languages. Korean is the national language of South Korea and North Korea. The language falls under the Koreanic family of languages, boasting over 80 million native speakers. Over the past few years, there has been a rapidly growing interest in the Korean language, largely due to the global boom in K-pop and Korean entertainment. On the other hand, Tamil is not only the native language of people from Tamilnadu, a southern state in India, but it is also an official language in countries like Sri Lanka and Singapore, with over 85 million native speakers. It belongs to the Dravidian family of languages, and it is widely regarded as one of the oldest living languages in the world. Although it may not seem like it, there is a whopping 5700 kilometers between Tamilnadu and the Korean Peninsula. So, how exactly are the two languages interconnected? While most attribute this link between the two languages to ancient trade, there is a fascinating folklore that may provide further explanation. This folklore dates all the way back to the 13th century, and follows an Indian princess hailing from the Ayuta Kingdom (a kingdom in ancient Tamilnadu), named Sembavalam (Korean name: Heo Hwang-Ok), who was crowned the very first queen of Geumgwan Gaya in Korea after marrying the Korean king, Kim Suro. Many believe that she may be the reason for the influence of the Tamil language and culture on Korea. As a native Tamil speaker and an ardent Korean language student, I can certainly vouch for the ease with which Tamil-speakers can pick up the Korean language. It may be daunting to take up a new language, especially when it has its own script, but from personal experience, I found that learning came quite easily to me. The more I heard the Korean language, the more it started sounding just like Tamil in my brain! Already being fluent in a language that is linguistically similar to Korean, I found that certain words and grammatical rules were nearly the same! Research has found that the two languages may have over 500 words in common! For example, the words for ‘mother’ and ‘father’ carry the same pronunciations in both languages: அம்மா, அப்பா (pronounced ‘amma’ and ‘appa’ respectively in Tamil) and 엄마, 아빠 (pronounced ‘eomma’ and ‘appa’ respectively in Korean). The word ‘I’ is நான் (pronounced ‘naan’) in Tamil and 나는 (pronounced ‘naaneun’) in Korean. The word ‘tooth’ is பல் (pronounced ‘pal’) in Tamil and 이빨 (pronounced ‘ippal’) in Korean. Additionally, words for ‘you’, ‘day’, ’grass’, and ‘climb’, also sound similar in the two languages! Unlike English, both Tamil and Korean follow the Subject-Object-Verb sentence structure. But it doesn’t end there! The Korean Peninsula also shares socio-cultural similarities with Tamilnadu. Both cultures emphasize the importance of family, literature, art, and more. Many games and traditional practices in Korea have Tamil counterparts that are equally as important in Tamilnadu. If you are a native Tamil speaker, I hope that this encourages you to learn Korean, and if you are a native Korean speaker, I hope that this encourages you to learn Tamil. Learning languages can be an incredibly enriching experience, as it not only enables you to interact with people across the world but it also opens the door to captivating historical heritage. Did you already know the similarities between Korean and Tamil? Let me know! About the Author Related Articles Translation and the Untranslatable Aidan Cross Why am I forgetting my English? Charlie Bodsworth What makes a language “easy” to learn? Aidan Cross Copyright free images via Pexels. For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: Language Korean Tamil Linguistics Categories: Language and Linguistics Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! LOAD MORE

A Rose By Any Other Name: ‘Cobs’ and ‘Jitties’, ‘Barms’ and ‘Ginnels’ Eleanor Curtis Tuesday 5 December 2023 Why do we have so many words for so many things? Local words and accents are important for identity, and the strange little aspects of our language are all evidence of the development of language in a local area. Anyone who isn’t native to the East Midlands may receive a culture shock when arriving in Nottingham, due to the plethora of local terms in use here. You may be greeted as ‘ duck’ , offered a bacon ‘ cob’ , or directed down a ‘ jitty’ to your destination. As a lifelong resident of the Midlands, and someone influenced by language patterns from the Black Country (from my father), North Staffordshire and the Potteries (from my childhood), and the Derbyshire Dales (from my mother), I don’t find these words so strange. But, to someone coming from outside of the region, they may be somewhat unintelligible. Calling a person ‘ duck’ is a phenomenon seen across the Midlands, in counties that were a part of the ancient kingdom of Mercia. This is potentially a linguistic overhang from a term of respect used in the Anglo-Norse language of this area (‘ ducas’ ). Having moved further and further east over the course of my life, I’ve noticed that the word does not change across the region, only the inflection and accent accompanying it. It is genderless and forms a part of the cultural identity of the places in which it is used. However, having a specific word for a bread roll or an alleyway is not a localised phenomenon. Here, in the East Midlands, a bread roll is commonly called a cob. This is sometimes confusing for non-locals, as in other parts of the UK, this word refers to a large round loaf. Though, as you venture further north toward Manchester it will become a ‘ barm’ . In fact, there are at least seven different words for this around the UK. In a sense, these are mainstream usages of various dialects from days gone by that would have been in common use and would differ from town to town. Indeed, the small market town of Wirksworth in Derbyshire has an accent and set of words that are completely distinct; to residents of the Derbyshire dales, a Wirksworth resident would be easy to identify. While these words are similar to those used in the surrounding area, when used in combination with each other and with specific vowel sounds, they form a marker of an origin that belongs to a cultural identity or settlement. Equally, the six towns that were united to form the city of Stoke-on-Trent each have a specific set of words, vowel sounds, and accent markers that indicate a resident as coming from that specific part of the city. These types of linguistic intricacies exist across all forms of language. They are evidence of the development of local language, as well as showing that, populations settling and remaining in an area gives rise to dialects and accents attached to its location. Every time the population of the area shifts, language and dialects shift with it. Despite this, the enduring nature of these dialects indicate the presence of a permanent and unmoving population. Due to the transient nature of modern life and the way in which we move to and from these small communes, many of these small accents, dialects, and overhangs of the past are disappearing slowly. Therefore, using words such as ‘ cob ’ and ‘ jitty ’ becomes a badge of local identity and belonging. They become a commonality and a shared history that is maintained through speech; and they are culturally important in order to maintain societal links that are quickly becoming disparate. About the Author Related Articles Falling for Autumn: why are autumn traditions in the US so at odds with the weather? Eleanor Curtis A Rose By Any Other Name: ‘Cobs’ and ‘Jitties’, ‘Barms’ and ‘Ginnels’ Eleanor Curtis Copyright free images via Unsplash. For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: cob dialect identity local England Eleanor Curtis Categories: Language and Linguistics Thought Piece Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! LOAD MORE

German < Back Abigail Eden Avid bird-watcher and lover of languages! Lingo is so accessible, I couldn't miss the opportunity to contribute. Latest Articles by this Author

French and Russian < Back Jess Henrys During her year abroad, Jess spent a semester in St Petersburg, Russia. According to Jess, when she first arrived, she barely knew a word in Russian and felt completely overwhelmed, but the city soon revealed its delights to her, and it became a home. She hopes that by sharing some of my Russian experiences, other travellers to the city can be comforted, and learn to love it as much as she did. Jess also jetted off to the French capital so she certainly had an incredible year abroad! Jess also has experience of being a Peer Mentor and is very knowledgeable about the university’s Support Services. She’s got a lot of enthusiasm to bring to this role! Jess was one third of our 2022/23 Welfare Team. Latest Articles by this Author “Mother of God, banish Putin”: A Reflection on Pussy Riot’s performance in Nottingham 10/02/23 French Connection: An Interview with a True Parisian Part 2/2 : The Long Five Years 26/08/22

Finding the Light: Reviewing a Beeston Film Festival Variety Pack Holly Cromwell Saturday 27 April 2024 Hamster, Tethered, Luminarians, Light of My Life, Shaking Hands with the Devil, Free Spirits. A quickfire review of the Finding the Light variety pack at the Beeston Film Festival. In the midst of coursework season, in final year no less, a trip to the Beeston Film Festival was the perfect thing to break up the days of typing and get out the house for a bit. As delightfully random as a variety pack should be: two drama shorts, two documentaries, an animation, and a comedy; it was also beautifully curated with each one making some measure of sense next to the one before. I initially thought the title itself was predominantly literal, these films nearly all involved scenes with light, fires, fairies, ghosts, or candles, but looking deeper, each involved reaching through dark times to make an improvement. Beyond that, the sense of community was unparalleled. Let’s do a quick run through: Hamster An Iranian drama, this short was truly a filmmaker’s film. I thought it was beautifully shot and edited, the acting was perfection with cinematography and storytelling used to full potential. My plus one was disgruntled to see a spelling mistake in the subtitles, was equally displeased by the sudden shift in tone at the halfway-point, and even less so with what I found to be a suitably ambiguous ending. That tone shift was jarring but that is so completely the point. On contrast, I thought this was an incredibly well-made film, a definite portfolio piece, and a beautiful rendition of friendship and emotion that was universal as much as it was rooted in Iran. . You can tell it comes from a deep sense of community both in the opening scenes and in that, as the film started the first thing I heard was not the soundtrack but “did you like my intro?” from behind me. After the (bilingual!) credits I heard again something that sounded a lot like “how’d you like my hamster?” and muffled giggles. Tethered An ode to Irish storytelling, with an added love letter to 1980s fantasy film and women’s experience of family. I loved the detail of the Old Woman, preaching an awareness of your history and your stories, speaking Gaeilge. The aesthetics of this film were on-point, from the soft, hazy intro to the animation and home videos so authentic I forgot I was watching a short film. The animation looks like something I’ve seen before, I know it’s not Wolfwalker or Secret of the Kells …I cannot name it, but whatever it was brought up happy memories . The special effects were also on-point. The one criticism I can make is what the filmmakers refer to as the ‘Dream Ballet’, beautiful as it was, felt more like an unexpected music video that didn’t gel well with the polished film we’d just watched. Hopefully the feature film they’re hoping to seed will manage to integrate it a little better with a longer run time. Honestly one of my favourites of the bunch: sweet and nostalgic. The Luminarians: Making of the Luminary Loppet The first of the documentaries. It felt like the best possible end of a YouTube rabbit hole; something I’d never have chosen to watch – this is the reason we go to local film festivals. It was well-made; every shot was beautiful without being too contrived and undermining the factual aspect of documentary. Each interview was earnest and charismatic and there was such a deep-rooted sense of family and community it made me want to go to Minnesota to see the 'Luminary Loppet’ myself. Comment from my plus one: its so very Minnesotan. Light of My Life The love story of two candles set on a windowsill overnight. Just a two-minute animation but sweet, gently funny and sad by turns. There’s something of Ghibli about the whole thing and it’s not the animation style, although that is very story book. A bittersweet palate cleanser to lead into the second half of the variety pack. I loved it. Shaking Hands with the Devil A documentary showing the stigmatisation of people with Parkinson’s Disease in Kenya. The presenter, wildlife filmmaker David Plummer, has all the subtlety of a fist in the face – but there’s no indication that he’s trying to be anything else. This is a documentary, but at 14 minutes long its more of a campaign video. Plummer is earnest: he chose to go off-meds to speak on a level playing field with other sufferers who didn’t have access to medicine. It’s very empathetic; the interviews were inter-woven with skill to tell the story with little intervention from Plummer except to scaffold together different arguments. I will always support documentaries that allow interviewees to speak in their own language, to express themselves in the most natural way they can, and the subtitles were very well done. It could so easily be condescending, describing the way communities in Kenya watch out for witchcraft and the assumptions they make around illnesses like Parkinson's. But, whilst the documentary takes a definite stance, it isn’t sneering, more hopeful that they can make some change. Free Spirits Moving from suspected witchcraft to a paranormal comedy was whiplash in the funniest way possible. This is the story of a young priest being pressured into an eviction vote at the parish council by local busybodies who gets called out to the local nudist camp to deal with a prudish poltergeist, with all the cheeky, gleefully immature humour that implies. It was five minutes into this one when my plus one started sniggering and by the time we got home she was still randomly giggling and humming ‘ Son of a Preacher Man’ . This film was exactly what it wanted to be, an ode to the very cheapest of the paranormal films of the '80s and ‘90s. I’m sure I missed half the references, but I definitely got the joke. It never took itself seriously, except to seriously dedicate itself to being silly. You’ll never guess quite how it ends, and do stick around for the end credit scene, it got a proper reaction from the audience! I immediately recommended this to my dad. 5 stars, ending on a high! I highly recommend making your way to Beeston Film Festival if you have time, for as much fun as I had the audience was way too small. I also got a very good hat out the deal. About the Author Related Articles Athena: A French Film Review Holly Cromwell Finding the Light: Reviewing a Beeston Film Festival Variety Pack Holly Cromwell Promises (African Voices): A Variety Pack Review from Beeston Film Festival Harriet Rothwell-Inch Image provided by Beeston Film Festival. For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: film Beeston Film Festival review culture Holly Cromwell Categories: Review Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! LOAD MORE

My Journey with Language Learning Holly Cromwell Tuesday 13 February 2024 An exploration of my journey through language learning and my changing relationship with language through the school system. Languages have always been something I find interesting; my dad is an interpreter, so I learned fingerspelling and basic signs from him while in primary school. But when it came to actually learning a language, I didn’t know anything. I couldn’t communicate, and no one would ask me to, but I could show off a few words and signs to impress if needed. To me, that seemed to be all that language was. It was then that I started to be asked to make choices about my studies and what I might like to do with my future. (Because we definitely all have future plans at that age.) I started simple by taking GCSE Latin entirely on the back of the Percy Jackson series, followed by GCSE and A-Level French, since I’d been learning it for years and should therefore be vaguely good at it. It was then that I started to feel some resistance. Language skills suddenly went from being a cute trick to a concern. I was intelligent, sure, but I had many doubts about my degree options. Could I get a good enough French grade to study it at university? Was English Language academic enough? Could studying English Literature ruin leisurely reading for me? I eventually settled on a university degree here at Nottingham that effectively let me continue all three of my A-levels. Starting university was a struggle, especially telling people you study languages. I wasn’t the polyglot people expected, and I was uncomfortable being asked to ‘perform’ French on a whim. I also found it difficult to maintain regular French work. This had an inevitable effect on my self-confidence. Was I even good enough to be here? During second year, I spent more time on language but I failed to be the model language student. I learnt vocab variably and didn’t revise it. I crammed grammar into my head and motionlessly watched as last week’s attempt fell out the other ear. My grades also varied a lot regardless of how much work was put in. What did this mean? Language was both a strength and insecurity to me. I crashed into my exam with barely any revision, engine running on empty and papering over the cracks of the most maliciously organised exam season of my life. And I passed. The biggest thing I learnt that year is the bar is so much lower than you think. The problem with studying languages is that you already speak one. With any other subject you learn, you think you’re doing great, then you learn what you don’t know and repeat. With a second language you always know what you could have said if only… It’s brutal, especially when it’s the same things your teacher pulled you up on at GCSE. Sorry Miss, I’m swear I am trying, but agreements and genders are just the worst. It's on this note that I went into my year abroad. I have never been so exhausted in my life. The sheer fatigue of having to think about every word you say, every sign you see, anything anyone says, cannot be understated. But you learn. I didn’t feel like I got any better at French, but I got less tired. Before I went to France, the year abroad looked like this miracle that would magically make me fluent, but it became very clear to me that that wasn’t what was happening. People kept telling me how good my French was. It seemed like a very hollow compliment. Then my parents came to visit, and I was forced to see what the average English person’s level of French was. It turns out I’m actually pretty good! And that’s no longer subjective! I am at least B2 standard. Speaking a second language almost always feels awkward, and unwieldy, unless you are constantly required to use it with native speakers for years on end. I saw the extent of this at the end of my year abroad, when my supervising teacher asked me to proofread my glowing evaluation and shyly asked whether her English accent was any good. I was stunned. She’s a professional, and her English was perfect.. And yet, she felt the need to ask. So I know I can speak French, but it’s now my final year, and I’m faced with the idea that I will soon be asked to walk into a room and say “I speak French” with the full knowledge of every error I’ve ever made playing in front of my eyes. My journey with language learning will never really end. About the Author Related Articles International Film at the Oscars Holly Cromwell Words of the Year 2023 Charlie Bodsworth The Language Taking Over the World: English as a Lingua Franca Emma Burnett Copyright free images via Unsplash . For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: language learning opinion education university Holly Cromwell Categories: Language Tips Language and Linguistics Opinion Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! LOAD MORE

“Mother of God, banish Putin”: A Reflection on Pussy Riot’s performance in Nottingham Jess Henrys Friday 10 February 2023 Welfare Sec Jess reflects on last month's powerful performance by Russian pop-punk protest group Pussy Riot. Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, 10/11/22. The screen shows a young boy with a sign in his hands: “Let Moms Go”. For many, 2012 seems a lifetime ago, but the last ten years are as vivid as ever for Maria “Masha” Alyokhina, a founding member of Russian pop-punk protest group, Pussy Riot . At Nottingham Rescue Rooms on Thursday 10 November, the group forwent the traditional “concert” in favour of a performance-poetry experience, titled Riot Days . Over the course of an hour, Masha, along with her compatriots Taso Pletner, Olga Borisova and Diana Burkot, deliver bruising political commentary set to a cacophony of techno-punk in a harrowing memoir of the events surrounding her arrest for her part in the band’s “Punk Prayer” in Moscow’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral in 2012. A short but spitting criticism of then-Prime Minister (now President) Vladimir Putin and troubling support for him from the Russian Orthodox Church was instead condemned as "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred". Alyokhina and two of her fellow bandmates were disproportionately sentenced to two-years imprisonment in a penal colony; a move described by the now-imprisoned opposition leader, Aleksei Navalny, as “Putin's personal revenge”. The girls were released shortly before the end of their sentence in what is believed to have been an act of propaganda to paint Putin in a generous light prior to the Sochi Winter Olympics. However, in the nine years since, Masha has been less than free. Fiercely engaged in a cat-and-mouse game with the Russian authorities and refusing to dim her rebellious spark in favour of liberty, Alyokhina has been detained, assaulted, detained again, placed under house arrest, sentenced multiple times to 15 days in jail, placed on parole, arrested, re-arrested, and finally sentenced yet again to time in a penal colony for protesting “Putin’s Russia”. Finally, in April 2022, with the help of friends at home and abroad, she crossed the border out of the country and fled. This November, she was in Nottingham. (Maria “Masha” Alyokhina recalls the “Punk Prayer” in Moscow Cathedral. Subtitles on the screen read: Virgin Mary, Mother of God, banish Putin! Banish Putin, banish Putin!). The famous words of the “Punk Prayer” – “ Virgin Mary, Mother of God, banish Putin!” – appear on the screen. The girls scream their Russian equivalent into the microphone, their faces stony and haunted. Other refrains, some serious, some sarcastic – “Putin will teach you to love the Motherland” , “We’re Not Doing Things Right” and “Anyone can be Pussy Riot” – are repeated viciously with mesmerising effect. Far from giving up on her motherland, Alyokhina’s flight from Russia has given her an outside opportunity to save it. She criticises not her country, her home, but Putin’s poisonous politics, and dreams of the day that Russia will be freed from his clutches. Kate Hutchinson for The Observer called it “engaging” and “experimental”. More than that, the performance is unexpected, unafraid, and utterly unignorable. Even when the performers begin to throw bottle after bottle of water on the front rows, the crowd is transfixed. Alyokhina’s vulnerability is not only confession and criticism, but a call to arms. Her impassioned condemnation of the invasion (or so-called “special military operation”) in Ukraine is followed by a call for the end of indifference, and an opportunity to financially support a Ukrainian children’s hospital. No matter what happens next – whether Masha remains abroad or risks a return to Russia – this performance leaves no doubt that, whether in chains or on stage, this is a woman who, by her own fierce independence and her refusal to resign her moral code, is free. Her last words, “ Are you?” , pose a challenge to us all. For Alyokhina and her band mates, these are the Riot Days . In the face of instability, injustice and invasion, ignorance is inexcusable. About the Author Related Articles Hungry in St Petersburg? My Top 5 Restaurants for Visitors Jess Henrys European Music Festivals to Attend This Summer Niamh Woodhouse French Connection: An Interview with a True Parisian Part 1/2 : The City of Lights Jess Henrys Images provided by Jess Henrys. For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: Jess Henrys Russia Music Politics Ukraine Protest Categories: Culture Review Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! LOAD MORE

What’s On in Nottingham: March Vicki Mileson Wednesday 1 March 2023 Lingo Magazine’s go-to guide for the top cultural events going on in Nottingham this month. Kicking off with reading week for you arts students, check out what the city of Nottingham has lined up for you in March. Nottingham’s Craft & Flea – 4th March This craft and flea market houses a collection of independent collectors, designers and creatives under one roof for you to explore and come away with some bargains. The event takes place at St Mary’s in Lace Market and tickets are available here . Chinese Storytelling and Music – 10th March Join Ling Peng at the New Art Exchange’s storytelling workshop and explore Chinese instruments and music. This event is free and takes place between 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Bonington Vitrines #20 : Spaces of Translation - European Magazines, 1945-65 – until 11th March Following World War II, many new journals emerged across Europe. Print productions boomed following years of privation and a lack of cultural contact between nations. It also responded to what a “European” identity may look like in the post-war era. This free exhibition explores this development in European history. St Patrick’s Day Festival – 17th March Looking for a way to celebrate St Patrick’s Day that isn’t in the pub? Nottingham Irish Centre are taking over Old Market Square with a day full of traditional Irish entertainment. There’ll singers, dancers and bands and its completely free! Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme – 19th-23rd March Broadway cinema in Hockley are hosting the JFT 2023 and promise 5 days of fantastic Japanese cinema. Over 5 days Broadway cinema is showing recent releases as well as classics. Check out listings and get your tickets here . Rosalind Nashashibi: Hooks at Nottingham Contemporary – until 7th May Over the next few months, the Nottingham Contemporary will host London-based artist Rosalind Nashashibi’s latest exhibition. Nashashibi was the National Gallery’s first artist-in-residence, developing a series of paintings in response to Velázquez, Ribera and Zurburán during her residency. Let us know if you attend any of these events – maybe even write a review for us! About the Author Related Articles Southern Spain’s Architectural Gems Vicki Mileson Valentine’s Day Traditions Around the World Vicki Mileson Holi on the Downs 2022 Beth Walker Copyright free images via Instagram. Header image sourced from Pinterest . For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: Vicki Mileson Nottingham Events Flea Market Cinema Categories: Culture What's On Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! LOAD MORE