Do emojis make language better? - 6 Minute English
Emojis are part of our daily communication. They’ve been around for more than 20 years, but are these colourful faces helping to bring people together or contributing to illiteracy? Sam and Neil talk about this topic and teach you related vocabulary.
This week’s question
Emojis were invented in 1999 in Japan for the first internet-enabled mobile phones. The name, ’emoji’, comes from the combination of two Japanese words, but which words?
a) face and emotion
b) picture and character
c) message and image
Listen to the programme to find out the answer.
Vocabulary
the grammar police
(informal) people who want to have correct English spelling and grammar written online, and who criticise those who don’t follow grammar rules
a jaundiced view (of something)
only seeing the negative side of something because of your own bad experience with it
the dark ages
a time in the past considered not advanced and characterised by a lack of knowledge and progress
dating
spending time with someone you have started a romantic relationship
lucky in love
lucky in finding a romantic partner
it stands to reason (that)
it seems likely to be true (that); it makes sense (that) back to the dark ages
[Cover: Getty Images]
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More 6 Minute English episodes:
People who can taste words
Finding your way in space
Britain’s love affair with coffee
Intimacy on screen
Personalised diets
How green is nuclear energy?
Why we forget the things we learn
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