CRISPR-Cas9: la revolución biomédica de hoy

En 1987 un grupo de científicos accidentalmente descubrió un sistema genético bacteriano formado por trozos de ADN idénticos, repetitivos, e interespaciados. Francisco Mojica, un científico español clave para este descubrimiento, los llamó “… repeticiones palindrómicas cortas agrupadas y regularmente interespaciadas …” o “CRISPR”, por sus siglas en inglés. Entre dichos sistemas genéticos se observaron trozos…

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А на казахском?

По причинам, очевидным для тех, кто находится на Западе, продолжающаяся война между Россией и Украиной отправила многих студентов, изучающих русский язык, в постсоветские страны. В итоге я – студентка третьего курса, столкнулась с извечной человеческой проблемой: полагаться на лингва франка или побороть лингвистическую лень и выучить родной язык.   Язык и то, как мы его используем,…

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Island life: Scotland edition

I had the pleasure of revisiting the isle of Gigha (“Giogha” in Gaelic) in early December.  The isle lies 120 miles away from Glasgow which completely juxtaposes the hustle and bustle of any big town or city.  To me, this is beautiful and it is one of the many reasons why this island, just off…

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Sciascia e Damiani: riflessioni sul protagonista maschile in “Il giorno della civetta.” 

Nel contesto della narrativa poliziesca, il capolavoro letterario di Sciascia, “Il giorno della civetta”, trascende le convenzioni, spostando lo sguardo narrativo dal crimine in sé all’indagine del capitano Bellodi. Quest’ultimo diventa la lente attraverso la quale il romanzo analizza l’enigma della questione meridionale, svelando l’influenza pervasiva della mafia e la complicità sociale nascosta sotto il…

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Election year: what is the future of the EU?

Anyone with a vague interest in politics will know that 2024 is a big year for elections.  Around 64 countries are heading to the polls this year, with arguably the most important election happening in June: the European Parliament election.  Recent polling suggests that (although this should always taken with a pinch of salt) in…

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Thaw

“In the heart of winter’s touch, a promise of spring whispers softly, inviting change.” I had never been one to yearn for the vibrant hues of spring back in India, where the seasons blended like a charm, magical in their glory.  It was my relocation to the UK that painted my perspective with a different…

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Macau, Uma Cidade Fantástica

Caros leitores, bem-vindos de volta. Nesta Edição da Primavera, queria apresentar a cidade onde eu passei alguns dos meus primeiros anos e fiz a minha licenciatura, Macau. “A próxima paragem é A Praça Flor De Lótus.” Macau fica no sul da China, perto de Canton e Hong Kong. O nome completo de Macau hoje em…

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用神话解释新年传统

大家好。我叫 Aliana，本学期将在台北学习。二月份，不仅台湾，整个亚洲文化圈都 将庆祝新年。在这篇文章中，我不仅要解释如何庆祝新年，还要解释为什么庆祝新 年。  谁是 “年兽” ?  人们穿红色的衣服以示吉祥，用烟花和响亮的鼓声来庆祝，但你知道为什么吗?几千 年前，一种叫 “年兽 “的怪物会在新年到来之前来恐吓村⺠。村⺠们会逃到山里躲起 来，直到”年兽”离开。有一天，一位老智者告诉他们 “年兽 “害怕红色、响声和火，并 教他们如何赶走 “年兽”。村⺠们欣喜若狂，每年除夕都要举行这样的仪式。最后，”年 兽 “再也没有出现过，而这一传统也成为了一种标志性的庆祝形式。  谁是 “岁” ?  新年怪兽并不是人们试图驱赶的唯一恶魔。邪恶的恶魔 “岁 “会在除夕夜恐吓熟睡中的 孩子。传说他会让孩子们发烧、发疯，被诅咒永远受苦。父母会想方设法不让孩子睡 着。有 一对父母给了孩子八枚金币让他玩耍，以避免他睡着，但他 还是睡着了。在他睡着之前，他把金币放在了红纸里。当 ” 岁 “来折磨这个孩子时，金币闪闪发光，”岁 “吓得逃走了。有人说，这些硬币其实是 八个仙女派来保护孩子的。 如今，”压岁钱 “已成为一种象征性习俗，为孩子们带来好 运和繁荣，并保佑他们平安。这就是为什么在庆祝新年时，人们会把装有钱的红包作 为礼物送给孩子们。数字 8 本身就很重要，因为它是最幸运的数字，与 “财富 “的发音 相似:”发”。  时至今日，人们仍然注重在辟邪的同时招财进宝，这在这些传统和其他习俗(如舞 狮)中显而易⻅。我很想去看一场这样的表演! By Aliana Francisco

In Retrospect

Loneliness hits you like a train when you’re just another international student, struggling the urge to stop converting pounds into rupees at every purchase; when you’re standing by yourself in the kitchen, stirring your dry pasta, the only sound you can hear is the subtle hum of your refrigerator. Just then, your phone rings, it’s…

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Márciusi Koviubiforradalom A Máriciusi Koviubifiataloknak

Konkrét emlékem lehet már nincs is a Szamóca utcai koviubikészítésről, talán csak a később elmesélt történetekre emlékszem vissza, azonban így is fontos emlékei a tavasznak, a közelgő nyárnak. Koviubit nagyon egyszerű csinálni, viszont csak Isten beleegyezésével lehet jókat készíteni. Elhagyatott, Mississippi állami útelágazásnál, úgy gondolom, nem kötött még senki alkut a sátánnal, lelket eladva a…

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Das deutsche Wetter

Was denken Sie, wenn jemand von Deutschland spricht? Vielleicht an die schönen Schlösser, die Berge von Bier oder die erfolgreichen Fußballmannschaften. Jedoch wissen die meisten Menschen nicht, wie fantastisch das deutsche Wetter sein kann, besonders im Sommer. Vor allem in den süddeutschen Gebieten herrschen regelmäßig Temperaturen von 30 Grad oder höher. Diese Gebiete konkurrieren mit…

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Le débat Pain au Chocolat

Tout le monde a entendu parler du pain au chocolat. Tout le monde en a essayé un. En fait, je suis sûr que vous en achetez un chaque lundi matin en route a votre lecture de 9 heure. Mais connaissez-vous la bonne façon de l’appeler dans les différentes régions de la France ?  Le pain…

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Souvenirs d’enfance au printemps

Malgré la température froide et le ciel gris dehors pendant que j’écris cet article, bientôt il ne commencera pas à faire nuit à 16 heures et on pourra enfin sortir sans redouter les vents froids et la pluie de Birmingham (enfin, la météo stéréotype de l’Angleterre). Certes, je sais que la météo ne sera pas…

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A Taste of Tbilisi

Ah, the joys of studying Russian. A different alphabet, six grammatical cases, an invasion of Ukraine, and a cancelled year abroad to Russia. However terrible that all might sound, there are some perks to pursuing a Russian degree. Instead of going to Russia, we got the chance to go to Georgia, and what we may…

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El Pan tradicional Navideño que representa la sociedad chilena 

Muy a menudo, la temporada navideña empieza con intercambios para conmemorar el tiempo de compartir: familia, amigos, regalos, comunidad y fe o espiritualidad, y lo más importante; ¡la comida! En Chile, se celebra la festividad con un pan especial llamado Pan de Pascua, se trata de un pastel aromatizado y relleno con frutas confitadas, chocolate…

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Como disfrutar del Navidad sin Nieves en México

Viviendo en México, el periodo previo a la Navidad  no es igual que en Inglaterra. Donde      el frío, la nieve y los días oscuros nos recuerdan que se acerca la Navidad y nos preparan para las próximas fiestas. Entonces, ¿cómo entrar en el espíritu navideño sin el ambiente al que estamos acostumbrados?  El…

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Эстония всегда была песенной страной

Обичаи и события стран оставляют у всех людей впечатление о народе и культуре. Я испытываю серьезную гордость, когда говорю о своей стране – Эстонии. Я думаю, что если попросить большинство эстонцев рассказать об Эстонии, то фестиваль песни и танца очень быстро станет главной темой разгорова.   Сначала, должна пояснить, что мне интересны фестивали многих стран, но…

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My “Chinese Christmas” in the UK  

I know what you are thinking: “What do you mean by ‘Chinese Christmas’?” In China, there aren’t any public holidays for Christmas Day and Christmas does not hold a religious meaning to the Chinese people. However, it is heavily commercialised and seen as a novelty day. Since I was born and raised in the UK,…

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Celebrating Christmas in New Zealand

This Festive Season I feel incredibly lucky to be spending time with some family in New Zealand, swapping the chilly British winter for a sunny, summer Christmas! I’ll be embarking on the 3-legged journey with my dear Nan, accompanying her to visit my aunt, uncle and cousins. While I’m dreading the flight – I’ve always…

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Spanish Christmas food and tradition

The feasts, the sharing of food and la sobremesa (post-mealtime conversation) that are prevalent in Spanish food culture certainly don’t go amiss at Christmas time.  Contrary to here in the UK, Christmas Eve is usually one of the biggest days for food over the Christmas period in Spain. On the 24th of December many restaurants…

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A Tastescape Potluck

Diwali, the Festival of Lights, had always been a grand affair in our neighbourhood. This year, however, it would be even more special because I had decided to host a potluck dinner party with a twist – a “Tastescape Potluck.” As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over our cosy little…

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Commercialised Christmas: a marketing mayhem 

As the festive season approaches, opportunity arises to reflect on the Christmas traditions that have remained, been created, and been lost. The Christmas season, for those who celebrate it, is meant to be a time to unite with loved ones and spread joy and happiness. However, while undertaking research for this article, what appears blatantly…

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Aventura de Natal

Caro leitor, tenho certeza que já ouviu muitas vezes sobre o natal, tradição e comida etc., por isso, queria contar a minha aventura de natal com as minhas amigas, em 2018 – penso que seja mais interessante:  A Helena, a Virgínia, a Inês e eu chegámos em Rovaniemi, Finlândia para aproveitar as férias de natal….

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中国的中秋节

在这篇文章中我想聊天儿中国的节日。虽然中国人越来越多的过圣诞节，可是传统节 日还是更重要。最重要的节日之一是中秋节。 今年中秋节是在十月，也不同的地方的中国人以不一样的方式庆祝这个节日。比如， 虽然吃月饼是一种常⻅的庆祝活动，但每个城市的月饼类型都可以是不同。在北京， 他们吃京式月饼含有糖、坚果，或桂花。在大部分地区，一个常⻅的⻛俗是是送礼 物。礼物不需要很贵，关于这个想法，他们说:‘礼轻情意重’。 因为中秋节注重的是一轮和睦的月亮，所以有一个和睦的家是很重要的，家人一起旅 行庆祝。  今年我期待回家家人一起庆祝圣诞节! 再⻅! By Oliver Hancock

圣诞节在中国

大家好!现在我在阿根廷的一家咖啡馆里写这篇文章。天气很好，很热，很舒服。这 个冬天跟英国的很不同!在这篇文章中我想聊天儿圣诞节。 因为圣诞节是基于基督教的，而中国是一个无神论 者的国家，所以在中国庆祝得不多。大体，中国的圣诞节比⻄方国家商业化的，也有 宗教传统更少。 此外，庆祝的人已经把⻄方传统，成中国的庆祝活动:比如 Santa(叫圣诞老人)没有精灵，他有姐妹，她们帮助他。 另一个例子是在中国的照片中圣诞老人通常有萨克斯萨克斯 – 但是没人知道为什么! 第三个例子是很多年轻人庆祝圣诞节的方式跟⻄方人庆祝情人节的方式一样。她们喜 欢给伴侣买礼物也去约会。 最后，十二月二十四日正常的活动是吃一个苹果。人们这样做是因为中文单词 ‘ 平安 夜 ’ 听起来 ‘ 苹果 ‘ 一样。说中文的人爱同音字! By Oliver Hancock

Che cos’è un tradizionale Natale italiano?

Per me, la cultura italiana è sinonimo di famiglia e feste – e ho voluto scoprire se il Natale in Italia fosse diverso. Ho trascorso la seconda metà del mio anno all’estero a Firenze quindi non ho festeggiato il periodo di festa lì. Allora, mi chiedo, com’è un tradizionale Natale italiano? Prima di tutto è…

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Wie feiert man Weihnachten in Europa?

Es gerät manchmal in Vergessenheit, dass jedes Land die Weihnachtszeit in verschiedenen Formen feiert. Obwohl manche Länder ähnliche Traditionen miteinander teilen, gibt es noch große Unterschiede zwischen den grundsätzlichen Ideen der Länder in Bezug auf, wie und mit wem man die Weihnachtszeit verbringen soll. Vor allem gibt es Auseinandersetzungen über Geschenke, Essen und Getränke. Um…

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Welche Weihnachtsmärkte sollten Sie besuchen?

Ohne Zweifel ist die Weihnachtszeit eine der schönsten Zeiten im Jahr, um Deutschland zu besuchen. Seine berühmten Weihnachtsmärkte ziehen rund 150 Millionen Besucher an und erwirtschaften in der Regel 3 Milliarden Euro pro Jahr. Die Gerüche, Sehenswürdigkeiten und Geräusche der deutschen Weihnachtsmärkte sind so beliebt, dass sie jetzt auf der ganzen Welt zu finden sind….

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La Tradició Catalana com a Signe Didentitat

El tió es un dels elements de la mitologia Catalana, Aragonesa i Occitània (al sud de Franca), i una tradició molt arrelada a Catalunya i Aragó (on es diu Tronca, Toza o Tizón). Les primeres mencions del Tió en documents, cançons i històries parlades, daten el mitjans del segle XVIII. Però el experts apunten que…

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Une chorale de Noël

C’est la période de l’année où il commence à faire froid, et quoi de meilleur qu’une bonne chorale de Noël pour nous réchauffer.  Chaque année, fin novembre, tous les élèves du primaire étaient excités de commencer les préparations pour la chorale de Noël, qui se déroulait en décembre. Chaque élève participait à la chorale et…

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Language Learning and How It Led to Where I Am Today

Hi everyone!  I am Visha.  I am going to be the Life & Style editor of this year’s Linguist.  I am currently in my second year pursuing a BA in English Language and Linguistics.  For this article, we were asked to write about a memorable language or cultural experience.  I want to take this time…

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Under the Sun of Leiria

Hello dear reader,  My name is Alice and I’m delighted to join the Linguist Magazine as the new Portuguese Editor.  As a business student, I have been learning Portuguese for six years.  I did my undergraduate in Macao and went to Portugal in my second year as an exchange student.  Now I am in Birmingham…

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Barcelona During the Pandemic

Hello everyone! I am Sara WT, The Linguist’s Catalan Editor for this upcoming year. My personal history with the Catalan language is lifelong. I grew up in the UK, but my family is Catalan, and they reside in Barcelona. My cultural understanding of Spain was therefore somewhat restricted to the Catalan region until I embarked…

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Summer in the Basque Country

Hi, my name is Rosa and I will be the Publicity Officer for The Linguist this year! I’m a second year language student studying Advanced German and Intermediate Spanish.This summer, I worked as an Au Pair for a family in the Basque Country in Spain, near Bilbao. While working in a family with two children…

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Argentina? I hardly know her!

Hi, my name is Oliver and I’m in my third year studying Spanish and Mandarin at UoB! As the Mandarin Editor at The Linguist, I hope to share some of my experiences of learning about Chinese culture and language and working with other Mandarin speakers to help tell their stories. I am really looking forward…

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How to live the Dolce Vita? Take life more slowly

Hi, I’m Megan, Treasurer for The Linguist this year and a fourth year French and Italian student. I’ve just finished my Year Abroad in Bologna, Italy. I found a real love and admiration for the Italian lifestyle there, particularly when it comes to their ideal of il dolce far niente (the sweetness of doing nothing)….

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A Chance Encounter in Kazakhstan

Hi! I’m Helena, creative designer of the UoB Linguist magazine and I am going into my second year of studying German and Russian at Birmingham. Whilst brainstorming for a favourite interaction, the first things which sprung to mind were a whole host of difficult interactions and unfortunate miscommunications – such as the time I told my German…

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Wine Tasting for Wine Haters

Hi everyone, I’m Kate, and I’m this year’s Current Affairs Editor! Taking a step away from obsessing over politics and the news, I’m going to write about one of my favourite cultural activities during my year abroad that was so central to the area where I lived! I spent my year abroad in Aix-en-Provence, in…

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The Netherlands: A Place I’ll Never Forget

One of my favourite experiences this year was being able to visit Rotterdam: the true cultural centre of the Netherlands and a city full of unforgettable food and sights.  We stayed at the famous tourist ‘cub houses’ close to the markets, which are perfect for foodies (like me).  Almost every day we visited Markthal for…

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A Life-Changing Coffee

Hello, my name is Grace! I study Spanish and Mandarin and have just returned from a year abroad in Santiago, Chile. It has been very difficult to choose an exact moment out of a whole year of amazing experiences, but I have chosen one that really made my soul sing. Before we get into that,…

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The Frankfurt Experience

How often does anyone get the chance to live a truly memorable and unique experience that they can treasure for the rest of their lives?  Once a week?  Once a month?  Or maybe even longer.  However, making life-changing memories, experiencing myriad cultures and meeting a whole host of new people with their own stories to…

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Discovering Vietnam

When asked to write about a memorable cultural experience, the first memory that came to my mind was my family holiday to Vietnam in 2017. We were fortunate enough to travel nationwide, taking a total of 7 flights to reach far-away cities. Having the chance to visit not just 1, but 7 cities in Vietnam,…

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Two Years in Russia and Ukraine

I’m Benjamin, the new Russian editor of this year’s Linguist.  This will be my second year at UoB studying Russian, French and Japanese with potentially two extra hours of Arabic a week – not everyone’s first pick for a degree but I honestly couldn’t imagine anything better than getting to study languages full-time.  The fact…

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Lost in Pronunciation: A Hilarious Parisian Misadventure

In a world where French was the language of love and admiration, lived a determined yet somewhat misguided traveller named Grace.  Grace had always been enamoured by the beauty of the French language, and she decided that a 7-day trip to Paris was the perfect opportunity to showcase her budding linguistic skills. Armed with a…

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Appreciating the Little Things

Hi! My name is Lydia and I am going into my final year of my Modern Languages (French and Italian) degree. I have just returned from my year abroad having spent the first semester in Lyon, France and the second in Florence, Italy.  As one would probably imagine, my most memorable language and cultural experiences have…

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الطَعام المَغـرِبي في غـرناطة

في السَّـنَة الماضـية دَرَسـتُ في جامِعَـة غَـرناطة، وَ كُـنـتُ أَسـكُـنُ في .هَذِهِ المَـديـنَة الجَمـيـلَة. غَـرناطة مَـديـنَة جامِعِـيَّة تَـقَعُ في جَـنوب اسبانيا .هُـناكَ  تأثـيـر عَـرَبي كَـبـيـر على الـطِّـراز المِعـمارِي وَ الطَّعَـام شارِعي المُـفَـضَّـل اسمُهُ كالدَرية نويـبا، فِـيهِ مَقاهي تَـقـلـيـدِيَّة وَمَحلات .تَـبـيعُ مُنـتَجات مَغـرِبِـيَّة .خِلالَ السَّـفَـرِ ذَهَـبتُ إِلى مَطعَـم اسمُهُ قَـصر الأندَلُس. على جـدرانِـه تُوجَـدُ أَشكال هَـنـدَسِـيَّـة…

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Can watching films in different languages change your perspective of them?

If there is one thing that students fear going into their final year, it is writing the dreaded dissertation. Fortunately, you can write it on whichever subject you wish, so long as you choose the right topic. I chose to write about French subtitles for iconic British films, seeing whether or not they effectively communicate…

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Exploring Puglia: Italy’s best kept secret for summer holidays

Naples, Rome, The Amalfi Coast, Lake Como and Sicily are undoubtedly great places to holiday in Italy, but have you ever heard of the Apulia region (or Puglia as it is known in Italian)?  The region has some of the most beautiful beaches in Italy (offering fierce competition for the Sicilian beaches) as well as…

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