DP English A Language and Literature

Podcast. CNN's John Lisk talks with author Robin Wright about her new book, "Rock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion Across the Islamic World." Wright says the vast and dramatic changes sweeping the region are only just beginning.

old advertisements that would be unacceptable today

Asians now the largest immigrant group in Southern California. NYT

Female newscasters are judged by their clothing

Washington Post article about the clothing of female newsreaders

Saudi women can't do anything without a male guardian's permission - including see the advert (Guardian blog)

Huffington Post

The Guardian talks to seven women working in professions heavily dominated by men - from one of the 0.5% of truck drivers who are women to one of the only three female butchers in the UK.

New Yorker article about incorrect reporting of the Boston bombing on social media

High street pharmacy chain admits it was wrong to categorise toys for girls or boys, after shoppers accuse it of sexism (Guardian)

A science-based company like Boots that employs female pharmacists, opticians and chemists should know better, says Megan Peel (Guardian science blog)

The new Common Core State Standards, a set of national benchmarks for American public schools, do not require students to learn cursive. As a result, states and districts are grappling with whether to teach this skill.

The new Common Core State Standards, a set of national benchmarks for American public schools, do not require students to learn cursive. As a result, states and districts are grappling with whether to teach this skill.

All of the Big Six publishers have, for the first time, agreed to make e-books available to public library users (NYT article)

Why do we read? What's the point of reading critically? John will argue that reading is about effectively communicating with other people. Unlike a direct communication though, the writer has to communicate with a stranger, through time and space, with only "dry dead words on a page."

Critics say Mountain Dew commercial portrays racial stereotypes