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dateline: 24 November 2015

Listen to NewsTears of Joy Emoji is Word of the Year (2015)

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

  • emoji: a digital icon that expresses an emotion or idea; also called a pictograph
  • statistic: numerical data
  • preoccupation: something that you think or worry about often

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Tears of Joy Emoji is Word of the Year (2015)

Oxford Dictionaries has that the Word of the Year for 2015 is an emoji rather than a word. The Tears of Joy emoji was the most frequently used emoji this year in the US and the UK according to mobile statistics. Oxford Dictionaries says that this emoji because it best represents people’s moods and preoccupations of 2015. critics say that the Word of the Year should actually be a word, Oxford its choice saying that people are communicating in new ways due to mobile devices and social media. tears-of-joy

Comprehension Questions

  1. What is Oxford Dictionaries’ Word of the Year for 2015?
  2. Why did Oxford Dictionaries choose this particular pictograph?
  3. What reason do critics have for disliking this year’s choice?

Discussion Questions: Do you use emojis? If yes, look through your messages to see which one you used most often this year. Why do you think this was your emoji of choice for 2015? If you don’t use emojis, explain your reason for not communicating this way.

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Written by Tara Benwell for EnglishClub
Tara Benwell is a Canadian freelance writer and editor who specializes in materials and articles for the ELT industry.

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