Who Are We
We’re a team of language enthusiasts and general word nuts who have joined forces to create a new kind of dictionary - a democratic ‘visual dictionary’. A place where anyone with a video, webcam or mobile phone can define the words that matter to them in their life.
We believe that everyone wants to express themselves more clearly, whether to win debates, spark conversations or simply to make people laugh with a well-chosen word.
Over the years we’ve tried many ways to improve our grasp of the English language. We’ve listened, jotted and scribbled down words that have excited, confused and challenged us. wordia.com is our way of improving our own vocabulary and in the process, discovering what words mean to other people. Like most people, we’re interested in what other think and feel.
To help us create a really useful resource, we’re working with the following orgaisations and individuals:
HarperCollins:
Collins Dictionaries and Language products have been at the forefront of language developments for over 175 years. The purpose of Collins dictionaries is simple: to take as sharp and as true a picture of language as possible. To help us achieve our aims we have an extensive corpus programme: websites and publications from around the globe are fed into our monitoring system, an unparalleled 2.5 billion-word analytical database. Every month we feed more data into this database, and when new words and phrases emerge our system is able to recognize the moment of their acceptance into the language, the precise context of their usage, any subtle changes in the meaning, then alert Collins lexicographers. This means that Collins dictionaries remain up to date, including the very latest words and terms, which in turn ensures that when you use a Collins dictionary, you are one of the best-informed language users in the world.
Collins is very active in the digital area, with the creation of our own digital products and through our growing licensing business. Do visit our website at www.collinslanguage.com
Collins Language is part of HarperCollins Publishers
The National Literacy Trust:
The National Literacy Trust is an independent charity. We believe that everyone has the right to the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills they need to fulfil their potential. If you have difficulties with literacy, it doesn’t just mean you’ll find it hard to access the information you need or succeed at school. Poor literacy skills compromise your health, confidence, happiness and employability, as well as how you interact with the world around you. We change lives through better literacy by inspiring individual learners, supporting professional practice and keeping literacy at the top of the agenda.
You can help us change lives through literacy. Find out more about our work at www.literacytrust.org.uk
The Open University:
The Open University is the UK’s largest university and a world leader in distance education.
For nearly 40 years, it has been at the forefront of global development in designing and delivering higher education programmes that make intelligent use of combining the latest communications technologies with traditional teaching methods.
It has more than 200,000 students in more than 40 countries studying for a variety of degrees and vocational qualifications ranging from short courses to PhDs.
More than 2 million people have used the OU to gain access to university study from their homes and workplaces – many of whom would have been denied access to conventional universities (the OU has no prerequisites for its undergraduate courses).
Students at The Open University are more impressed with the quality of their courses than those at any other university, based on the findings of the first National Student Survey. The OU is at the top of rankings for four years running.
Learn more about the Open University www3.open.ac.uk/about/
Michael Birch:
Michael rose to fame as the founder of Bebo.com, one of the world’s most successful social networking websites which today boasts over 40 million users worldwide.
Us:
We’re awesome television; half television production company, half software company, led by television development producer Edward Baker.
Connect
Get in touch with us by email at: production@wordia.com
For press enquiries please contact:
Edencancan PR
4 Flitcroft Street
London
WC2H 8DJ
Tel: 0207 395 0500
Email: info@edencancan.com