Wordscapes

Wordscapes were devised by John and Muriel Higgins as a way of making decorative art from the printout of concordancers (programs which search large text files for words or phrases). Between thirty and fifty unconnected lines containing the same word or phrase are printed over a suitable picture. Centred on each line is the key word. The pleasure arises from the randomness and unrelatedness of the quotations.

We are teachers of English as a foreign language, interested in word play in all its forms. John worked for the British Council from 1963 to 1986, then for Bristol University and Stirling University. He has now retired from 9-to-5 teaching.

Muriel has written textbooks for Longman with such unsexy titles as Elementary Grammar Workbooks and Composition Through Grammar.

Both of us have developed software for language learners which either supplies tools for making discoveries in language or else sets challenges for learners working in small groups or alone.