Children’s word of the year for 2022 is “ Anxiety”

 

According to Oxford University Press lexicographers, the word of the year for children in 2021 was anxiety (OUP).

 

Last year's annual vocabulary research focused on happiness, in response to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

Approximately 8,000 students in grades three through nine were asked to select the top words they would use when discussing their mental health and experiences during lockdown.

 

Teachers from the 85 participating schools were also polled on the words they use most frequently when talking to children about their physical and mental health.

 

More than one-fifth (21%) of students said "anxiety" was the word they identified with the most in the previous year, closely followed by "challenging" (19%) and "isolate" (18%). (14 per cent).

 

The findings, according to experts, highlight the impact of lockdowns and school closures on children, as well as the "vital role language plays for children when it comes to self-expression, learning, and wellbeing."

 

"It's more important than ever to invest in supporting children's language development at home and in school," said Helen Freeman, OUP's director of early childhood and home education.

 

“The findings demonstrate the role we all play in ensuring children have the words they need to express themselves and that, as adults, we are aware that the language we use around children has a significant impact on their learning and wellbeing."

 

The announcement comes as Oxford University Press prepares to update its dictionaries and school resources with new phrases and definitions for popular words used during the pandemic, such as "bubble," "lockdown," and "self-isolation."

 

According to lexicographers, 31% of the teachers who took part in the survey said "resilience" was the word they used the most when talking to their students about the pandemic, a finding that reflects the importance of providing children with positive direction.

 

"Challenging" was the second most frequently used word, followed by "wellbeing."

 

"It's concerning that 'anxiety' is the number one word, but it's not surprising when you consider all the restrictions and changes children have had to endure," said Joe Jenkins, executive director of social impact at The Children's Society.

 

"Having conversations and using the right language is incredibly important when supporting children who are anxious, isolated, or facing difficult challenges, and it's also critical that children are able to express how they are feeling."

 

According to the charity's Good Childhood Report, which will be released in August 2021, more than 300,000 children in the United Kingdom were dissatisfied with their lives in 2018-2019.

 

While the majority of the children polled said they had adjusted well to changes in daily life due to lockdown and social restrictions, they had a harder time adjusting to not being able to participate in hobbies or see friends and family.

 

Coronavirus was last year's Children's Word of the Year, and Brexit will be in 2019.