PODCAST

Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the science of language.

Daniel Midgley, Ben Ainslie, and Hedvig Skirgård

A podcast about linguistics, the science of language.

science social sciences

All Episodes

02:12:59

73: Consequences of Language (with Nick Enfield and...

Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the... ·

2023/04/03

When language was innovated, what happened next? How did it change our abilities — and our responsibilities — to each other? Dr Nick Enfield shares ideas from his new book, Consequences of Language. Plus: Have large language models (like GPT) disproven a key tenet of the innateness of language? Dr Morten Christiansen takes us through the implications for nativism and language learning.

01:37:45

72: PharaohKatt Is a Speechie Now

Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the... ·

2023/03/25

Here’s an entire show, curated by one of our most prolific contributors — newly minted speechie PharaohKatt! She’s got news. She’s got words. She tries to stump us on Related or Not. She even teaches us how to roll our R’s. Wow. But best of all, she answers all our questions about speech and language pathology.

01:33:23

71: You're Welcome, English! (live with friends, for...

Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the... ·

2023/03/02

For this special live LingFest23 episode, we’ll again be voting on tricky language issues, and our votes will be binding on all English users for all time because that’s how language works. If you had to walk 10 kilometres “there and back”, how far away is the place? How many holes does a straw have? And if “Floyd and the chickens are outside”, is Floyd also a chicken? And many more!

01:42:53

70: Free Speech, But… (with Dennis Baron)

Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the... ·

2023/02/16

We all have freedom of expression, but what are its limits — social and legal? And how have governments tried to curtail it? We’re talking through the implications of free speech with Dennis Baron. He’s the author of You Can’t Always Say What You Want: The Paradox of Free Speech.

01:36:31

69: Mailbagussy

Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the... ·

2023/01/27

The American Dialect Society Word of the Year has been chosen — and it’s a wonderful and terrible pick! Depending on who you’re talking to. In this episode, we’re talking about -USSY and all the words. And we’re getting to our Mailbag, with our most intriguing research project ever: can you spot the pattern in the way Ben pronounces EITHER and NEITHER? Is there one?

01:22:06

68: Lazy in a Good Way (with Mark Ellison)

Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the... ·

2023/01/03

In what was meant to be a casual chat, cognitive scientist Dr Mark Ellison answers galaxy-brain-level questions about how language works. Why aren't we more efficient with language? How do we know when something has gone wrong in a conversation? Why don't we just talk in a flat monotone all the time? Why do fairy tales start a certain way? Why is it so tiring to speak another language? Fortunately, he helps us keep our eyes on the ball for this episode.

01:44:37

67: Words of the Week of the Year 2022 (live with...

Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the... ·

2022/12/20

We're counting down our Words of the Year, as voted by you! We're joined by our friends and patrons, and they've brought us some words we missed. And we'll go through all the Words of the Year from dictionaries and language lovers, English and not. Thanks to all our friends who joined us for this show, and to all our great patrons who have supported our work. Video here: https://youtu.be/z1BmUixVNlY

01:26:28

66: ChatGPT Wrote This Episode (with Daan van Esch)

Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the... ·

2022/12/13

ChatGPT has just landed. It can generate text that seems fluid, plausible, and (surprisingly) not total nonsense. It's got a lot of people wondering what's left for humans — and for the field of Natural Language Processing. Here to help us is computational linguist Daan van Esch.

01:27:44

65: Naval Manoeuvres (with Chase Dalton)

Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the... ·

2022/12/07

Many expressions we use come from the nautical domain. But are they nautical? Are they really? We’ve got Chase Dalton from the US Naval History Podcast to shine a light on some of these expressions, and in some cases reveal the secret nautical origins of words we use every day. US Naval History Podcast on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts

01:56:33

64: Struggle Pile (with Kelly Wright)

Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the... ·

2022/11/20

A chat with Dr Kelly Wright, who’s been working on… well, really a lot. Kelly is at the juncture of a lot of areas we’re keen on. Oxford’s effort to document African-American English? She’s been there. Doing lexicography with the American Dialect Society? She’s on it. The LSA’s social media committee? She… was on it. And she’s been looking into a new unexplored area: people’s ideas about their own language knowledge. But it’s not all easy. And Kelly is here to tell us about her view of linguistics…

01:27:54

63: Mailbag of Yeah-No (with Isabelle Burke)

Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the... ·

2022/11/03

Just two words, but they do so much. But what exactly? Here to answer that question is Dr Isabelle Burke, who has studied yeah-no in depth. She’s also going to help us with these Mailbag questions. Why is LIKE so resilient? Why can we say “I very much enjoy…” but not “I much enjoy…” or “I very enjoy…”? When is a loanword not a loanword? Do word processors have a problem with singular THEY? Why doesn’t English have diacritics?

01:47:59

62: Language in Spaaaaace (with Hannah Little)

Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the... ·

2022/10/22

Yes, linguistics is all through the world of sci-fi, but science fiction has had a surprising impact on linguistic research as well. Dr Hannah Little is cataloguing the ways in a new book, and she joins us for this episode.

01:15:24

61: Together at Last

Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the... ·

2022/10/08

It’s Ben, Hedvig, and Daniel all together in the same place for the first time. We’re talking about the state of the show, the state of linguistics communication, and where we are after all these years.

01:49:15

60: The Crossworld (with Hayley Gold)

Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the... ·

2022/09/13

Language isn’t just for communication — it’s fun. For over a hundred years, crosswords have served as entertainment, and even been blamed for society’s ills. Turns out crosswords are serious business. Author and illustrator of Letters to Margaret and crossword enthusiast Hayley Gold takes us into the history and the discussions happening in the world of crosswords — the Crossworld. You can buy Hayley’s book Letters to Margaret at this link:

01:13:14

59: Mailbag of Ew

Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the... ·

2022/08/30

In which we get together for a chat, talk about stuff we like, and — oh, yeah — answers a few questions from our great listeners. Other languages have a word for late morning, before noon. Why doesn’t English have one? Why is EW the sound some English speakers make when disgusted? Why can you have potatoes, but not broccolis? Who started calling the YouTube description the DOOBLEYDOO? Is it WHOA or WOAH? Why do we use capital i for the pronoun I?

01:46:06

58: Expression Unleashed (with Thom Scott-Phillips...

Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the... ·

2022/08/03

Today, we communicate. But once, we didn’t. What had to happen in our brains to make communication possible? And why don’t other animals do it like we do? We talk to Dr Thom Scott-Phillips about his new work in the social and cognitive origins of communication. And game creator Joshua Blackburn is going to test Daniel’s linguistic prowess with questions from the hottest game on Kickstarter, League of the Lexicon.

01:26:45

57: Potluck (live, with friends)

Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the... ·

2022/07/27

Our friends, listeners, and patrons give us so many great stories, news, and words, so for this live episode, we’re having them tell these language stories in their own words. Thanks to PharaohKatt, Lord Mortis, Ariaflame, seejanecricket, Aristemo, O Tim, Ditte, Rodger, and Ben (not the host one).

01:05:26

56: Diego's Digest

Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the... ·

2022/07/14

Our listeners and patrons send in so many great ideas, stories, and words. For this episode, listener and prolific contributor Diego has put together an entire show for our edification. ASL may have changed to include copular BE What’s going on with French-only laws in Quebec? Why is an Indian airport broadcasting covid information in Sanskrit? And more.

01:39:10

55: Rebel With a Clause (with Ellen Jovin)

Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the... ·

2022/06/29

Everyone’s favourite tabletop grammarian is back! It’s Ellen Jovin, proprietor of the Grammar Table. She dispenses grammar advice around New York City and the world, and now she’s written a book about her grammar adventures. Ellen is the author of Rebel With a Clause, and she joins us for this big episode.

01:37:28

54: Slang (with Jonathon Green)

Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the... ·

2022/06/15

It’s crude. It’s rude. And it’s a lot of fun. Slang has been with us for as long as people didn’t want others to understand what they were about. But what exactly is it? And has the nature of slang changed in our internet age? Daniel is talking to eminent slang lexicographer Jonathon Green on this episode of Because Language.

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Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the science of language.

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