We are once again diving into our voluminous mailbag.
Was the QWERTY layout designed to slow you down? Is English a creole language? Why does a word keep popping up over and over after you first hear it? And what is …
Category: bots (page 1 of 2)
What’s behind swearing?
If you’re looking at the brain, an awful lot. But how do we use swearing to navigate social relationships? And do all language have swears?
We’re talking to cognitive scientist Benjamin Bergen on this episode of Talk the Talk.…
A conference on the linguistics of Pokémon? Is this for real?
It sure is. Looking at the names of Pokémon across different languages is showing linguists more about how language operates. And it could show us how children learn language …
That study about language looks interesting. Can you trust the results?
Lots of researchers are using big data to discover amazing things about language. But big data can bring big trouble if researchers don’t look out for some common traps. …
The Talk the Talk team takes the stage in a special live episode at the Disrupted Festival.
The Yawuru language of Western Australia has been going dormant, but many courageous teachers are bringing it back for a new generation. …
What can we learn about language from children who grew up without it?
People are fascinated by stories of “feral children”, raised apart from human contact. Can these children ever learn language, once they’re found? And what does this tell …
Do you know from Yiddish?
A controversial new hypothesis has surfaced about its origins, but does it stand up to the data? And are you using Yiddish words without even knowing it?
Daniel Midgley speaks with lexicographer Ben Zimmer on …
Other animals don’t have language like we do, but some of them might be getting awfully close.
A recent experiment claims that some birds use a form of syntax — that they combine their signals in a way that’s always …
What happens when computers can use language like humans can? Language workers may be out of a job.
Translators, teachers, and others are watching with concern. But is there reason to think that we’re on the verge of solving all …
Some words and sentences are ambiguous — they could be taken more than one way.
And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Or is it? Does ambiguity make language difficult to understand? Or could it actually make communicating easier?
Linguist Daniel …
Connect to us online
Awards
-
- CBAA Awards 2018: Best Radio Program — Talk
-
- Talkley Award 2018
© 2024 Talk the Talk
Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑