New Experiments on Language Learning: Q&A with Elissa Newport
Linguists can tell us a lot about how we learn languages, but they don't have all the answers. Elissa Newport, head of Georgetown University's Learning and Development Lab, talks us…
Language and National Security: Q&A with Bill Rivers
When national security threats appear, we need to be equipped to handle them with more than just manpower — we need language experts too. Bill Rivers, executive director of the…
Pronunciation, Prestige, and Punchlines: Q&A with David Crystal
Pronunciation can be a minefield of silent letters and tricky vowels — and a signal of social hierarchy. But accents and pronunciation also provide endless fodder for jokes. Linguist and…
Talking Black in America: Q&A with Walt Wolfram
A new documentary, Talking Black in America, explores African American English through interviews with linguists, speakers, and educators. Walt Wolfram, director of the Language and Life Project and the film's executive…
Children’s Language Learning in Five Words
Linguist Cecile McKee explores the early stages of language development with five of the first words that English-speaking children say.
Q&A with Naomi Baron: Print or Screen Reading?
Can physical books and eBooks coexist, or are they hopelessly at odds? Linguist Naomi Baron weighs in.