What happened (and is apparently still happening) in English-speaking societies that results in so much discourse about the problems in education? Here is some fodder for the discussion.  Continue reading...

For the first time ever, a euphemism been chosen as the American Dialect Society's Word of the Year. The winning term has an innocent sound that masks a sinister reality.  Continue reading...

Unesco chooses a cultural theme to highlight and celebrate every year. Now, in 2019, indigenous languages are ready for a long overdue closeup.  Continue reading...

Like most well-informed language books, this one is not going to be popular with the English-is-going-to-hell crowd. In this multifaceted yet focused book, Greene makes a powerful argument for the inherent resiliency of language, and his own sharp writing is serious support for language's power.  Continue reading...

If we start from the fact that language is first and foremost a spoken activity, the methods by which people have extended its powers to writing offer a fascinating lens into human history.  Continue reading...

Nothing is more intuitive and natural to humans than communicating via language, and specifically, via speech. Language must be central to developing a more robust channel for human-robot communication.  Continue reading...