Linguistics

A language scientist explains that talking was never invented but has evolved over hundreds of thousands of years.

The grammar of persuasion can be subtle – but pro-lockdown tweeters tended to be more direct and less conciliatory than those they opposed.

Created in Europe during a time of intercultural struggle and strife, Esperanto was meant as a communication tool to spread peace among the people of the world. Its speakers are still at it.

Slated by critics, Netflix’s Persuasion isn’t as bad as it’s been made out to be.

Deaf people from different parts of the world can have different accents, whether they speak, sign or both.

Gossip has a long history in forming social bonds, and can be an important part of the workplace.

Around the world, one Indigenous language is lost every one or two weeks. Almost 10% of the world’s critically endangered languages are in Australia.

Fluent expression is not always evidence of a mind at work, but the human brain is primed to believe so. A pair of cognitive linguistics experts explain why language is not a good test of sentience.

Inaccurate language in media reports about strike action misrepresents how unions work and denies members’ agency.

Colonisation, genocide and changes in official languages have resulted in the hybridisation of languages. A mix of Kinyarwanda, French and English is dubbed kinyafranglais.

A mathematician explains how language can keep your online accounts safe and pinpoint your location on the planet.

The word ‘evil’ sends a clear message – or does it? There are deep tensions in what the word means, and what it can accomplish.

A project to identify rugby’s technical terms aims to make the international game easier to play, ref and watch for everyone, regardless of their native tongue.

Anne Lister’s various exchanges were coded in her diary with a mixture of words and symbols.

Dialects can unlock secrets of history, culture, class and movements of people. An expert explains what they are and why they matter.

Many of the coinages fail to differentiate the mundane from the momentous. Has the suffix’s overuse rendered it essentially meaningless?

It’s common for people to live near others who speak a different – but similar – language. But generally, they handle their differences without violence.

We often imitate styles of speech we hear – what’s known as ‘linguistic convergence.’ But a researcher wanted to see if we alter our speech based on the mere expectation of how someone will sound.

The languages and the methods of classroom assessments need to be expanded. Such changes will make assessment more inclusive and fairer for all, particularly First Nations students.

A study of 25 heritage language schools in Edmonton shows how schools met the needs of migrant and front-line workers, resisted racism and built community for immigrants.

Children are taught to value the lives of other species less, according to a new study.

A team analyzed more than 21 million tweets about COVID-19 vaccines and found that negative sentiments on social media were tied to lower-than-expected vaccination rates in many nations.

Verbal abilities provide benefits in school and in one’s career. Fostering a love for stories and fiction in children should be a high priority.

There’s a long history of communities speaking Romany in the UK, so it’s hardly surprising that some of its words have found their way into everyday English.

Children may hear a lot of words when sitting in front of or interacting with screens, but to learn language children need to interact with physical objects.

Language electives have fewer enrolments compared to other subjects in Australia. New research suggests students are interested in studying languages, but can’t.

The difference between a language and dialect is just as much about politics as it is linguistics.

Bruce Willis’ family today revealed he has been diagnosed with aphasia. So what actually is aphasia and why haven’t we heard of it before?

Metaphors, analogies and comparisons abound when talking about the war in Ukraine, but are they helpful? An expert in peace and conflict resolution explains.

The letter Z has become a controversial pro-Russian symbol during the war in Ukraine.