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How Language Nerds Solve Crimes

The fact that we all have our own unique way of speaking is a beautiful thing. It's at the core of personal expression and contributes to the wonderful tapestry of language. But it also means that no form of expression can be 100% anonymous. Linguists use language everyday to solve crimes. As the famous Miranda warning goes: "anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

How Language Nerds Solve Crimes

8m 59s

  • Is Bluey Giving Your Kid Australian Accent: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Is Bluey Giving Your Kid Australian Accent

    S4 E11 - 6m 21s

    In 2019, when the children’s show Bluey hit American tv and streaming services, parents started noticing something strange. Their kids were suddenly looking for the “rubbish bin", asking what’s for “brekky”, and getting excited about going to the “ehport”. But was this family of cartoon dogs really changing how children speak? Which leads us to ask the question: how much does TV play a role in ho

  • Is English a Creole?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Is English a Creole?

    S4 E10 - 6m 51s

    We already know that English borrows from everybody, but can it really be considered a Creole language?

  • A Brief History of the Reading Wars?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    A Brief History of the Reading Wars?

    S4 E9 - 8m 35s

    When we read our eyes skim the print, we notice the length of the word and maybe the first letter, then our brains use context clues to deduce what the word should be.But is that really how reading works? Believe it or not, this question is at the heart of a decades-long battle in the English-speaking world–a battle that's been raging amongst educators, politicians, and scientists.

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