Otherwords

Is the Southern Accent Disappearing?

When you hear names like Gladys or Herbert or Doris, you probably automatically think of old people, but why is that? Linguists have been studying the science of first names for a long time, and though what's behind a particular parent's choice is deeply personal and often opaque, there are certain trends in baby naming that can reveal a lot about the values and direction of a society.

Is the Southern Accent Disappearing?

7m 33s

  • 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.

WETA Passport

Stream tens of thousands of hours of your PBS and local favorites with WETA Passport whenever and wherever you want. Catch up on a single episode or binge-watch full seasons before they air on TV.