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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 Body Language Really A Language?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Is Body Language Really A Language?

    S4 E7 - 8m 58s

    Verbal communication covers what we say, the words we’re saying, whether spoken or signed. So, is body language a language? Short answer: no. Body language is not a standalone language in the linguistic sense, however it is an important and necessary form of communication that supplements and emphasizes the verbal communication it's paired with.

  • How Cult Leaders Use Language: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    How Cult Leaders Use Language

    S4 E6 - 10m 58s

    What do Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Hitler have in common? They were all obsessively studied by Jim Jones, the cult leader who convinced and coerced more than 900 members of his "People's Temple" to commit suicide in the Jonestown Massacre. All these figures are known as "charismatic leaders," people who inspire intense devotion or emotional attachment in their followers through their com

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