Why Your Grandma Says That

December 14, 2018 Language

Martha Barnett and Grant Barrett, the hosts of “A Way With Words,” join us to talk about what they’ve learned about how we talk.

Throwing Shade — The Shakespearean Way

November 8, 2018 Culture, History, Language

Historian Ruth Goodman joins us for a rollicking trip back to a low-brow time.

Who Or Whom? Who Cares.

February 5, 2018 Language, Literature

Lane Greene joins us to talk about how language evolves despite laws of grammar.

Best Of Think: The Power Of Profanity

December 27, 2017 Best of Think, Language

This hour, we’ll talk about the complex set of rules that guide our usage of taboo words – and about why some words get declared off limits.

What Words Mean

October 9, 2017 Best of Think, Language

Former chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary John Simpson joins us to talk about how words evolve and about the effect technology has on how we speak.

Should Hate Speech Be Banned On Campus?

September 21, 2017 Language

Shetal Vohra-Gupta and Naomi Reed of UT’s Institute of Urban Policy Research and Analysis join us to talk about the need for schools to develop anti-hate speech guidelines.

How To Speak Emoji

August 3, 2017 Best of Think, Language

Linguist Vyvyan Evans joins us to make the case that all of these hearts, winks and thumbs are actually advancing our ability to communicate.

The Power Of Profanity

May 5, 2017 Language

This hour, we’ll talk about the complex set of rules that guide our usage of taboo words – and about why some words get declared off limits.

Inside The World Of Competitive Spelling

April 24, 2017 Language, Race/Identity

Vauhini Vara joins us to talk about why the Scripps National Spelling Bee has been dominated by Indian-American competitors.

How We Read

January 23, 2017 Education, Language

Cognitive scientist Mark Seidenberg joins us to talk about taking a more scientific approach to teaching reading.

This hour, we’ll talk about how the U.S. developed so many regional dialects – and about how to navigate these sub-languages – with Josh Katz, author of “Speaking American: How Y’all, Youse, and You Guys Talk: A Visual Guide.”

Esperanto: A Universal Language

October 13, 2016 Culture, History, Language

This hour, we’ll talk about the invention – and ultimate failure – of Esperanto with Princeton professor Esther Schor, author of “Bridge of Words: Esperanto and the Dream of a Universal Language” (Metropolitan Books).