A language scientist explains that talking was never invented but has evolved over hundreds of thousands of years.
Articles on Language
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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.
Some states have changed the wording of their laws in line with recommendations from the royal commission – but more needs to be done.
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.
Top contributors
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Senior Lecturer in Linguistics, Monash University
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Professor of Linguistics, Monash University
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Roger J. Kreuz is a Friend of The Conversation.
Associate Dean and Feinstone Interdisciplinary Research Professor, University of Memphis
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Honorary Associate Professor in Writing, The University of Queensland
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Professor of Linguistics, University of York
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Professor of English Language and Literature, University of Oxford
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Associate Professor in Linguistics, Macquarie University
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Professor of African Language Studies, University of the Western Cape
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Senior Research Fellow of Linguistics, University of Colorado Boulder; Griffith University; University of New England
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Associate Professor of Linguistics and Director of Language Lab, The University of Western Australia
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Associate professor, Universidad Nebrija; UCL
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Associate Professor in Language, Literacy and TESL, University of Canberra
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Postdoctoral research fellow (Forensic Linguistics/ Language and Law), University of the Western Cape
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Professor of Linguistics and English, Florida International University
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Director, Office of Scholarly Communication and Publishing, University of Pittsburgh