Why Do We Insist on Proper English and What Does That Say About Us?
What's that one thing about how people speak English that gets on your nerves? When people say \u201clike\u201d a lot? Or say \u201cliterally\u201d when they mean \u201cfiguratively\u201d? We all have language pet peeves, and we may even be willing to admit that we judge people who break the rules. After all, how we talk matters. Why do we insist on proper English \u2014 and what does that say about us?\n\nIn this episode of the podcast, we speak with an English professor and College Writing Center director about the experience of code-switching and how she learned to respect "Black language" as something much more than slang. Then, a sociolinguist explains the constantly changing nature of the English language and why \u201cfiller words\u201d like \u201cum\u201d and \u201clike\u201d have a role to play. And a speech expert highlights the role listeners play when communication breaks down and offers tips for better understanding those who speak English differently. \n\nPodcast Guests: \nWonderful Faison, Ph.D., professor of English and head of Writing, Rhetoric, and Research Services at Jackston State University\n\nValerie Fridland, Ph.D., professor of Linguistics at the University of Nevada Reno and author of "Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English" \n\nMelissa Baese-Berk, Ph.D., professor of Linguistics at the University of Chicago and director of the Speech Perception and Production Lab.