Watch 3:07
A poet’s take on looking to language for ‘radical hope’
In this digital and divided society, it can often seem that language is used primarily to deliver criticism and express rage. But poet Ada Limón shares her humble opinion on why she sees people turning to poetry for language that…
A mother uses a similar tone with babies, no matter the language
Mothers across languages change the timbre of their voice in similar ways when they speak to babies, Princeton University neuroscientists reported today.
Watch 6:53
This ancient whistling language is in grave danger of dying out
In the Greek island village of Antio, home to the world's most endangered language, aging residents communicate across hillsides through whistles, a specific system of communication believed to date back to Ancient Greece. Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports on how…
Watch 2:55
How social media ‘likes’ create a conversation of connection
You might think linguistics professor Deborah Tannen would lament the effects of social media on how we communicate. Instead, she sees how it fills an essential need for connection, and the ways we've adapted the tools of "liking" and "tagging"…
Children who spent more time with hand-held screens were more likely to exhibit signs of an expressive speech delay, according to a new study from Toronto.
A Yale linguist explains how many colors exist in your language’s rainbow.
Dogs are able to process individual words and intonations in a manner similar to humans, based on a new study in the journal Science.
Because many states and localities don’t use tested court interpreters and ignore federal rules for when interpreters are required, many criminal defendants and civil litigants with limited English skills are not equipped to navigate the complex legal system, jeopardizing their…
It’s like Google Maps for your cerebral cortex: A new interactive atlas purports to show which bits of your brain help you understand which types of concepts.
