language

Yes or No

When an American says 'sure' to a Brit, does it mean yes or no?

When American Lynne Murphy says "sure" to her British husband, he thinks she means "not really."

When an American says 'sure' to a Brit, does it mean yes or no?
Ira Lightman at a poetry reading in Manchester, UK, at an event organized by Poets and Players. Lightman moonlights as a poetry plagiarism detective. 

This poetry detective tracks down word thieves. But are they all plagiarists?

This poetry detective tracks down word thieves. But are they all plagiarists?
dogs at sunset in the surf

The time of day when I used to think a dog could turn into a wolf

The time of day when I used to think a dog could turn into a wolf
A performance from the Netherlands-based comedy improv group Easy Laughs.

This is your brain on improv

This is your brain on improv
An illustration image shows the new Latin-based Kazakh alphabet published in a newspaper in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Oct. 27, 2017.

Kazakhstan's switch from Cyrillic to Latin is about more than just alphabets

Kazakhstan's switch from Cyrillic to Latin is about more than just alphabets
baby

The science behind 'baby talk'

We’ve all heard adults cooing to babies in “baby talk.” Now, researchers are learning more about why we do it.

The science behind 'baby talk'
A protest in Sacramento, California.

Which version of Indian history do American school students learn?

California's world history textbooks have been updated with language that is dividing the state's Indian Americans.

Which version of Indian history do American school students learn?
ferrante

Language versus dialect, or why we're obsessed with Elena Ferrante

Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels have become global hits. They are rife with love and sex and the mob — and commentary about language. This week on the podcast we explore Italy's linguistic history and the tensions between Italian dialects and the lingua franca.

Language versus dialect, or why we're obsessed with Elena Ferrante
Winter scene of a barn covered in snow

He's lived in small towns across America — and it makes him look for pieces of home

It's not that Deepak Singh craves hearing Hindi or eating hot samosas all the time. It's just that something about being in a small town makes him crave them more.

He's lived in small towns across America — and it makes him look for pieces of home
Trump

What it was like to produce the Clinton and Trump debate live en Español

The millions of Spanish-speaking Americans who caught the presidential debate last night on Univision are familiar with the voice of Vicente de la Vega. He's been interpreting Trump for weeks.

What it was like to produce the Clinton and Trump debate live en Español
Lily Bui and her Vietnamese-born mother who arrived in the United States as a refugee in the 1980s.

Sing to me in Vietnamese: A daughter learns the language of her refugee parents through song

A Vietnamese-American woman stays in touch with her cultural roots through language and song. But which languages will she pass on to her own children?

Sing to me in Vietnamese: A daughter learns the language of her refugee parents through song

The Flame Alphabet

In his novel “The Flame Alphabet,” Ben Marcus imagines what would happen if children’s speech made their parents sick.

The Flame Alphabet

Fancy a British Accent?

With so many British actors playing American characters, Kurt wondered: how hard would it be to learn a convincing British accent?

Fancy a British Accent?
Lesnoe Ozero is a Russian language camp located in Bemidji, MN.

Balalaikas and banyas: An average summer at Russian language camp

Lesnoe Ozero puts an unusual spin on the traditional camp experience: Everything's done in Russian.

Balalaikas and banyas: An average summer at Russian language camp
Actor

Hollywood loves Cape Town. But you'd better nail that American accent.

As bigger productions head to the South African city, local actors are seeking out accent coaches and tuning into US soaps in order to sound American.

Hollywood loves Cape Town. But you'd better nail that American accent.