Because Language - a podcast about linguistics, the science of language‪.‬ Daniel Midgley, Ben Ainslie, and Hedvig Skirgård

Blog post with show notes: http://becauselanguage.com/20-madam-vp/
Support the show on Patreon: http://patreon.com/join/becauselangpod/

Kamala Harris is the first woman — and woman of colour — to be Vice President of the United States. In the campaign, she had to pull off a tricky task: stay true to her voice and multiple aspects of her identity by employing features of African-American English that would resonate with Black voters, but that wouldn’t alienate white voters. How did she do it?

Blog post with show notes: http://becauselanguage.com/18-swearin-time/
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There's a new show on Netflix, and it's The History of Swearing, featuring Nicolas Cage. Backing him up is a team of researchers, comedians — and one of our favourite lexicographers, Kory Stamper.

Kory tells us all about the show on this episode of Because Language.

Blog post with show notes: http://becauselanguage.com/17-words-of-the-week-of-the-year-2020/
Support us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/join/becauselangpod/

On this momentous episode, we look back on all the words that made our year. Like, all of them. Including some from other languages.

Many words were discussed in the context of the annual vote of the American Dialect Society, but the greatest were voted on by you, the listeners. Ready? Let’s talk words!

Blog post with show notes: http://becauselanguage.com/15-xenolanguage/
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If you love language, and you also love role-playing games with a sci-fi flair, then you’re going to want to check out the new game Xenolanguage. It allows players to make first contact and decipher alien messages while working through their tangled personal relationships.

Kathryn Hymes of Thorny Games joins us for this episode.

Blog post with show notes: http://becauselanguage.com/14-word-jail/
Support the show with Patreon: http://patreon.com/becauselangpod

Schools are banning words and policing language. It may be a well-meaning attempt to encourage good language habits, but it also perpetuates troubling language ideologies that may be harming the very students that schools are committed to educate.

Linguist Ian Cushing tells us about his findings.

Blog post with show notes:
http://becauselanguage.com/13-white-supremacy/
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The definition of white supremacy: is it expanding, or are we just getting better at recognising it and its reach? How does white supremacy show itself in language and in linguistics? Kelly Wright talks about her work in sociolinguistics, and how we all can do better.