Language A to Z
by John McWhorter
The Great Courses: Literature and Language (2291), The Great Courses (2291)
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Description
Linguistics, the study of language, has a reputation for being complex and inaccessible. But here's a secret: There's a lot that's quirky and intriguing about how human language works-and much of it is downright fun to learn about. But with so many potential avenues of exploration, it can often seem daunting to try to understand it. Where does one even start? In these twenty-four 15-minute lectures by one of the best-known popularizes of language, you'll discover a delightful way to get show more accessible, bite-sized introductions to language. Using the English alphabet as a unique, offbeat way to approach the subject, Professor McWhorter has crafted a hopscotch tour of some of the field's major topics, hot-button issues, and more. You'll learn why it can actually be OK to use slang like "LOL." Why English speakers don't use words like "thou" and "thee" anymore. What makes "mama" and "papa" a child's first words-in many languages. How popular rhymes like "Eeny, meeny, miney, moe") actually derive from the words for numbers in an early relative of Welsh. Why "like" is here to stay in common American speech. And much more. These and other fascinating topics are all delivered in Professor McWhorter's light-hearted yet informative teaching style, which makes this series essential for anyone looking for a welcoming window into the quirks, curiosities, and intricacies of how language works. Filled with humor, whimsy, and no shortage of insights, it's a fast-paced tour of the same territory linguists tread each and every day.. show less
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Member Reviews
McWhorter's quick A-Z guide through a few of interesting and odd aspects of language is always fun, although is incredible wealth of knowledge and irrrelevant asides almost become annoying at times. But learning the origin of the term spinster alone is worth the price of admission (free on Hoopla.) Also, I should mention that it's an odd Great Course not just for the length of its episodes (less than 20 minutes) but for its use of animation. We only see McWhorter in monochrome as part of the opening titles of each episode.
I really like John McWhorter. His "Great Courses" video Language Families of the World was outstanding and I gave it 4**** while noting that his slightly cornpone humor wasn't always to my own taste. In Language A to Z, though, the cornpone goes too over the top and relies on a rapid-fire delivery combined with lengthy and convoluted sentences that remind me just a slight bit of Henry James. Now I happen to be one of those perhaps oddballs who think James is the greatest American writer, but that's writing, not speech, and McWhorter's A to Z delivery is just too difficult to follow, even when accompanied by close-captioning. I may get around to The Story of Human Language, available free of charge on my Great Courses Plus (now Wondrium) show more subscription; and I definitely want to get to Understanding Linguistics, available only on the Great Courses at a very high price but which I acquired some time ago on a special discount. show less
Interesting trivia suitable for listening to from time to time. Felt very disjointed to me so I guess I'm not a fan of this format. I've listened to McWhorter lecture before and I think he presents his linguistic knowledge in a comprehensible way that's easy to listen to.
If you enjoy bite-sized nuggets of linguistics and language factoids, you'll have fun listening to these mini-lectures from McWhorter. There's not a lot of depth here, though, so don't expect to come away knowing a whole lot more about languages than you already do, outside of a bit of trivia you might sprinkle into your conversations here and there when you really want to sound like a know-it-all.
Really short, but super cool! A nice, brief visit to the world of linguistics.
I am in love with this man... Intellectually, of course!
Very interesting and one that I will go back and re-listen to.
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Author Information
John H. McWhorter is Associate Professor of Linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley.
Series
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, Anthropology
- DDC/MDS
- 410 — Language Linguistics Linguistics
Statistics
- Members
- 92
- Popularity
- 348,187
- Reviews
- 8
- Rating
- (4.02)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 4
- ASINs
- 2
