Myths, lies, and half-truths of language usage

CD Audiobook

Myths, lies, and half-truths of language usage / John H. McWhorter.

McWhorter, John H. (Author). McWhorter, John H. (Added Author). Teaching Company. (Added Author).

Summary:

Is English broken? Do bad grammar, slang, and illogical constructions signal a decline in standards of usage? Do e-mail and text messages corrupt the art of writing? In short, is our language going to the dogs? Taught by acclaimed linguist, author, and Professor John McWhorter of Columbia University, this course dispels the cloud of confusion that clings to English, giving you a crystal-clear view of why we use it the way we do and where it fits into the diverse languages of the world. After completing these 24 lectures, you will think about how you use English in a new way, listen to others with discernment and fascination, and take joy in speaking such a wonderfully idiosyncratic tongue.

Record details

ISBN: 9781598038200
ISBN: 1598038206
ISBN: 1490652329
ISBN: 9781490652320
Physical Description: 12 audio discs (12 hr.) : digital ; 4 3/4 in. + 1 course guidebook (vi, 147 pages ; 19 cm).
Publisher: Chantilly, Va : Teaching Co., ©2012.

Content descriptions

General Note:: Compact discs.
Formatted Contents Note:: Alarm over the decay of English -- Surprises in the ancestry of Old English -- Not exactly Anglo-Saxon -- Don't forget the Celtic connection -- From insider language to Lingua Franca -- English as easy German -- The Viking conquest of English -- How the words of modern English emerged -- Black English-- the streamlining continues -- Honored conceits of blackboard grammar -- Pronoun fashions come and go -- Wrong then, proper now-- and vice versa -- A procession of accidents and fossils -- The pursuit of logic in language -- Clarity as the logic of language -- 20th-century fashions from Strunk & White -- The kinds of grammar you don't hear about -- Linguists uncovering grammar we all use -- Speech versus writing-- different languages -- Speechmaking-- from oratory to plain speaking -- The old and new styles of writing -- Got poetry? Language with spice -- Why texting is misunderstood -- The living past and future of English.
Participant or Performer Note:: Professor John McWhorter, Columbia University.