Vocal imitation is a key part of how humans learn to speak. New research shows that bats babble to learn and use baby talk to teach, just like people do.
The way Danes speak makes it much harder for Danish children to learn the language.
Fabio Trecca
Recent research on Danish shows that not only is it hard for Danish children to learn their mother tongue, but adult Danes use their native language differently than speakers of other languages.
Communication between people would be very difficult, if not impossible, without discursive memory. Our memories allow us to understand each other or to experience irreconcilable differences.
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Because of context and history, some words and phrases carry a heavy burden with them. Their mere mention can bring back painful memories and problematic situations.
Twitter’s ban of Trump has concerned free speech advocates across the political spectrum.
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It’s concerning that tech executives can exercise so much power over who can use their platforms. But the alternative – government intervention – could be much worse.
Because sarcasm is often difficult to discern and improperly used, it can operate as a linguistic mulligan. But deploy the excuse too much, and you might raise some eyebrows.
Worried you won’t be understood while wearing a mask? Don’t be. We studied how people sound while talking through fabric and the results are encouraging.
Babies love to look at faces for good reason.
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With caregivers’ faces covered, infants and young children will miss out on all the visual cues they’d normally get during stages of rapid developmental growth.
An already tough situation is made worse for those with hearing loss.
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Audiologists recommend enhanced communication strategies in the time of coronavirus to help the nearly 60 million Americans living with hearing loss in one or both ears.
Professor Deborah Terry AO speaks of the importance of university expertise, academic freedom, university collaborations with business and international education.
Baboons make sounds, but how does it relate to human speech?
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Researchers say it’s time to finally discard a decades-old theory about the origins of human language – and revise the date when human ancestors likely were able to make certain speech noises.
Knobi, kazoo-playing maestro.
Ian Nichols/Indianapolis Zoo
Adults aren’t the only language teachers: six-year-olds still produce sounds differently than adults, but toddlers are extremely good at understanding the speech of children six years and older.
It can be hard to understand a non-native speaker of your own language. But conversation is a two-way street and linguists are figuring out how native listeners can improve their half of the interaction.
Gov. Ralph Northam has fumbled his apology.
Reuters/ Jay Paul
Trying to figure out if Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam or other would-be penitents are sincere? A scholar who analyzed dozens of recent apologies offers a user’s guide.