Episode 24: Speak standard English!

There’s regularly talk of ‘correct’ or ‘standard’ language in the media and on Twitter. Some people apparently wear their bad grammar like a badge of honour or refuse to learn the 'correct' way of speaking because, the critics say, it makes them look cooler or ‘down with the kids’. And don’t even ask about glottal stops! In the second part of our discussion, Ian Cushing and I look at what 'standard English' is, and why we should question policies that insist upon it being spoken (in full sentences) at all times. And why does grammar get people heckling each other? Read the blog on www.thelanguagerevolution.co.uk to find the links mentioned.

Om Podcasten

As the UK faces a languages crisis, with numbers dropping up to 50% in take-up of GCSE Modern Languages since 2003 and a £48bn deficit in the UK economy due to a shortage of linguists, join languages teacher and entrepreneur Cate Hamilton as she talks to scientists, linguists, wordsmiths, and other interested guests about why being multilingual is (and always has been) normal, and why linguistics matters now more than ever. Let's talk about talking!