942. We’re diving deep into the chameleon-like nature of the "a-" prefix, tracing its journey from Latin, where it often started out as "ad-," to its function as a preposition in French, and its transformative role in Greek that gifts English words like "atypical" and "asymmetrical." You'll be wowed by the versatility of the seemingly humble "a-" prefix as w ... Show More
Yesterday
The sinful fork (and other dinner-table surprises)
<p>1136. This week, we go full Thanksgiving, talking about the origin of butter knives, forks, and more. You'll love all the tidbits you can share with your family or friends during dinner.</p><p>🔗 <strong>Share your familect recording via </strong><a href="https://www.speakpipe ... Show More
14m 49s
Nov 20
Why print dictionaries still matter, with Peter Sokolowski
<p>1135. This week, we talk with Peter Sokolowski, editor at large at Merriam-Webster, about the new print 12th Collegiate Dictionary. We look at why print still matters, how the dictionary used lookup data to decide which words to drop (least looked-up compounds), and the import ... Show More
35m 31s
Nov 18
Personification in language and AI. Dictums, maxims, and proverbs. Expensitive.
<p>1134. This week, we look at the poetic power of personification (the language quirk that gives human traits to nonhuman things) and why style guides advise against using it for AI. Then, we look at the different names for common sayings, defining a proverb and breaking down th ... Show More
17m 26s
May 2024
How Can We Be More Effective With Language?
Have you ever wondered what’s up with double negation, the history of gender neutral pronouns, or why swearing is taboo? Then get ready for this week’s guest, linguist Anne Curzan! Anne and Jonathan talk about how the English language has evolved since the 1300s and how our words ... Show More
53m 20s
Feb 2024
Your English Five a Day #17.2
<p><b>E188:</b> 🎙️ Welcome to <b>The English Like a Native Podcast</b> with me, your host, Anna! Today marks <b>Week 17, Day 2 </b>of <b>Your English Five a Day</b>, where we delve into five new words to expand your vocabulary.<br/><br/>🌟 Kicking off our list is the adjective & ... Show More
15m 26s
Apr 2024
Your English Five a Day #23.1
<p><b>E229:</b> 🎙️ Welcome to<b> The English Like a Native Podcast</b> with me, your host, Anna! Tune in to <b>Week 23, Day 1 </b>of <b>Your English Five a Day</b>, where we dive deep into five pieces of vocabulary each weekday to boost your active English vocabulary.<br/><br/> ... Show More
21m 11s
Jul 2022
#109 Ellen Jovin on “The Grammar Table”
Creator and proprietor of The Grammar Table, Ellen Jovin, joins Benny Lewis and Shannon Kennedy to talk about traveling the country to discuss grammar, learning the languages of New York, and finding joy in learning grammar.Featured Resources
Rebel with a ClausePatreon Extended E ... Show More
47m 53s