logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2020
44m 26s

Grammar based on the unfamiliar (with Ro...

CANGURO ENGLISH
About this episode

It’s an unfortunate fact that most of linguistic theory is based on a few major European languages, especially English, which actually damages our understanding of how the thousands of languages in the world might work. But there is one man who has spent his career trying to correct the balance. Robert Van Valin is one of the developers of Role and Reference Grammar or RRG which aims to explain language by focusing on some of the most unfamiliar languages in the world. In this interview we talk about the fundamentals of RRG, and what unites and divides the world's languages.

Up next
Jul 2021
Accent and identity (with Erik Singer)
If you know me and my work then you know that I talk a lot about identity, and especially how your accent is a big part of your identity: your accent tells the story of your life. But if you do want to change your accent, or improve your pronunciation, how do you do it? Recently ... Show More
1h 21m
Jun 2021
The state of modern linguistics | The Story of Language | Bonus episode
Welcome to The Story of Language: an original podcast series about language, linguistics, cognition, and culture. In this bonus episode we talk about the state of modern linguistics, including the effects of the replication crisis, scientific fraud, Anglocentrism, and how the und ... Show More
1h 4m
Jun 2021
Embodied cognition | The Story of Language | Episode 12
Welcome to The Story of Language: an original podcast series about language, linguistics, cognition, and culture. In this episode we discuss embodied cognition and the uncontroversial fact that the brain is an organ of the body, which then leads to the very controversial conclusi ... Show More
1h 7m
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2019
Why language is humanity’s greatest invention | David Peterson
Civilization rests upon the existence of language, says language creator David Peterson. In a talk that’s equal parts passionate and hilarious, he shows how studying, preserving and inventing new languages helps us understand our collective humanity -- and gives a quick lesson on ... Show More
14m 21s
Jun 2020
The Best Way to Learn English (or any language)
A language learning expert changed the way many people (including me) study languages and in this episode I wanted to tell you about him. 
11m 15s
May 2021
79. What is the strangest language in the world? (English Vocabulary Lesson)
What is the strangest language in the world? Many linguists believe that all languages share certain universal rules and features. They believe that humans have innate or natural grammar that we are born with. However, there is a language from South America which is so strange an ... Show More
19m 37s
Apr 2023
DON'T Complicate Language Learning
Many people are put off learning languages because they think it is difficult to do. Language educators often don’t help, but instead complicate the process with jargon, seeking to describe the minute details of the natural and enjoyable process of language acquisition. 
14m 17s
Dec 2023
What's it like to be bilingual?
Almost half the people in the world speak at least two languages. And, it turns out, that includes a lot of But Why listeners! In this episode we talk about what it’s like to speak multiple languages and kids from around the world share phrases in many different languages so we c ... Show More
34m 57s
Oct 2021
167. Is the Loss of a Language Important?
Every year several languages die out. Some people think that this is not important because life will be easier if there are fewer languages in the world. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?   a number of   become extinct  is lost the death of a language  th ... Show More
4m 58s
Nov 2017
63 – Where people speak Russian
Где говорят на русском Если вы думаете, что люди говорят на русском языке только в России, то вы глубоко ошибаетесь. Русский язык – это шестой в мире язык по численности говорящих. Количество владеющих русским языком в России – 137,5 млн человек, а в мире – около 260 млн человек. ... Show More
17m 59s
Dec 2018
How language shapes the way we think | Lera Boroditsky
There are about 7,000 languages spoken around the world -- and they all have different sounds, vocabularies and structures. But do they shape the way we think? Cognitive scientist Lera Boroditsky shares examples of language -- from an Aboriginal community in Australia that uses c ... Show More
14m 17s