Quick and Sneaky Learning: Some podcasts about language
A group of learners begins my Editing for Plainer Legal Writing course this week, and I'm pretty excited to work with them. But not everyone wants to take a whole course right now; I haven’t signed up to improve my French (or anything else), for example.
However, I am learning in short and entertaining bits: podcasts, blogs, and webinars.
So below is a list of favourite podcasts related to language. I hope you also find them useful and fun.
Clear and Vivid, hosted by Alan Alda. More about communication than language. Actor Alan Alda interviews some of the most interesting people in the world—from scientists to rock stars (Paul McCartney!!)—in a wide-ranging discussion that informs listeners on the best of communication practices. Find it on Stitcher, Google Play and Apple podcasts.
The Editing Podcast, hosted by Louise Harnby and Denise Cowle. This is dedicated to editing and writing—fiction, non-fiction, print, web. Two experienced editors, one in fiction, the other in non-fiction, have so much fun that if you were thinking about a career in editing, this will push you there. Find it (they say) on “your favourite podcast platform.”
En Clair, hosted by Dr Clare Hardaker, a linguist at University of Lancashire. This “podcast about forensic linguistics, literary detection, and language mysteries” tells fascinating stories where linguistics or language plays an important role, including the man who sued Mark Zuckerberg for half of Facebook, the woman who blogged about her prostitution work, and the Yorkshire Ripper. Find it on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Bluberry, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Podcast Republic, RSS feed, SoundCloud, Spotify and Stitcher.
Lexicon Valley, hosted now by John McWhorter. This podcast, like his books (The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language and many others), will increase your enthusiasm for language. I enjoy his deep understanding of language and its quirks and logic, his love of music, and his pokes at the way we speak, spell and generally live. The show began in 2014 with hosts Mike Vuolo and Bob Garfield, and those episodes are also excellent. Available from Spotify, Slate.com and Apple Podcasts.
Lingthusiasm, hosted by (Canadian!) Gretchen McCullough and Lauren Gawne. This podcast “that’s enthusiastic about linguistics” features two real linguists covering many topics in the field, nearly all of which will interest anyone who edits, writes or speaks. And it’s fun. (Side note: McCullough just published Because Internet, a book about how the internet is changing our language.) Available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Stitcher, Spotify and Soundcloud.
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