This chapter delves into the evolution of the English language, challenging prescriptivism and discussing how social preferences rather than linguistic rules shape our perceptions of language. The speaker also explores the history of language standardization, debunks the misconception of English having only five vowels, and delves into the influence of social forces on language evolution.
Today, linguist Valerie Fridland ("Like, Literally, Dude") takes us on a tour of the speech habits we love to hate and makes the surprising argument that "like's" and "literally's" make us better communicators.