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Unconfuse Me with Bill Gates
Episode 4: John McWhorter
Sep 7, 2023
Linguist and professor John McWhorter discusses the irregularities of English, the ideal language, and the equality of dialects. They explore superlatives and annoying expressions in English, share their fascination with languages and language acquisition, discuss advancements in linguistics and language patterns, delve into the uniqueness and preservation of East Asian alphabets, and end with a discussion on their favorite record album.
30:13
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Quick takeaways
- Language is more than words and order, embracing confusion leads to joy in understanding.
- AI language models suggest language is statistical and based on habits, aiding in understanding language change.
Deep dives
The Fascination of Language
Language is more interesting and complex than commonly thought, extending beyond a basket of words and their order. Learning about language involves embracing confusion and finding joy in understanding. Diversity in languages and dialects offers different ways of looking at the world. People who study language do not necessarily use it better, as individual speech patterns and habits can differ. Expressions like 'it is what it is' and overusing certain phrases can be irksome. The process of learning a new language requires imitation, reading, and immersion in conversations at normal speed.
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