Join Nicole Holliday, an Assistant Professor of Linguistics at Pomona College, as she dives into the fascinating world of phonology. She explores how intonation and pitch shape our identities and relationships, weaving through topics like vocal fry and code switching. Discover the cultural implications of slang, particularly African American Language, and the dynamics of 'Black Twitter.' With humor, they even tackle the debate over the greatest rapper and the social nuances of communication, all while underscoring the importance of linguistic diversity.
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Code-Switching in Action
Nicole Holliday witnessed a biracial Obama campaign worker code-switching.
He spoke formally to a white donor and informally to a Black volunteer.
insights INSIGHT
Intonation and Race Perception
Intonation, not grammar, is key to perceiving someone's race through voice.
Nicole Holliday researches how vocal pitch and tones create racial identity.
insights INSIGHT
Socialized Intonation
Socialization, not just physiology, shapes vocal patterns.
Four-year-old girls already raise their pitch, while boys lower it, before physiological differences emerge.
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The Oxford Handbook of African American Language offers a wide range of analyses on both traditional and contemporary work in the field of African American Language. Edited by Sonja Lanehart, it serves as a valuable resource for understanding the linguistic and social aspects of African American Language. The handbook covers various aspects of language use, history, and cultural context, making it a significant contribution to sociolinguistic studies.
English with an accent
Language, Ideology, and Discrimination in the United States
Rosina Lippi-Green
Alie is delirious with the flu, so it’s an encore presentation of a favorite episode. If you slept on this when it first aired, get into Phonology now. Vocal fry. Code switching. Black Twitter. Valley girls. Culture vultures. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TALKING. Alie battles traffic to sit down with linguistics professor Dr. Nicole Holliday about intonational phonology: how tones and pitch help us bond with others and construct identities. Inspired in part by former President Barack Obama's masterful linguistic variability, Dr. Holliday's work focuses on how language is used in the crossing and construction of racial/ethnic boundaries. She graciously fielded tons of questions for a fascinating dive into the nuances and strict grammatical rules of African American Language, cultural appropriation, our educational system, honoring your identity, what not to wear in Paris and the roiling debate over who is the best rapper. Also: Alie is maybe a lizard person.
Follow Dr. Nicole Holliday @MixedLinguist on Twitter and Instagram
Ologies with Alie Ward 
