Language Evolution

Forget the language instinct—this is the story of how we make up language as we go Language is perhaps humanity’s most astonishing capacity—and one that remains poorly understood. In The Language Game, cognitive scientists Morten H. Christiansen and Nick Chater show us where...

A transformative guide to turning everyday communication into a path of peace, authenticity, and connection. We’ve inherited a language born from survival, competition, and fear. It tells us to fight, win, and be right, but it rarely teaches us how to truly connect, listen, or belong. In...

As language evolves faster than ever before, what is the future of 'correct' style? With wry cleverness and an uncanny intuition for the possibilities of Internet-age expressiveness, Favilla argues that rather than try to preserve the sanctity of the written language as laid out by Strunk and White, we should be concerned with the larger issues of clarity, flexibility, playfulness and political awareness. Her approach to the new rules - as practical as they are fun - will fascinate and delight believers and naysayers alike.

Warum sind wir Menschen so verschieden? Sind wir nicht merkwürdig, wir Menschen, mit verschiedenartigem Aussehen, anderen Sprachen und unterschiedlichen Religionen? Der Evolutionsbiologe Josef H. Reichholf greift das Thema Evolution anhand der alltäglichen Erfahrungen auf, die junge Menschen z.B. bei ihren Mitschülern machen: Jeder Einzelne ist anders, dazu kommt die äußerliche Verschiedenheit durch Kinder asiatischer oder schwarzafrikanischer Herkunft.

"Astonishing, eye-opening, and inspiring." —Chloe Dalton, author of Raising Hare Welcome to the hidden, squirming world of parasites—some of the most misunderstood creatures with whom we share the Earth (and our bodies). There is the tapeworm, which can grow 120 feet in length within the gut...

Born into a digital wonderland, our children are practically mini hackers right from the crib! Most of them were handed a device before they could walk, they clicked before they took their first bite and scrolled before they said their first words. But living online is a giant uncontrolled...

It is widely understood that Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution completely revolutionized the study of biology. Yet, according to David Sloan Wilson, the Darwinian revolution won’t be truly complete until it is applied more broadly—to everything associated with the words “human,”...

An urgent, globe-spanning exploration of languages at risk, from Kichwa to Ukrainian, that asks: What do we lose—culturally, politically, and personally—when a language is silenced? “A vivid, hopeful portrait of how people around the world are staying connected to their linguistic roots...

In its long history, the English language has had many lawmakers - those who have tried to regulate or otherwise organize the way we speak. The Lexicographer's Dilemma poses a pair of questions: What does proper English mean? And who gets to say what's right? Our ideas of correct or proper English have a history, and today's debates over the state of the language - whether about Ebonics in schools, the unique use of language in a South Park episode, or split infinitives in the Times - make sense only in historical context.

In this ambitious book, Jieun Kiaer explores the lives of English words in the twenty-first century, when the creation and use of language has become an increasingly dynamic, interactive, and diverse process in which ordinary people have taken leading roles—offering such coinages as "flexitarian," "MeToo," "glow up," and "shitizen" to "No sabo kids" and beyond. As English language grows ever more diverse, Kiaer believes, we need a paradigm shift.

In the 1970s, the behavioral psychologist Herbert S. Terrace led a remarkable experiment to see if a chimpanzee could be taught to use language. A young ape, named “Nim Chimpsky” in a nod to the linguist whose theories Terrace challenged, was raised by a family in New York and instructed in American Sign Language. Initially, Terrace thought that Nim could create sentences but later discovered that Nim’s teachers inadvertently cued his signing. Terrace concluded that Project Nim failed - not because Nim couldn’t create sentences but because he couldn’t even learn words.

A history and examination of cursing, swearing, whatever you want to effing call it! Is it useful? Is it effective?

Grumps the goat gets angry with everyone and everything all the time. The other animals try to reason with him but when something goes wrong, he just can't help himself. One day, something convinces Grumps that it's really not nice to be so angry. What brings about this change? Listen to find...

Snoffle the squirrel is very, very, very silly. She can't take anything seriously. But one day, an incident in Foggy Forest makes her feel very serious indeed. What happens and what does Snoffle learn. Listen to find out...

Prickles the porcupine is painfully shy. She can't bear to talk to anyone. But one day, her best friend, Woops the worm, decides to help her stop being so shy. What does Woops do? Listen to find out...

Zee the zebra is always moping around. One day, all the animals in Foggy Forest decide to show Zeezee how being sad is a downer for everyone. What do they do and how does Zeezee react? Listen to find out...

Woops the worm worries about everything. But one day, something happens that makes him not only stop worrying but also tell someone else not to. What do you think makes him forget all his worries? Listen to find out...

Crumble is always getting into trouble because she is so curious and constantly poking her nose into things that are not her business. One day, she learns a big lesson. What teaches her the lesson? Listen to find out...

Uff the snail is always sulking. And, naturally, no likes a moody friend. But there is someone who cares. Who helps Uff forget his sulks. Listen to find out...