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Narrated by:
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John McWhorter
About this listen
Linguistics, the study of language, has a reputation for being complex and inaccessible. But here's a secret: There's a lot that's quirky and intriguing about how human language works-and much of it is downright fun to learn about. But with so many potential avenues of exploration, it can often seem daunting to try to understand it. Where does one even start?
In these twenty-four 15-minute lectures by one of the best-known popularizes of language, you'll discover a delightful way to get accessible, bite-sized introductions to language. Using the English alphabet as a unique, offbeat way to approach the subject, Professor McWhorter has crafted a hopscotch tour of some of the field's major topics, hot-button issues, and more.
You'll learn why it can actually be OK to use slang like "LOL." Why English speakers don't use words like "thou" and "thee" anymore. What makes "mama" and "papa" a child's first words-in many languages. How popular rhymes like "Eeny, meeny, miney, moe") actually derive from the words for numbers in an early relative of Welsh. Why "like" is here to stay in common American speech. And much more.
These and other fascinating topics are all delivered in Professor McWhorter's light-hearted yet informative teaching style, which makes this series essential for anyone looking for a welcoming window into the quirks, curiosities, and intricacies of how language works. Filled with humor, whimsy, and no shortage of insights, it's a fast-paced tour of the same territory linguists tread each and every day.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.
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Experience a bold take on this classic autobiography as it’s performed by Oscar-nominated Laurence Fishburne. In this searing classic autobiography, originally published in 1965, Malcolm X, the Muslim leader, firebrand, and Black empowerment activist, tells the extraordinary story of his life and the growth of the Human Rights movement. His fascinating perspective on the lies and limitations of the American dream and the inherent racism in a society that denies its non-White citizens the opportunity to dream, gives extraordinary insight into the most urgent issues of our own time.
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it's Nearly perfect
- By Kerry on 09-16-20
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Caffeine
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- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
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Michael Pollan, known for his best-selling nonfiction audio, including The Omnivores Dilemma and How to Change Your Mind, conceived and wrote Caffeine: How Caffeine Created the Modern World as an Audible Original. In this controversial and exciting listen, Pollan explores caffeine’s power as the most-used drug in the world - and the only one we give to children (in soda pop) as a treat.
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Leaves much to be desired
- By Melody H on 02-02-20
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Mythology: Mega Collection
- Classic Stories from the Greek, Celtic, Norse, Japanese, Hindu, Chinese, Mesopotamian and Egyptian Mythology
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Do you know how many wives Zeus had? Or how the famous Trojan War was caused by one beautiful lady? Or how Thor got his hammer? Give your imagination a real treat. This Mega Mythology Collection of eight audiobooks is for you....
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An interesting set of introductions.
- By Kevin Potter on 05-30-19
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I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn’t)
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- By: Brené Brown
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Based on seven years of ground-breaking research and hundreds of interviews, I Thought It Was Just Me shines a long-overdue light on an important truth: Our imperfections are what connect us to each other and to our humanity. Our vulnerabilities are not weaknesses; they are powerful reminders to keep our hearts and minds open to the reality that we're all in this together.
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I'm sure its great if you are a mother ....
- By Leslie A Hill on 08-09-11
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The Strange Death of Europe
- Immigration, Identity, Islam
- By: Douglas Murray
- Narrated by: Robert Davies
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
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The Strange Death of Europe is a highly personal account of a continent and culture caught in the act of suicide. Declining birth rates, mass immigration, and cultivated self-distrust and self-hatred have come together to make Europeans unable to argue for themselves and incapable of resisting their own comprehensive alteration as a society and an eventual end.
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Fear-mongering
- By Kat Cat on 01-22-19
By: Douglas Murray
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One of my top 3 favorite courses!
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The Science of Information: From Language to Black Holes covers the exciting concepts, history, and applications of information theory in 24 challenging and eye-opening half-hour lectures taught by Professor Benjamin Schumacher of Kenyon College. A prominent physicist and award-winning educator at one of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges, Professor Schumacher is also a pioneer in the field of quantum information, which is the latest exciting development in this dynamic scientific field.
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Not appropriate for audio-only
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What listeners say about Language A to Z
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Nicole
- 03-02-21
Favorite McWhorter book
This is a fantastic analysis of language split into the alphabet. 26 pieces of information of Language in general coinciding with the 26 letters of the English alphabet. That is a very vague summary. This book is so much more than that. 10/10 would recommend and did not disappoint
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- Cyrus Ebrahimi
- 02-03-15
Great survey of human language
Great course and presentation for learning some interesting facts about language. After listening to this course you'll look at you language differently.
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- M. Fry
- 01-01-15
Interesting and amusing
McWhorter is funny and entertaining while also educating. This was an easy yet informative listen.
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- Abel
- 09-13-17
Informative and Fun
John McWhorter is a brilliant teacher and manages to communicate all the complexities of language in a simple, fun manner. I'll buy any course from him.
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- Theresa Corbett
- 09-07-22
McWhorter is a terrific lecturer
I love the way he presents what could be a very dry topic. He makes it relevant and entertaining while teaching us a lot about language and people.
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- Kindle Customer
- 10-11-22
My Favorite McWhorter Course
I have listened to several of his courses, and enjoyed them all. I find this one to be the funniest, yet still it provides a lot of facts that I may even recall some of. I have listened to this twice now, and I enjoyed this at least as much, possibly more, the second time.
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- SouthDenverDave
- 05-31-23
Very interesting and informative
John McWhorter has a keen insight into languages in general. He is an excellent narrator/speaker. He also has a wonderful sense of humor. I really enjoyed listening to his descriptions of all the various languages. The tremendous amount of information that is contained in language is truly impressive. Dr. McWhorter is a superb lecturer and obviously has a great passion for what he teaches. I highly recommend this listen.
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- Jacobus
- 05-06-14
A genious Miscelany of linguistic topics
Prof. John McWhorter, linguist and English lecturer at the University of Columbia fires off like a rocket bringing linguistics to the listener through 24 short 15 minute mini-lectures from A-Z. He uses the alphabet to introduce the listener to some interesting facts about the mishmash of languages spoken in the world.
He starts the course at an enormous pace and peppers you with a lot of information. Initially I thought that I would opt out due to the pace against which he presents. I managed to stuck in there and was not disappointed. He knows a lot about languages.
From a South African perspective just the following: Xhosa is not pronounced Chosa as if it should start with a fricative, but with a clicking sound like that of the clicking languages that he describes. His pronunciation of the language called Afrikaans was also lacking. Despite that, he brings tremendous insight into languages and their structures. Highlights are "H for Hobbits" and "R for R-lessness"
If you want a fun-filled and highly informative course, this one is for you.
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23 people found this helpful
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- Joanna
- 08-06-18
Snack sized bits of linguistics
All John McWhorter's Great Courses courses are excellent but if you're not sure if linguistics is of interest to you this is a great place to start as it is shorter and simpler than the other courses. The lectures are very short (approximately 15 minutes) and each cover one of a diverse range of linguistic facts about English and other languages.
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Overall
- Gregala
- 01-22-19
Beyond the valley of the grammar police
I've always loved the English language and priced myself on my mastery of grammar and usage. Still do. But McWhorter takes us past the formal rules and shows how and why living languages grow and evolve. Knowing the rules is great. Understanding them and their limits is even more enriching.
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