Episode 57: Slanguage
Introduction
Do your teachers or parents often correct how you talk? Do you correct how other people talk?
John McWhorter is a linguist and he says there is no “right” or “wrong” way to use
language. According to Dr. McWhorter, "It's the nature of human language to change.” This, he
says, is how Latin became French. It's how Old English became Modern English.
Young people have always used language in new ways - and it has always driven older
generations crazy. Languages change all the time and words usually start off as mistakes but are
later accepted as regular language. Languages are mostly spoken, not written down. This means
that languages have always changed as people use them by creating new words, using old words
differently, or changing the pronunciation of familiar words.
Study Guide Questions
List examples of new or changing words:
a. What are examples from the podcast?
b. What are other examples you can think of?
1
Why is Dr. McWhorter critical of dictionaries?
Dr. McWhorter uses a metaphor about a photograph. What does he mean there?
How many languages does Dr. McWhorter estimate are actually written down?
How many languages does he estimate are spoken?
Does this surprise you?
How do new languages develop? Why are “mistakes” so important in the development of new
languages?
What does the word “literally” mean?

What’s its earliest meaning?

What does it mean now?

How do you use it?
2
What does “contranym” mean?
What are some other examples of a contranym?

What are examples from the podcast?

What are examples you can think of?
What does “lol” mean?

What does it stand for?

How does Dr. McWhorter describe it?

Do you ever use it? How?
What’s an example of a word you think might be different in 50 or 100 years? Why?
3