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The Story of Human Language

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The Story of Human Language

By: John McWhorter, The Great Courses
Narrated by: John McWhorter
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About this listen

Language defines us as a species, placing humans head and shoulders above even the most proficient animal communicators. But it also beguiles us with its endless mysteries, allowing us to ponder why different languages emerged, why there isn't simply a single language, how languages change over time and whether that's good or bad, and how languages die out and become extinct. Now you can explore all of these questions and more in an in-depth series of 36 lectures from one of America's leading linguists.

You'll be witness to the development of human language, learning how a single tongue spoken 150,000 years ago evolved into the estimated 6,000 languages used around the world today and gaining an appreciation of the remarkable ways in which one language sheds light on another.

The many fascinating topics you examine in these lectures include: the intriguing evidence that links a specific gene to the ability to use language; the specific mechanisms responsible for language change; language families and the heated debate over the first language; the phenomenon of language mixture; why some languages develop more grammatical machinery than they actually need; the famous hypothesis that says our grammars channel how we think; artificial languages, including Esperanto and sign languages for the deaf; and how word histories reflect the phenomena of language change and mixture worldwide.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2004 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2004 The Great Courses
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Dr McWhorter is a great presenter he conveys an impressive depth of learning on this topic and is very funny at times - thoroughly recommended. Although language is not my area of interest I gained a lot from this course.

Entertaining and Enlightening

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The Story of Human Language i was utterly fascinating. The chapter on the Story of the English Language was riveting and the final master class was the icing on the cake.

Utterly Fascinating

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As an amateur editor, self-professed grammar nerd and a lover of words, I found these lectures to be so engrossing and stimulating!!
There was a lot to take in, and at times I found John to talk a bit fast for me to wrap my head around some ideas and concepts but I still enjoyed the topic and journey through the lectures.
I will definitely be coming back for a re-listen!

Fascinating!!

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It's an amazingly complex topic, but it was told with great passion, knowledge and humour by the author. Very enjoyable and informative.

Fascinating

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John McWhorter is an engaging speaker. His inflections and intonations somehow draw you along and tap into our own curiosity. I thought I could never finish this series, but I did!

A dry subject made fascinating

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great crash course on language as a whole including its development and history. john is an engaging speaker and makes it easy to get your head around difficult concepts

thanks john

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I liked Professor McWhorter's easy-going style of delivery and his underlying sense of humour, which can often be glimpsed in his idiomatic expressions. This is especially notable in his final lecture in this series.

very enjoyable

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I loved every minute of it, truely enlightening for me starting with zero background on linguistics I’ve found myself having deep interesting conversations with others about this topic, the history of humans makes much more sense

Incredible

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loved it and binge listened. fascinating for linguiphiles. American flavour, of course. learned some interesting things.

great if you're interested in languages

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Great lecturer and interesting subject. The only downside for me was that it is a bit outdated, lacking the great advancement in human DNA and global spread.

interesting and funny

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