Myths, lies, and half-truths of language usage : Transcript book / John McWhorter.

By:

McWhorter, John, V (John Hamilton), 1965-

Contributor(s):

Teaching Company

Material type:

Mixed materialsLanguage: English Series: Great courses (DVD). Literature & language | The Great courses | The Great CoursesPublication details: Chantilly, Virginia : The Teaching Company, 2012.Description: vi, 435 pages ; 19 cmISBN:

9781598038224
1598038222

Uniform titles:

The Great Courses

Subject(s):

DDC classification:

LOC classification:

LB 14.6 M478m 2012

Contents:

Alarm over the decay of English -- Surprises in the ancestry of Old English -- Not exactly Anglo-Saxon -- Don't forget the Celtic connection -- From insider language to Lingua Franca -- English as easy German -- The Viking conquest of English -- How the words of modern English emerged -- Black English-- the streamlining continues -- Honored conceits of blackboard grammar -- Pronoun fashions come and go -- Wrong then, proper now-- and vice versa -- A procession of accidents and fossils -- The pursuit of logic in language -- Clarity as the logic of language -- 20th-century fashions from Strunk & White -- The kinds of grammar you don't hear about -- Linguists uncovering grammar we all use -- Speech versus writing-- different languages -- Speechmaking-- from oratory to plain speaking -- The old and new styles of writing -- Got poetry? Language with spice -- Why texting is misunderstood -- The living past and future of English.

Summary: Is English broken? Do bad grammar, slang, and illogical constructions signal a decline in standards of usage? Do e-mail and text messages corrupt the art of writing? In short, is our language going to the dogs? Taught by acclaimed linguist, author, and Professor John McWhorter of Columbia University, this course dispels the cloud of confusion that clings to English, giving you a crystal-clear view of why we use it the way we do and where it fits into the diverse languages of the world. After completing these 24 lectures, you will think about how you use English in a new way, listen to others with discernment and fascination, and take joy in speaking such a wonderfully idiosyncratic tongue.

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Holdings
Item type	Current library	Home library	Collection	Shelving location	Call number	Copy number	Status	Barcode
Libro	Biblioteca Juan Bosch	Biblioteca Juan Bosch	Humanidades	Humanidades (4to. Piso)	LB 14.6 M478m 2012 (Browse shelf(Opens below))	1	Available	00000136886

Course no. 2212.
The length of each lecture is: ca. 30 min. The entire program consists of 36 lectures.

"Topic: Literature & language; subtopic: Linguistics

Alarm over the decay of English --
Surprises in the ancestry of Old English --
Not exactly Anglo-Saxon --
Don't forget the Celtic connection --
From insider language to Lingua Franca --
English as easy German --
The Viking conquest of English --
How the words of modern English emerged --
Black English--
the streamlining continues --
Honored conceits of blackboard grammar --
Pronoun fashions come and go --
Wrong then, proper now--
and vice versa --
A procession of accidents and fossils --
The pursuit of logic in language --
Clarity as the logic of language --
20th-century fashions from Strunk & White --
The kinds of grammar you don't hear about --
Linguists uncovering grammar we all use --
Speech versus writing--
different languages --
Speechmaking--
from oratory to plain speaking --
The old and new styles of writing --
Got poetry? Language with spice --
Why texting is misunderstood --
The living past and future of English.

Is English broken? Do bad grammar, slang, and illogical constructions signal a decline in standards of usage? Do e-mail and text messages corrupt the art of writing? In short, is our language going to the dogs? Taught by acclaimed linguist, author, and Professor John McWhorter of Columbia University, this course dispels the cloud of confusion that clings to English, giving you a crystal-clear view of why we use it the way we do and where it fits into the diverse languages of the world. After completing these 24 lectures, you will think about how you use English in a new way, listen to others with discernment and fascination, and take joy in speaking such a wonderfully idiosyncratic tongue.

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