PODCAST · education
Why is English?
by Laura Brandt
A podcast about how the English language got to be the way it is
Episodes
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The Alphabet - Part 2
In part 2 of The Alphabet, we get into some of the weirder letters, like C and G, which can each represent two different sounds, TH and CH, which are both two letters for one sound, and W, which is just…two…U's? or V's?
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The Alphabet - Part 1
In this episode, we find out how our alphabet came to be, from the symbols to the letter names, and the paths many of the letters took to get to what they are now.
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American vs British English
In this episode, we’re looking into some of the ways American English and British English diverged, aka Why Those Other People Talk So Weird.
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Spelling and the Great Vowel Shift
In episode 4, we get into some of the reasons behind English’s weird spelling, including a major shift in pronunciation and the path to spelling standardization.
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The Apostrophe and Possessives
In episode 3, we’re looking at why we put a random little line before an 's' to show possession, and how apostrophes and possessives have not always been so closely associated.
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Pronouns and Singular They
In episode 2, we talk about some of the history of pronouns in English, especially the many attempts at gender-neutral pronouns and the journey of singular ‘they’.
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Language Change
In this episode, we look at the different periods in the history of the English language, how English changed from Old English to today, and why complaining about language change is futile.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
A podcast about how the English language got to be the way it is
HOSTED BY
Laura Brandt
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Why is English? have?
Why is English? currently has 7 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Why is English? about?
A podcast about how the English language got to be the way it is
How often does Why is English? release new episodes?
Why is English? has 7 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Why is English??
You can listen to Why is English? on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Why is English??
Why is English? is created and hosted by Laura Brandt.
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