Blog Archives

Multilingual Atlanta: Mapping the languages of tweets

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Nic Subtirelu — 3 Comments

This year, I have a research fellowship at my university researching New and Emerging Media. I’ve thus been working on a number of different projects related to computational ways of looking at language and discourse (for example, this one). However,…

Tagged with: atlanta, geography, language, maps, multilingualism, R, sociolinguistics, twitter
Posted in Human migration, Linguistic diversity, Multilingualism

computer code != human language: Why coding can’t replace language education

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Nic Subtirelu — 2 Comments

So here’s a weird story for you. According to this source (and others), Kentucky state Senator Robert Givens has proposed that, in order to promote computer literacy, high school students should be allowed to use courses in computer programming to…

Tagged with: coding, computer coding, computer languages, computer programming, foreign language education, foreign language learning, foreign languages, language learning, modern language association, modern language education, robert givens, second language learning, world language education
Posted in Language and education, Technology and language

Habits of the rich: Rationalizing inequality

Posted on January 28, 2014 by Nic Subtirelu — 3 Comments

One striking aspect of contemporary life in the United States (and indeed in many other countries), is the level of material inequality that exists. Such blatant and materially important inequalities demand explanation. Questions like “why do I live in such wealth…

Tagged with: critical discourse analysis, discourse analysis, income inequality, martin prosperity institute, occupy, occupy movement, occupy-wall-street, ows, poverty, privilege, rich habits, social class, socioeconomic status, the 1%, the one percent, Tom Corley, wealth inequality
Posted in Language and social class, Media discourse and media bias

Are you even listening to me?: Miscommunication and the performance of attention

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Nic Subtirelu — 1 Comment

We spend a lot of time talking everyday, much of this in face-to-face communication (yes, even in spite of the rise of digital technologies). When we do so, we rely on the cooperation of another person. One way we expect…

Tagged with: anne lowell, attention, classroom communication, daniel maltz, eye contact, george ray, interpersonal communication, language and culture, listening, minimal responses, miscommunication, non-verbal communication, nonverbal communication, not paying attention, pay attention, paying attention, ruth borker, sociolinguistics
Posted in Language and gender, Linguistic diversity, Miscommunication and communication difficulties

A prescriptivism with moral and political ends: The linguistic shalts and shalt nots I can get behind

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Nic Subtirelu — 3 Comments

In the field of linguistics, we tend to make a distinction between two ways of thinking about language and grammar: prescriptivism and descriptivism.

Tagged with: descriptivism, discrimination, eminem, English, english grammar, grammar, language bullies, language elitists, linguistics, oxford comma, prescriptivism, prescriptivists
Posted in Ideology and social change, Prescriptivism and language prejudice