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This National Science Foundation Special Report provides a handy overview of many topics covered in Words R Us, including the physiology of speech, neuroscience and language, dialects, Creoles, sign language, L1 vs. L2 learning, endangered languages, and language evolution.

Short article about a study that proved that texting is positively associate with students' word reading abilities, and may be contributing to reading development.

Carmen Fought and Karen Eisenhauer, two linguists who have been studying the Disney princess franchise, have discovered that, in the average "modern" Disney princess movie, male characters have three times as many lines as women in Disney princess movies. Though Snow White has a nearly equal split, Cinderella actually features more women, and Sleeping Beauty gives almost three-fourths of the lines to women. On the other hand, The Little Mermaid has 68% of lines delivered by males, Beauty and the Beast males have 71%, Aladdin males have 90%, Pocahontas males have 76%, and Mulan males have 77%. Fun Fact: Frozen has two heroines, but women still have only 41% of the lines.

When English colonists first settled in the Americas, there was no linguistic separation between the people. However, near the 1800s, upperclass English people wanted to distinguish their power from the poor and therefore adopted a non-rhotic pronunciation of words. Soon, the whole country began to use it. Soon a whole new language was created. Although some Americans, especially those who regularly traded with the English adopted this idea, many were not influenced by the cultural change.

"People don't know why they get so upset about language," David Crystal told me recently, over Skype from his home in Wales. " 'Potato's,' with an apostrophe 'S,' " he offered, as an example of the kind of thing that drives some people batty, "but you ask them, 'Why are you so upset?', and they can't answer you."

SPEAKING two languages rather than just one has obvious practical benefits in an increasingly globalized world. But in recent years, scientists have begun to show that the advantages of bilingualism are even more fundamental than being able to converse with a wider range of people. Being bilingual, it turns out, makes you smarter.

Talks about the benefits of bilingualism. Was a helpful article to my 2nd quarter field project.

A language teacher began research on pop music and learning after seeing how her students had a remarkable aptitude to memorize song lyrics. The study investigates the mnemonic values of songs and learning.

After a long day, do you like to relax on the gallery? Do you enjoy a dagwood or a torpedo for lunch? Do you drive on the slab or parkway? These regional terms, which might be familiar depending on where you live or grew up, are captured in the Dictionary of American Regional English. Check out the state-by-state glossary.

This article states that humans judge people by their voices. It is something that we all do because we cannot help it. The author touches upon Shakespearean plays to elaborate his argument for why tone of voice does in fact matter.

This article done talks about how children with autism have their "critical period" of language learning affected. Research was done through observation through an EEG which monitored babies of multiple age groups, specifically their auditory cortex.

Linguistic scientists have now identified the most confusing sayings in the British-English language. Most of these phrases come from historical events and military slang.

Whether you're networking, new to a job, or at a friend's party, talking to strangers can be a scary, but rewarding, experience. Use the above tips to go beyond empty exchanges and really get to know those you're talking to - without feeling awkward.

Great find, Kai!

Donald Trump is probably known as one of the most interesting presidents and speakers we know. His common short phrases of, "Believe me", "Not good", and "Build a wall" are some of his most known. This article explains how a linguistic professor studied Trump's speech for two years to try and understand what makes Trump so intriguing to listen to. It also goes on to explain how his speech compares to normal everyday Americans and commonly known politicians.

This article explains why and when we say things such as "please" and "thank you" to others. A recent study has shown that people in informal settings, received expressions of gratitude only a small amount of times in comparison to the amount of requests they complied with or number of times they offered their service or help. Although this may seem like a bad thing, researchers believe this is good news. This article further explains the researchers reasoning.

People who speak more than one language fluently will process maths (yes, that word is correct: very British!) differently when they switch between languages, a new study has found. The study examined Belgians who are dual-fluent in German and French. While they were able to solve the simple tasks with equal proficiency, they took longer to calculate the complex task in French and made more errors than they did when doing the identical task in German. Different regions of the brain were in use when the participants were solving problems in different languages--no surprise, more cognitive effort was needed when using a second language.

What's up with Trump's language? Kathleen Hall Jamieson says that Trump has captivated mass audiences because he does not sound like other presidents who carefully rehearse and perfect their speeches. Instead, Trump says whatever is on his mind. The format of Trump's speeches aren't so rigid either: he will switch to unrelated topics and unnecessarily repeat sentences he just said. In fact, Trump famously repeats words like "very, very" or "many, many". David Beaver points out that Trump speaks like a teleprompter, a business person rather than a politician.

Connotation of sorry is changing.

Positive words from coaches and parents to their kids play a crucial role in the development of the child. Youth sports is about the development of the players. Most coaches often forget this and only focus on the win. This can result in yelling at the players and overall very negative language use. However, being "relentlessly positive" can improve the attitude and play of an athlete.

When Nicaraguan teachers failed to communicate with their 200 deaf students, the students worked together to create a linguistic structure of their own. Judy Kegl, a sign-language expert was contacted to try and decode their new language.