1976 - 3 Benefits of 'Like' with Linguist Valerie Fridland

The podcast features Valerie Friedland, a linguist and author, discussing her book on modern English speech. Valerie shares her journey into linguistics, influenced by her southern accent and challenges in learning Chinese. The discussion focuses on misconceptions about the word 'like' and its various functions in English, such as a discourse marker, approximating adverbial, and quotative. Valerie emphasizes the positive aspects of these speech features and provides insights into her book and blog.

How did Valerie's Southern accent impact her language learning experience?

What is the relationship between language and social identity as mentioned in the text?

What are some misconceptions about the use of 'like' in English?

What is the significance of the word 'like' in modern English speech according to Valerie?

What does Valerie mean by the term 'frequency illusion' in relation to language use?

What role do discourse markers play in conversation according to Valerie?

How does Valerie suggest we can shift our perspective on language features that are often criticized?

Can you explain the concept of 'quotative like' as discussed in the text?

In what ways does Valerie's book address the misconceptions about modern English?

What are some historical aspects of language change that Valerie discusses?