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John McWhorter / Why Most Humans Talk in Two or More Ways

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John McWhorter / Why Most Humans Talk in Two or More Ways

College of Arts and Humanities | English | Linguistics | Maryland Language Science Center | The Bahá'í Chair for World Peace Friday, February 28, 2025 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Adele H. Stamp Student Union, Hoff Theater

Registration is free and open to the public. 

On the last day of February, Columbia University's John McWhorter explains "Why most humans talk in two or more ways" at the Hoff Theatre inside Stamp Student Union Hall. The talk is designed for non-specialists and is open to the public.

Says McWhorter, "I'd like to outline how the idea that a normal person talks more or less the same way in all situations is based on the fact that American English is relatively uniform. People in many parts of the world live toggling between different dialects, different languages, and/or different vocabularies for different situations. Often we ask "Why do people code-switch?" when the real question might be "Why would people NOT code-switch."

Add to Calendar 02/28/25 13:00:00 02/28/25 15:00:00 America/New_York John McWhorter / Why Most Humans Talk in Two or More Ways

Registration is free and open to the public. 

On the last day of February, Columbia University's John McWhorter explains "Why most humans talk in two or more ways" at the Hoff Theatre inside Stamp Student Union Hall. The talk is designed for non-specialists and is open to the public.

Says McWhorter, "I'd like to outline how the idea that a normal person talks more or less the same way in all situations is based on the fact that American English is relatively uniform. People in many parts of the world live toggling between different dialects, different languages, and/or different vocabularies for different situations. Often we ask "Why do people code-switch?" when the real question might be "Why would people NOT code-switch."

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