communication accommodation theory

The Lombard Effect: Shouting to Be Heard

Ever found yourself practically shouting into your phone on a busy street? That involuntary impulse to raise your voice in…

3 weeks ago

The Telephone’s Missing Body Language

When Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, he inadvertently stripped conversation of its most fundamental element: body language. In response,…

3 weeks ago

How Do You Learn a Language With No Writing System?

Imagine learning a language with no alphabet, no dictionary, and no textbooks. This is the challenge for field linguists who…

3 weeks ago

The Anti-Language of Power: What Is Gobbledygook?

This dense, evasive prose, known as gobbledygook, is more than just bad writing; it's a sophisticated "anti-language" designed to obscure…

3 weeks ago

The Language of De-escalation: How Words Avert Crisis

From hostage negotiation to customer service, specific linguistic choices can calm a volatile situation. This article explores the grammar of…

3 weeks ago

The Heritage Speaker’s Dilemma

You speak a language at home, a tongue filled with the warmth of family and the taste of tradition. Yet,…

3 weeks ago

Decoding the Antarctic Dialect

For scientists and staff "wintering-over" in Antarctica, months of profound isolation have forged a unique micro-dialect. This "Antarctic English" features…

3 weeks ago

Linguistic Passing: The Adopted Accent

Linguistic passing is the conscious act of adopting a new accent, not just to blend in, but to gain social…

3 weeks ago

The Child Who Forgot to Speak: Childhood L1 Attrition

We often worry about losing a second language, but what happens when a child starts to forget their first? First-language…

3 weeks ago

10 UX Writing Rules from Linguistics

Every button, menu, and error message you read is a piece of micro-linguistics. This article reveals 10 crucial rules of…

3 weeks ago

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