There is so much about language that’s just better if you can include either sound (for spoken languages) or movement (for signed languages) and there are so many fantastic youtube channels out there, that I was inspired to start my own!

My goal is not to teach a class on linguistics (for that, I would recommend The Ling Space, or Crash Course Linguistics). Instead, I wanted to share some of the aspects of linguistics that fascinate me. I have started making videos that are serious overviews of a topic (including more than a few on African American English), as well as discussions of language learning and polyglot issues, and shorter language “bites” where I share crazy, interesting things about language that are easy to overlook (like how politeness is signaled in Persian by how much air you let out of your nose when you’re talking). I have also started interviewing linguists I know about their work, and plan on having much more of that.

My inspiration for this channel was, in part, my friend Kierstyn, who lives down the hall from me. When she has questions about language, she’ll come over and ask. So many people have so many unanswered questions about language that have really interesting answers, and I wanted to open up Kierstyn’s Question Corner (soon to be a real segment) to everyone else, welcoming you into my home and then ranting at you for a few minutes about case marking, or indirect communication, or the difference between tense and aspect.

I’ve already started adding video components to my blog posts, and I anticipate a semi-regular pace of uploading videos. I had a soft, borderline stealth, launch in 2020, and now in 2022 I think I’ve got the general gist of how to produce content on a rolling basis. I’ll be starting a patreon, and I have merchandise available here.

If you like this blog, I think you’ll like the channel. If you do, please like, subscribe, and comment — I especially welcome comments on any of my videos with questions about language, which I might address in future videos.

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