We tend to understand and acknowledge that what we say matters. But I find an increasing lack of attention to how we say things. And yet we make conscious and unconscious judgments about people regarding how they are talking, that sometimes become more important than whatever it is they might actually be saying. This is a focus on being aware of our own speech patterns and habits and how they may be hampering our desire to really connect with others. My guest is Valerie Fridland, professor of linguistics in the English Department at the University of Nevada, Reno. As a sociolinguist, Valerie studies how language interacts with society and examines how factors like geography, social class, age, gender, and ethnicity shape accents, vocabulary, and grammar with a focus on how the way we speak impacts the way we think about and talk to one another. Valerie is the author of Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English, and she writes a popular language blog on Psychology Today called "Language in the Wild.” Her new book is Why We Talk Funny: The Real Story Behind our Accents. valeriefridland.com

Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin

Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices