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Lingthusiasm

Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne

Linguists explaining language's hidden patterns and curiosities, often with expert guests.

Why we picked this

We picked Lingthusiasm because it treats human language as a vast, observable system rather than a set of arbitrary rules. The hosts approach phonology, syntax, and sociolinguistics with rigorous academic training and genuine enthusiasm, avoiding dry textbook recitation in favor of concrete patterns and real-world data. Every conversation maps out how speakers actually use their voices, bodies, and historical baggage to communicate. It is a reliable antidote to prescriptivism, offering a durable foundation for anyone curious about how speech works.

CraftScience12 episodes on Steadcast · Latest Aug 2026

Recent episodes

119: Irregularity is all over the place

Aug 21, 202645 min

118: Using tech to chat with bonobos, dogs, and whales

Jul 17, 202645 min

117: What makes for beautiful writing, scientifically speaking

Jun 19, 202649 min

116: Cross-cultural communication (in space!)

May 22, 202631 min

115: The long shadow of Daisy Bates with This Guy Sucked

Apr 17, 20261h

114: Begonia, average coral, and sea pink - Defining colour terms with Kory Stamper

Mar 20, 202654 min

113: Why "it's a diglossia!" explains so many social dynamics

Feb 20, 202648 min

112: When language become-s(3SG) linguistic example-s(PL)

Jan 15, 202649 min

111: Whoa!! A surprise episode??? For me??!!

Dec 19, 202550 min

110: The history of the history of Indo-European - Interview with Danny Bate

Nov 20, 20251h

109: On the nose - How the nose shapes language

Oct 17, 202546 min

108: Highs and lows of tone in Babanki - Interview with Pius Akumbu

Sep 19, 202551 min

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