Linguistics

There are five Pacific languages listed as endangered by UNESCO. What's the point of reviving them? Audio

Adopting an Australian twang when over the ditch, or making more rounded vowels when speaking to a Brit. Many of us do it without even noticing. Audio

For today's expert we've got some tips on learning a language. Like mastering a craft or a musical instrument, learning a new language takes years of consistent practice. But are there ways to do it… Audio

We've all seen the incredibly positive social impacts of people taking to their balconies, windows, and rooftops to sing to one another during the pandemic. But there are health benefits to singing as… Audio

Nineties sitcom Friends has had far-reaching cultural impact over the decades, finding itself at the centre of rolling fashion trends and loads of scholarly analysis. But Elizabeth Stokoe found the… Audio

We're looking at words on Monday night - all the crazy ways we use them and tonight, two Prime Ministers are under the lens.. The particular way the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern speaks and a thing… Audio

Word is the name of our new feature on Mondays - exploring everything about the written and spoken word, especially in New Zealand English. We find out how the language is evolving, how it's changing… Audio

Tonight we start a new series, looking at words and how we use them, especially in our own, unique way, in 'New Zild' English. We look at how New Zealand English is changing and cover all the quirky… Audio

Consumers consistently prefer 'feminine' brand names to 'masculine' ones, according to a series of studies published in the Journal of Marketing by Ruth Pogacar, a professor of marketing at the… Audio

Less than 4000 people speak Tokelauan, and the majority of them live in New Zealand - rather than in Tokelau itself.  Audio

If anyone can explain why Dr Ashley Bloomfield became a national heart-throb, it's a linguistics expert - right? A new podcast series aims to help us understand what lies behind all the words… Audio

Roslyn Petelin is a staunch defender of proper grammar and style, and doesn't mind copping flak for being a language pedant. Roslyn joins the show to discuss mispronunciations, malapropisms, and some… Audio

Decimate originally came from a term for taxation, then became a word for killing one in ten people. That meaning has changed, but some people don't want to let go. Audio

Kathryn meets Dr Corinne Seals, a senior lecturer in Applied Linguistics and Language Studies at Victoria University, who has been researching how to help multilingual pre-schoolers improve their… Audio, Gallery

Language is always evolving. We don't talk the way Shakespeare did, so it should come as no surprise that the most disruptive force of modern times, the internet, is changing communication. Video, Audio

Joe Gillard has put together a handy guide of old timey linguistic gems that once gave colourful expression to the English language. Words like honeyfuggle (to flatter someone), ninnyhammer (fool) and… Audio