So, you know, young women are totally at the forefront of creativity in language
So, like, does it bother you the way some people speak?
Some of us use what are called "discourse markers" in conversation. A linguistics professor at Seattle Pacific University says discourse markers have been part of our language for years.
Kathryn Bartholomew teaches linguistics at Seattle Pacific University. She said these discourse markers have been part of our daily interactions for years.
“Communication is difficult if we’re not using discourse markers,” Bartholomew said. “Starting a sentence with ‘I mean’, can be a filler, a pause for time. We’ve always relied on something like that.”
She said texting could be viewed not as “a form of writing but rather a form of speech.”
And this: “Young women tend to be at the forefront of creativity in language.”
-
Katherine Banwell
Announcer
Katherine is the local host on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Prior to coming to KUOW, she worked at KPLU (now KNKX) as a fill-in host on All Things Considered and host of Weekend Morning Edition. She's also the voice of many telephone on-hold messages for businesses across the country and loves to act in her spare time.
More stories from Katherine Banwell »
