Word of Mouth

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Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

Series exploring the world of words and the ways in which we use them

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Word of Mouth: What is language actually good for?

What is language actually good for?

BBC Radio 4 - Word of Mouth, What is language actually good for?

Nick Enfield and Michael Rosen on language being good for lawyers but bad for scientists.

Linguist Nick Enfield has come to the conclusion that language is good for lawyers but bad for scientists, for accurately representing reality. Michael Rosen explores the subject.

Acclaimed Australian linguist Professor Nick Enfield has come to the conclusion that language is good for lawyers, for the purposes of persuasion, but bad for scientists who seek to accurately represent reality. It's a fascinating idea he explores in his new book Language vs Reality. What can language describe and where does it fail? Presenter Michael Rosen explores this with him in an in-depth conversation.
Producer Beth O'Dea

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Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

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