Linguistics pioneer Jean Berko Gleason says language reveals unexpected truths not only about our human relationships with our world, but also our consciousness of ourselves.
A child plays with building blocks at a language school in Brazil.
» Deb Roy's TED Talk: The Blossoming of Speech
You heard excerpts of the MIT researcher's presentation in this show. Watch the 20-minute video in which he explains how he wired his house with microphones and video cameras — and how we learn language and the landscapes in which we encounter each other.
» Sunday Morning Exercise:
Take "The Wug Test"
Our delightful exercise with 10 of the 27 drawings that comprise the "wug test." Try them out with the kids in your life (or, yes, even by yourself). They'll demonstrate how children as young as three or four can internalize complex grammatical codes no one has necessarily ever tried to teach them. And let us know what surprised you!
» Producing "Dramatic Play + the Developing Brain"
A bit of the backdrop for producing a slideshow about executive function.
» Snug as a Wug in a Rug
A fun video segment from NOVA testing a producer's linguistic capacities.
» Language Reclamation, Not Just Preservation
Ojibwe teacher Keller Paap reflects on his work and the necessity of his language to adapt in order for it to flourish.
Jean Berko Gleason
Berko Gleason is Professor Emerita of Psychology at Boston University.
Funding provided in part by the John Templeton Foundation.
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