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The Vocal Fries

The Vocal Fries
Linguistic Discrimination
Linguistics
Racialization
Bilingual Education
Social Justice
British Sign Language
Language Acquisition
Latinx Racialization
Language Deprivation
Linguistic Anthropology
Laura Loomer
Critical Race Theory
Language and Gender
Demystifying Language Project
San Quentin Rehabilitation Center
Neapolitan Language
Simplified Spelling Movement
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Donald Trump

The monthly podcast about linguistic discrimination. Learn about how we judge other people's speech as a sneaky way to be racist, sexist, classist, etc. Carrie and Megan teach you how to stop being an accidental jerk. Support this podcast at www.patreon.com/vocalfriespod

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes165Founded9 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureScienceSocial Sciences

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Artwork for The Vocal Fries

Latest Episodes

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Carrie and Megan talk with Dr Hiram L. Smith about his book Wassup, My Nigga: The Hidden History of a Controversial Word and why linguists - particularly Black linguists -  should be involved in any conversation about the n-word. 

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Carrie and Megan talk with Dr Lee Moore about his book, China’s Backstory: The History Beijing Doesn’t Want You to Read, about the history of Taiwan and the current linguistic landscape.

• Grok inventing anti-English bigotry

Suppo... more

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Carrie and Megan talk with Dr Michael Erard about his newest e-book, The Language Beat: Essays and Reporting on Language and Life. 

• AI Indigenous correspondents

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Contact us:

• Threads us @vocalfriespod

• Bluesk... more

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Carrie and Megan talk with Dr Danny Bate about his book, Why Q Needs U. Check out his podcast, A Language I Love Is...

• BTS vs the Grammys

• BTS and Chris Brown

Support the show

Contact us:

• Threads us @vocalfriespod

• Bluesky... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Lee Moore
Author of China's Backstory and founder of the Chinese Literature Podcast; he writes about China and teaches Chinese and Taiwanese literature and film.
Episode: The History Beijing Doesn’t Want You to Read
Michael Erard
Writer, linguist, and author of multiple language-related books
Episode: The Language Beat Essays
Danny Bate
Linguist, writer, broadcaster, and podcaster
Author, Why Q Needs U
Episode: Why Q Needs U
Dr. Chad M. Topaz
Professor of Complex Systems at Williams College; co-founder of QSIDE Institute
Williams College; QSIDE Institute
Episode: Unlocking Justice
Dr. Valerie Fridland
Professor of linguistics, author of Like Literally Dude and Why We Talk Funny
University of Nevada, Reno
Episode: Why We Talk Funny
Lynnette Arnold
Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Episode: Language and Health in Action
Anna Corwin
Associate Professor and Chair of the Women's Spirituality Program, California Institute of Integral Studies
California Institute of Integral Studies
Episode: Language and Health in Action
Abby Mack
Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
Episode: Language and Health in Action
Stephanie Keeney Parks
University of California Chancellor Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Anthropology, UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
Episode: Language and Health in Action

Hosts

Carrie Gillan
Linguist and producer focused on linguistic discrimination.
Megan Figueroa
Linguist and co-host focused on linguistic discrimination.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 283 ratings
  • Linguistics is fun

    Me: cool another linguistics podcast, I love those!

    Them: (a few episodes in) Schadenfreude is mean but ok if it’s “about a white dude”

    Me: oh right, it’s a podcast about linguistic discrimination!

    Byeeeeeee!

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    jjiusbbbdhag
    United States2 years ago
  • Tedious banter between two insufferable twits

    I’ve tried to listen to several episodes but couldn’t bear the consistently uninformed views that betray the hosts’ meager knowledge of history (just one example, in an episode about dialects, one of the hosts speculated that, since the founding of the U.S. was contemporaneous with the French Revolution, perhaps the “English only” movement in the U.S. was modeled after France’s insistence on a single uniform national language). I never managed to finish an episode and I can’t believe they’ve las... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    RbccaSuth
    United States3 years ago
  • Makes my ears bleed

    Moronic drivel.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Nellygoat
    United States4 years ago
  • Keeps my Love of Language Alive!

    I fell in love with linguistics in college in Inge Genee’s class at the University of Lethbridge (you should have her on the show!). I am now many years past college and that love has stuck with me and I get to keep learning thanks to Carrie and Megan. I love how accessible they make a very academic discipline and the way they force me to address my own biases and preconceptions.

    Thank you, Carrie and Megan! Please never stop!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Umm Isa
    United States4 years ago
  • Not really sure who this podcast is for…

    Many of the concepts are very basic intro linguistics concepts, but I don’t feel like they explain them thoroughly enough for someone who is unfamiliar with linguistics to understand. On the other hand, anyone who is already familiar with these concepts won’t find much groundbreaking material here.

    The first episode I listened to was about prescriptivism vs descriptivism. The hosts spent a long time covering how non-standard grammar was not “wrong” per se, but just different, from a different c... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Xbound24
    United States5 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some listeners find the level uneven, describing concepts as either too basic or insufficiently explained.
Fans value the range of guests and perspectives, and say discussions prompt reflection on their own assumptions about language.
Listeners who enjoy the content praise the hosts' lively dynamic, clear explanations, and ability to make linguistics accessible.
Critical reviews object to the hosts' political framing and conversational style; one review also says low production values distract from the content.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The History Beijing Doesn’t Want You to Read
Q: Can you describe the linguistic situation before the Portuguese and Han Chinese colonization, including the Indigenous languages?
Moore explains that Taiwan was home to diverse Austronesian languages, with no other known language families on the island. He says Austronesian languages likely originated in Taiwan, and that roughly 25 or 26 Indigenous languages are classified there today.
The History Beijing Doesn’t Want You to Read
Q: How many times has Taiwan been colonized?
Moore says the Dutch were the first to colonize Taiwan in 1624. Chinese rule followed in 1683, then Japanese rule from 1895 to 1945, followed by the KMT government taking control after World War II.
Language and Health in Action
Q: Why did you decide to write about your interaction with the white clinician in Stephanie's chapter, and what does it reveal about race and disability in clinical spaces?
The researchers discuss this as a powerful example of how racism works quietly in clinical spaces, with autism and language being central; whiteness is often unmarked, and diagnostic processes can pathologize non-white speech and behavior, reinforcing disparities despite clinicians' good intentions.
I see your True Color(s)
Q: Why did you want to write this book, and why now?
Kory Stamper explains that her long-standing work with dictionaries led her to explore how color definitions evolved, the role of scientists and lexicographers, and the social and cultural forces shaping color perception, culminating in a book that unpacks the messy history behind color terms and naming.
Algospeak
Q: Why did you want to write this book and why now?
Because as a linguist and content creator, I can't turn off my linguist brain and my content creator brain.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Vocal Fries

What is The Vocal Fries about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Monthly conversations about linguistic discrimination and the ways speech, writing, and language policy reflect social power. Carrie Gillan and Megan Figueroa combine accessible linguistics discussions with interviews featuring scholars, writers, authors, and other specialists. Topics range from accent bias, spelling, and language technology to the effects of language policy on health, education, and identity. Episodes often connect linguistic research to current debates and practical questions about how people judge one another's speech.

The format balances expert interviews with candid host discussion and playful banter, shifting between everyday language questions and serious issues such as racism, classism, disability, and unequal acce... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Vocal Fries?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Vocal Fries:

1. Lingthusiasm - A podcast that's enthusiastic about linguistics
2. The Allusionist
3. Articles of Interest
4. Lexicon Valley
5. Throughline

How many episodes of The Vocal Fries are there?

The Vocal Fries launched 9 years ago and published 165 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Vocal Fries?

Recent guests on The Vocal Fries include:

1. Lee Moore
2. Michael Erard
3. Danny Bate
4. Dr. Chad M. Topaz
5. Dr. Valerie Fridland
6. Lynnette Arnold
7. Anna Corwin
8. Abby Mack

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