The Grammar Table
10/13/23 • 27 min
Meet Ellen Jovin, the brilliant mind behind the Grammar Table, engaging in language conversations with strangers across the US since 2018. In this enlightening episode, Ellen delves into some of the most frequently asked grammar questions she's encountered on her journey – from the infamous Oxford comma to the singular 'they'. Ellen’s passion for language is catching, but she’s the first to remind us why we shouldn’t get so hung up on all these rules.
“Grammar is actually fun. If you approach it in a way that engages the human spirit, it's exciting, you know, it's sexy.”
Do you know your commas from your apostrophes - your pronouns from your prepositions? Whether you have a burning question about English grammar, or you need to get your head around that one rule that always trips you up, it’s probably time to head to the Grammar Table.
Check out Ellen’s book Rebel with a Clause: Tales and Tips from a Roving Grammarian.
Find out more about our sponsor, the Michel Thomas Method here and sign up to their newsletter. To take advantage of their special 30% discount for listeners of The Language Podcast, just choose your course and enter code MTPOD30 at checkout.
Your host is polyglot Richard Simcott. The Language Podcast is an OG Podcasts production.
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and a 5-star rating - it really helps to reach more language lovers like you. If you want to see more of us, you can find us on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/language.pod/
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheLanguagePod
Website: http://www.thelanguagepodcast.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Meet Ellen Jovin, the brilliant mind behind the Grammar Table, engaging in language conversations with strangers across the US since 2018. In this enlightening episode, Ellen delves into some of the most frequently asked grammar questions she's encountered on her journey – from the infamous Oxford comma to the singular 'they'. Ellen’s passion for language is catching, but she’s the first to remind us why we shouldn’t get so hung up on all these rules.
“Grammar is actually fun. If you approach it in a way that engages the human spirit, it's exciting, you know, it's sexy.”
Do you know your commas from your apostrophes - your pronouns from your prepositions? Whether you have a burning question about English grammar, or you need to get your head around that one rule that always trips you up, it’s probably time to head to the Grammar Table.
Check out Ellen’s book Rebel with a Clause: Tales and Tips from a Roving Grammarian.
Find out more about our sponsor, the Michel Thomas Method here and sign up to their newsletter. To take advantage of their special 30% discount for listeners of The Language Podcast, just choose your course and enter code MTPOD30 at checkout.
Your host is polyglot Richard Simcott. The Language Podcast is an OG Podcasts production.
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and a 5-star rating - it really helps to reach more language lovers like you. If you want to see more of us, you can find us on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/language.pod/
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheLanguagePod
Website: http://www.thelanguagepodcast.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Previous Episode
English Around the World
Join renowned applied linguist Michael McCarthy to discover the dynamic journey of the English language as it spreads across the globe. Witness how English enriches and adapts, sometimes borrowing words and expressions, and other times merging with local tongues to form pidgins and creoles. Explore the most radical changes to the English language today and join the debate on the future of English.
“It adapts itself. That's built into its very nature. It cannot stand still.”
In every English-speaking country of the world, the language takes on a life of its own – molded and shaped to fit into its environment. So what makes English so adaptable? Why do so many unique and distinctive varieties exist, and how is it evolving and changing? Where does English end and pidgins and creoles begin?
Michael McCarthy is Emeritus Professor of Applied Linguistics at the University of Nottingham in the UK, and has written more than 50 books about the English language. In this episode he discusses the many ‘Englishes’ of the world, and why the language travels so well. He explores how foreign ideas and ‘loanwords’ have entered and altered the language and where its future is headed in a world of less formality.
Check out Michael’s latest book McCarthy's Field Guide to Grammar: Natural English Usage and Style - published by Chambers.
Find out more about our sponsor, Teach Yourself here and sign up to their newsletter here. To take advantage of their special 30% discount on language eBooks for listeners of The Language Podcast, just enter code TYPOD30 at checkout. You can then access the title online, or download it to the accompanying Teach Yourself app. Please note: You will not be able to save the files to your computer.
Your host is polyglot Richard Simcott. The Language Podcast is an OG Podcasts production.
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and a 5-star rating - it really helps to reach more language lovers like you. If you want to see more of us, you can find us on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/language.pod/
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheLanguagePod
Website: http://www.thelanguagepodcast.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Next Episode
The Future of English
Join renowned writer, editor, lecturer, and broadcaster, David Crystal, as he delves into the ever-evolving nature of English and explores the intriguing question of linguistic ownership. In this episode, Crystal explores the potential future of English as a global lingua franca, the inevitability of language change and the necessity for a global or international standard of English.
“Everybody owns English now. If you have taken the trouble to learn it, and if you are in a country where it has a significant presence, then you have rights in it.”
From South African English to Singaporean English, many varieties of English exist. But how are these variations shaping the evolution of the language? And as technology continues to bring us all closer together, will we eventually see all of these varieties converge?
David Crystal is a writer, editor, lecturer, and broadcaster, who has written over 100 books on the English language. In this episode he explores the question of ownership - can any one country lay claim to the language anymore? He discusses whether it’s likely English will one day lose its status as a global lingua franca. And he explains the inevitability of language change, and why we should embrace it.
Check out David’s latest book Everyday Shakespeare, Lines for Life.
Find out more about our sponsor, Chambers here and sign up to their newsletter. Chambers is the number 1 brand for word lovers, and publishers of Everyday Shakespeare.
Your host is polyglot Richard Simcott. The Language Podcast is an OG Podcasts production.
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and a 5-star rating - it really helps to reach more language lovers like you. If you want to see more of us, you can find us on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/language.pod/
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheLanguagePod
Website: http://www.thelanguagepodcast.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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