Decoding the meaning of language
Linguist Kai von Fintel engages in research at the intersection of science and the humanities.
Could birdsong help us solve stuttering?
New CSAIL genomics work suggests vocalizing birds could tell us more about speech disorders.
How information moves between cultures
Networks that map strength of connections between languages predict global influence of their speakers.
Neuroscientists identify key role of language gene
Mutation that arose long ago may be key to humans’ unique ability to produce and understand speech.
A new leadership model for a new Haiti
Prime minister and cabinet members attend leadership workshop with MIT professors.
Essays in English yield information about other languages
Grammatical habits in written English reveal linguistic features of non-native speakers’ languages.
When it comes to numbers, culture counts
In a Bolivian rainforest society, children learn to count just like in the U.S., but on a delayed timetable.
Cold case: A linguistic mystery yields clues in Russian
MIT professor’s new book explains how the quirks of Russian numerals can tell us something deep about the universal properties of grammar.
Linguistic puzzler
Graduate student Rafael Nonato travels to the fringes of the Amazon rainforest to explore the Brazilian native language of the Kĩsêdjê.
Decoding ‘noisy’ language in daily life
Study shows how people rationally interpret linguistic input.
MIT and Haiti sign agreement to promote Kreyòl-language STEM education
Initiative designed to help Haitians gain technical education.
How human language could have evolved from birdsong
Linguistics and biology researchers propose a new theory on the deep roots of human speech.
