Word of Mouth Podcast
Series exploring the world of words and the ways in which we use them
Episodes to download
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Real Talk
Tue 4 Feb 2020
Michael Rosen talks to conversation analyst Elizabeth Stokoe about the science of talk.
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NHS language use
Tue 28 Jan 2020
Michael Rosen on how the NHS chooses words on its website and in consultants' letters.
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Lying
Tue 21 Jan 2020
Michael Rosen talks to Professor Dawn Archer about how we might tell when someone is lying
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Communicating Climate Change
Tue 14 Jan 2020
Michael Rosen talks to George Marshall about how best to communicate climate change.
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Metaphors
Tue 7 Jan 2020
Michael Rosen returns to explore how metaphors shape our lives with author James Geary.
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Gabriel Gbadamosi
Tue 13 Aug 2019
Michael Rosen meets London-born writer Gabriel Gbadamosi, to talk Dickens and dialect.
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Philosophy in English
Tue 6 Aug 2019
Michael Rosen looks at philosophy in English, from John Locke to corporate slogans.
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Glyn Maxwell
Tue 23 Jul 2019
Michael Rosen explores the sound and rhythm of English with poet Glyn Maxwell.
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The most powerful word
Tue 16 Jul 2019
Michael Rosen explores the strange history of 'The', the most influential word in English.
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The First Language
Tue 21 May 2019
What was the earliest language and how did it evolve? Michael Rosen investigates.
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The Language of Comics
Tue 7 May 2019
Michael Rosen explores the visual language of comics, with comics theorist Neil Cohn.
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Jeffrey Boakye on black-related words
Tue 30 Apr 2019
Jeffrey Boakye talks to Michael Rosen about exploring black identity through language.
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Biscuit Names
Tue 23 Apr 2019
Michael Rosen and Laura Wright look into the weird and wonderful world of biscuit names.
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Listen and learn: how to make better conversation
Tue 19 Feb 2019
Michael Rosen talks to the authors of The Talking Revolution about improving our dialogue.
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Dyslexia
Tue 12 Feb 2019
Michael Rosen talks in depth about dyslexia with expert Professor Maggie Snowling.
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Talk of the Town: How Places Got Their Names
Tue 5 Feb 2019
Michael Rosen and guests explore the origins of the UK's town and village names.
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Solving crime with forensic linguistics
Tue 29 Jan 2019
John Olsson talks to Michael Rosen about how he uses authorship analysis to solve murders.
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Demystifying the language of the courtroom
Tue 22 Jan 2019
Family law barrister Lucy Reed talks to Michael Rosen about the language of the courtroom.
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How to talk funny with Elis James
Tue 15 Jan 2019
Michael Rosen talks to comedian Elis James about how to make language funny.
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Raymond Williams' Keywords
Tue 23 Oct 2018
Michael Rosen talks to academic Colin MacCabe about Raymond Williams' book Keywords.
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Communication and Dementia
Tue 16 Oct 2018
Michael Rosen finds out how best to communicate with people with dementia.
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T-Shirt Slogans
Tue 9 Oct 2018
Michael Rosen discusses slogan T-shirts with Amber Butchart and Caryn Franklin.
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Multicultural London English
Tue 2 Oct 2018
Michael Rosen and Dr Laura Wright talk Multicultural London English with Ismail Einashe.
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Lane Greene on Editing
Tue 25 Sep 2018
Economist Johnson language columnist Lane Greene talks to Michael Rosen and Laura Wright.
Listen to Michael Rosen in conversation with The Open University
Hear Michael reveal his own language journey.
Explore the OU’s Cultural Idioms Guide
Explore how some cultural idioms entered the English Language.
Idioms Quiz
Explore why languages have idioms with The Open University’s quiz.
From blunk to brickfielder: our wonderful words for weather
Exploring creative descriptions for wind, rainfall and sunny spells from around the world
Digital body language – how to communicate better online
We need to find new ways of talking to each other “virtually”.
Coinages that changed the world – and some that tried to...
Exploring the hidden histories of obscure words, and common buzz phrases.
Ittibitium, borborygmus, and Ba humbugi – 14 wonderful science words you’ve never heard of
Michael Rosen puts the language of science under the microscope.
Download this programme
Subscribe to this programme or download individual episodes.
Keywords for Our Time
Series of programmes examining key phrases in public debate.
Smiley face: Seven things you didn't know about emoji
Some facts about emoji - possibly the world's first truly global form of communication.
The funny words that kids invent
Have a look at some of the fantastic words that children invent and reimagine.
