122: The Interaction Engine (with Stephen Levinson)

<p>How did language start? What do all languages have in common? How does language really work? Many answers have been posed to these questions, but one thing is for sure: interaction is the combustion chamber where everything happens. We're having a chat with linguistic lion Stephen Levinson, author of The Interaction Engine.</p> <p><strong>Timestamps</strong></p> <ul> <li>Introductions: 0:19</li> <li>These fascinating facts about language will make you (or Dr Levinson) a hit at any party: 3:47</li> <li>The mechanics of speech production: 06:01</li> <li>What's going on when we're talking or listening? 8:46</li> <li>Cultural differences in conversational norms: 20:33</li> <li>Universals of interaction: 22:10</li> <li>Metaphors of space may have been a motivator for language: 25:53</li> <li>The role of gesture in language development: 28:47</li> <li>Cooperation and empathy in language: 34:59</li> <li>What one thing explains the most about language?: 45:56</li> </ul> <p><em>Disclosure: H...