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Linguistics, Style and Writing in the 21st Century - With Steven Pinker

The Royal Institution via YouTube

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Overview

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Explore the importance of effective writing in the digital age through this insightful lecture by Steven Pinker at The Royal Institution. Delve into the latest research in linguistics and cognitive science to challenge traditional style guides and discover evidence-based approaches to improving your writing. Learn about classic prose, minimizing apologies and hedging, avoiding zombie nouns, and mastering active voice. Understand the curse of knowledge and how to overcome it in your writing. Examine the ongoing debate between prescriptivists and descriptivists regarding language rules, and gain practical tips for distinguishing legitimate grammar rules from unfounded pet peeves. Enhance your communication skills, earn readers' trust, and contribute to the beauty of language in the 21st century.

Syllabus

Intro
Legalese
Bamboozlement
Digital Media
The dumbest generation theory
Complaints about the imminent decline of the language
A commentary from 1917
Charles Darwin
The Iconic Elements of Style
The Elements of Style
Classic Style
Postmodern Style
Minimize Apology
Minimize Hedging
Classic Prose
Professional Narcissus
Echo Chamber
About the world
Nonclassic prose
Zombie nouns
Corporate consultants
Portable generators
Passive voice
Active voice
George Orwell
Order of words
Passive sentences
English syntax
The curse of knowledge
The smarties study
Curse of knowledge
A better solution
Correct usage
The language war
The rules of language
Semantic distinctions
Not every pet peeve
John Roberts
How to distinguish legitimate rules from bogus ones
Keeping correct usage in perspective

Taught by

The Royal Institution

Reviews

4.5 rating, based on 2 Class Central reviews

Start your review of Linguistics, Style and Writing in the 21st Century - With Steven Pinker

  • Profile image for Rinad Fahed Alenizi
    Rinad Fahed Alenizi @rinadalenizi6
    1
    The course “Linguistics, Style and Writing in the 21st Century” with Steven Pinker was very helpful and engaging. I learned how writing style affects clarity and communication, especially the importance of avoiding unnecessary complexity such as legalese or “bamboozlement.”

    The lessons about active vs. passive voice and “zombie nouns” gave me practical tools to make my writing stronger and more direct. I also found “The Curse of Knowledge” very useful, as it reminded me to always consider the reader’s perspective.

    Overall, the course improved my understanding of writing styles in the modern era and gave me confidence to write in a clearer, more effective way.
  • FATEMA GHULAMI
    This class was very useful and informative, because given my major, which is literature, and the fact that I really like linguistics, it was truly interesting for me and I made good use of it.
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