Beyond Words Ep. 17 | Language as a Complex Adaptive System with Dr. Joan Bybee

In this episode of Beyond Words, Garrett Oyama speaks with Dr. Joan Bybee, pioneer of usage-based linguistics, about how language emerges through use, repetition, and social interaction rather than abstract rules.

They explore why sounds don’t exist in isolation, how frequency and predictability shape speech and sound change, and what this means for child language development, speech therapy, and learning. Along the way, they connect language to music, motor practice, and improvisation, reframing speech as a dynamic, living skill shaped by experience.

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Beyond Words Ep. 16 | Speech Therapy in the Age of AI: Play, Screens, and Language Development

In this episode of Beyond Words, Garrett sits down with renowned developmental scientist Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek—professor at Temple University, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, bestselling author, and one of the leading voices in early learning, language development, and play.

Kathy breaks down what quality language input really looks like, why back-and-forth interaction is the engine of learning, how play and boredom shape the developing brain, and what parents and clinicians should know about screens, e-books, and the rise of AI-powered toys.

This conversation is packed with clarity, humor, and practical wisdom for anyone who works with children—or wants to understand how humans learn in a world overflowing with technology.

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Kathy's work:

• Website
• Einstein Never Used Flashcards
• Playful Learning Spaces

Beyond Words Ep. 15 | Before Words: Understanding Babbling with Dr. D. Kimbrough Oller

What do a baby’s coos, squeals, and growls reveal about the origins of language? In this episode of Beyond Words, Dr. D. Kimbrough Oller — a leading voice in speech and language development — joins Garrett Oyama to explore protophones, functional flexibility, and why spontaneous infant vocalizations may hold the key to understanding how language evolved.

Topics include:

• What protophones are and why they matter
• The Functional Flexibility Hypothesis
• How infant vocal play relates to evolution
• What LENA recordings reveal about early speech
• Why babies vocalize even when no one is listening

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Beyond Words Ep. 14 | Inside the Language Network: Brains, AI, and What Words Really Mean

Is language the same as thought? Dr. Idan Blank (UCLA) joins Beyond Words to explain why the answer is no — and why that matters for neuroscience, speech therapy, and AI. We explore the brain’s language network, how large language models learn, why Broca’s area is misunderstood, and what this all means for testing, development, and the future of cognition.

Topics include:

• Why language and thought are separate systems
• How ChatGPT challenges our assumptions
• What Broca’s area really does
• Implications for speech therapy and assessment
• What LLMs and infants both tell us about language learning

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Beyond Words Ep. 13 | Bilingual Brains and Sound Processing with Dr. Jennifer Krizman

What does it mean to hear the world through two languages? In this episode, host Garrett Oyama speaks with Dr. Jenn Krizman, research scientist at the Brainvolts Lab (Northwestern University), about how bilingualism reshapes the brain’s sound processing networks.

Together they explore how speaking multiple languages enhances inhibitory control, boosts consistency in auditory encoding, and even provides a kind of “neural armor” that can delay cognitive decline. They also discuss clinical implications for speech-language pathologists, common myths about bilingualism, and why parents should feel confident nurturing their child’s native tongue.

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Beyond Words Ep. 12 | The Developing Sound System: From Canonical Proportion to Cochlear Implants with Dr. Cychosz

In this episode of Beyond Words, Dr. Meg Cychosz (Stanford University) joins host Garrett Oyama to explore how children develop speech and language—from babbling and canonical proportion to cochlear implants and multilingual environments. We dive into naturalistic data, cultural variation, and the surprising ways infants make sense of sound.

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Beyond Words Ep. 11 | The Inner Voice: Exploring Intrapersonal Communication with Constance Bainbridge

In this special archive episode, Garrett sits down with fellow UCLA PhD student Constance (Connie) Bainbridge, a researcher in the Department of Communication who studies the inner voice—how we communicate with ourselves. Connie is the Principal Investigator of the Stream of Mind Lab and her work blends evolutionary, developmental, and cognitive science to better understand intrapersonal communication and the flow of consciousness. She also draws on her background as a musician to explore how music and self-expression shape human experience.

This conversation covers:

• What the “inner voice” really is
• How self-talk and imagination shape decision-making, self-regulation, and well-being
• Why hidden differences (like having no inner voice) matter for research and therapy
• Connections between music, language, and consciousness

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Get ASHA CEUs: Speech Therapy PD

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Beyond Words Ep. 10 | The Magic of the Sound Mind: Bridging Neuroscience and Speech Therapy with Dr. Nina Kraus

In this special archive episode of Beyond Words, host Garrett Oyama sits down for his very first conversation with Dr. Nina Kraus — renowned auditory neuroscientist and author of Of Sound Mind: How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World.

Dr. Kraus shares her journey from studying chinchilla neurons to developing clinically relevant tools for measuring how the human brain processes sound. Together, they explore the frequency following response (FFR), the role of music in therapy, and why understanding the brain’s sound processing is essential for clinicians, educators, and anyone working with language.

This episode laid the foundation for an ongoing series of conversations between Garrett and Dr. Kraus, diving deeper into the science and clinical applications of Of Sound Mind. Find them here:

Dialogue Series

Book

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Beyond Words Ep. 9 | The Power of Gesture in Language Development with Dr. Susan Goldin-Meadow

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Join host Garrett Oyama as he sits down with Dr. Susan Goldin-Meadow, one of the world’s foremost experts on gesture and language development. Together, they explore how our hands reflect what we know, how gesture supports learning and communication, and why paying closer attention to movement can reshape how we teach, think, and connect.

🧠 Learn more about Dr. Goldin-Meadow’s work:

Thinking With Your Hands Book

contact: [email protected]

Beyond Words Ep. 8 | Memory, Language, and Meaning with Dr. Charan Ranganath

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In this episode, neuroscientist Dr. Charan Ranganath (author of Why We Remember) joins Garrett Oyama to explore how schemas, event boundaries, and the structure of language shape what we remember — and why. We discuss how memory works not just in the brain, but in real life: through storytelling, attention, emotion, and meaning. SLPs, therapists, and educators will also gain practical tools for supporting memory using language — from narrative scaffolds to emotional salience and linguistic cues that enhance recall.

Topics include:

• How the brain chunks experience into events
• Why schemas help (and sometimes distort) memory
• The blurred line between cognition and memory
• How to use language to support clients with memory difficulties
• Memory as prediction, not just storage

Learn more about Dr. Ranganath’s work:

https://www.charanranganath.com/

https://dml.ucdavis.edu/

https://www.charanranganath.com/book

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