Language, Law & Order

Summary

In this episode, Morana and Linda explore what linguistics can tell us about attraction in the age of online dating. They speak with Tess van der Zanden, whose research examines how language shapes impressions of potential partners, and Riki Thompson, who studies language, technology, identity, and interaction on dating platforms. From grammar mistakes and dating-profile clichés to first messages and platform design, the episode asks how seemingly small linguistic choices influence who we find attractive—and how apps themselves shape the rules of digital romance.

Episode highlights:

• Grammar can be a turn-off: Errors may affect perceptions of intelligence, effort, and attractiveness.
• Pictures first, words second: People look at photos first, but profile text still shapes impressions.
• Social attractiveness matters: Language influences whether someone seems likeable, interesting, and compatible.
• Dating profiles follow norms: Users often repeat the same phrases, jokes, and ways of presenting themselves.
• Creativity is risky: Original language can attract attention, but only if it still feels appropriate.
• Apps shape interaction: Platform design influences how people present themselves and communicate.
• The “Goldilocks” message: First messages need to be engaging without being too generic or overdone.

Linguistics fun fact:

A tiny typo could cost you a match! On dating apps, people can read surprisingly big things into small language mistakes—using them to make snap judgements about intelligence, effort, and compatibility. So apparently, proofreading your dating profile might be part of the mating game.

Word of the episode: delulu

Short for delusional, delulu is internet slang for believing something you really want to be true—especially when it comes to dating and crushes.

Links and resources mentioned:

• Tess van der Zanden’s PhD thesis exploring the effects of linguistic cues in online dating profiles;
• Tess's co-authored work on the effects of creativity in dating profiles;
• Find Riki’s publications and research on online dating, digital discourse, and platform design on her research page

Summary

In this episode, Morana and Linda sit down with linguist Hielke Vriesendorp to discuss language norms from two angles: online grammar policing and emerging non-binary pronouns in Dutch. They explore how prescriptivism plays out on the internet, how Dutch speakers navigate pronoun choices like die and hen, and why survey design matters for inclusion. From punctuation debates to linguistic activism, Hielke shares insights on balancing broad trends with individual voices.

Episode highlights:

• From commas to Facebook grammar wars: Hielke’s first study revealed that online grammar discussions focus less on traditional syntax and more on punctuation and homophones.
• Non-binary Dutch pronouns: Unlike English’s singular they, Dutch speakers use forms like die, hen, and hun, with grammatical role heavily influencing choice.
• Pronouns & perception: Pronouns are highly salient today—politicized, negotiated, and deeply personal.
• Generalizing with care: Hielke reflects on the tension between visibility through generalization and preserving individual identity and nuance.
• Survey design & inclusion: Collaboration with Rory Wilson shows people prefer six-option gender questions that offer both recognition and flexibility.
• Polder Nederlands: Once seen as a modern innovation, this vowel shift has now become normalized in Dutch—demonstrating how prestige shifts over time.
• Macro, meso, micro variation: Hielke proposes using these sociolinguistic levels to capture both large-scale trends and local, embodied experience.
• The politics of standardization: Language norms often function as tools of inclusion and exclusion—and queer linguistics helps push back.

Linguistics fun fact:

Dutch non-binary pronouns aren't just picked—they’re positioned. A speaker might use die as subject, but hen as object, and diens as possessive—all depending on the grammatical role in the sentence.

Links and resources mentioned:

• “The Internet’s New Usage Problems” – Hielke’s first publication in English Today (2016)
• Hielke's paper on Macro, Micro, and Meso Approaches to Generalizing in Queer Linguistics (2024)
• Paper reporting the large-scale survey on Dutch non-binary pronouns in Nederlandse taalkunde (2024) (in Dutch)
• Vriesendorp & Wilson: Survey design paper on gender inclusivity (2024)
• Vriesendorp & Rutten. Polder Dutch publication (2019)

Episode summary:

In this episode, hosts Morana Lukač, Linda Pillière, and Ingrid Tieken are joined by Dr. Ian Cushing, Senior Lecturer in Critical Applied Linguistics at Manchester Metropolitan University. Together, they unpack the ideological foundations and social consequences of prescriptivism in education—how language norms become embedded in school policy, how they marginalize certain students and teachers, and how educators are pushing back.

Building on Ian’s research and lived experience, the conversation explores the intersections of race, class, and language, revealing how so-called "standard" English functions as a tool of surveillance and control in contemporary schooling. Despite the challenges, Ian highlights examples of hope and resistance led by teachers advocating for critical language awareness.

Episode highlights:

• Ian’s journey: From school experiences to linguistic justice.
• Structural prescriptivism: Language norms enforced through policy.
• Language & bias: “Correct” English as social gatekeeping.
• Ofsted’s role: Non-standard speech linked to poor performance.
• Beyond words: Prescriptivism targets bodies, not just language.
• Reform critique: Post-2010 policies deepened linguistic inequality.
• Teacher resistance: CLAW Collective fosters change and hope.

Linguistics fun fact:

Did you know some schools explicitly ban filler words like “like” and “um”? Even speaking in incomplete sentences can be grounds for correction—all part of controlling how students express themselves.

Links and resources mentioned:

The Routledge Handbook of Linguistic Prescriptivism (with Ian and Julia Snell’s chapter “Prescriptivism in education: from language ideologies to listening practices”)

“The white ears of Ofsted” – Cushing & Snell, Language in Society

Standards, Stigma, Surveillance – Ian's 2022 book on raciolinguistic ideologies in England’s schools

Ian's paper on "word gaps" (2022)

Episode summary:

In this third episode of Language, Law and Order, hosts Morana Lukač, Linda Pillière, and Ingrid Tieken are joined by guests Eline Lismont and Rik Vosters from Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Building on themes from previous episodes, they explore the evolving landscape of linguistic prescriptivism through the lens of Dutch. From spelling shifts to grammatical debates, the episode unpacks how language norms emerge, spread, and sometimes fail—revealing the complex forces behind standardization and language change.

Episode highlights:

• What Is Prescriptivism, Really? Eline and Rik open the discussion by defining prescriptivism not just as a set of rules, but as a broader ideology tied to power, identity, and social norms.
• Institutional vs. Everyday Prescriptivism: The guests discuss how prescriptive norms emerge both from formal institutions—like grammar books and schools—and informal contexts, such as a parent correcting a child’s speech.
• Dutch in Focus: Through case studies from their research, Eline and Rik show how prescriptive norms have influenced Dutch orthography and grammar, including the now-standard “AA” spelling and the long-standing groter dan vs. groter als debate.
• What Makes Norms Stick? Eline shares insights from her PhD work on why some language norms catch on while others fade. Simplicity, visibility, and uptake in printed texts all play a role.
• Failures Matter Too: Rik highlights how failed standardization efforts—like accent spellings that never caught on—offer valuable insight into the limits of linguistic authority.
• Standardization and the State: The conversation also touches on how language standardization in the Netherlands was tied to nation-building, culminating in the early 19th-century reforms by Siegenbeek (spelling) and Weiland (grammar).

Linguistics fun fact:

Did you know? The once-popular groter als construction in Dutch nearly replaced groter dan—until grammarians pushed back and reversed the trend.

Looking ahead:

The series will continue to explore the forces that shape our understanding of “proper” language—across history, disciplines, and communities.

Links and resources mentioned:

Routledge Handbook of Linguistic Prescriptivism

Eline Lismont's PhD thesis Setting the Standard: Norms and usage in Early and Late Modern Dutch (1550-1850)

Episode summary:

In this second episode of Language Law and Order, hosts Linda Pillière, Ingrid Tieken, and Morana Lukač are joined by special guests Joan Beal and Robin Straaijer—two prominent scholars in the field of prescriptivism and co-editors of the Routledge Handbook of Linguistic Prescriptivism (2023), alongside Morana. Together, they delve into the motivations, challenges, and breakthroughs behind the creation of this landmark volume. The discussion spans the evolving status of prescriptivism in linguistics, cross-cultural perspectives, and the social implications of language norms in education, publishing, and beyond.

Episode highlights:

• The origins of the Handbook: Joan, Robin, and Morana share how the idea for the Handbook emerged from decades of academic collaboration and the growing recognition of prescriptivism as a legitimate field of study.
• Prescriptivism's place in linguistics: Joan discusses how prescriptivism has long been dismissed within mainstream linguistics, and why that needs to change.
• Innovative research methods: The episode highlights new methodologies, including experimental work on accent bias in legal recruitment and how unconscious bias training can shift perspectives.
• Prescriptivism across social contexts: Robin explores how prescriptivism manifests in media, education, and copy editing—emphasizing the ideological tensions that often go unnoticed.
• Global perspectives on prescriptivism: Morana introduces insights from around the world—from Arabic and Hebrew to African and minority European languages—revealing how prescriptive norms are shaped by politics, history, and identity.

Linguistics fun fact:

The term "verbal hygiene", coined by linguist Deborah Cameron, refers to society's impulse to "clean up" language—whether through grammar rules, political correctness, or prescriptive norms. It highlights how language regulation often says more about social anxieties than about correctness.

Looking ahead:

In the next episode, the team welcomes Eline Lismont and Rik Vosters from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel to discuss how prescriptive norms succeed (or fail) in standardizing language historically, with a focus on Dutch.

Links and resources mentioned:

• Routledge Handbook of Linguistic Prescriptivism (2023)
• Accent Bias Britain Project
• HUGE Database
• Bridging the Unbridgeable Project

Episode Summary: In this debut episode of Language Law and Order, hosts Linda Pillière, Ingrid Tieken, and Morana Lukač start off the podcast by diving into the world of normative linguistics. They reflect on 25 years of progress in the field and explore how language norms are shaped by society, culture, and identity. Whether you're a linguistics enthusiast or just curious about language, this episode offers insights into why and how we speak and write the way we do.

Episode Highlights:

• The Evolution of Normative Linguistics: Ingrid reflects on how research on prescriptivism has evolved and how tools like the HUGE database make linguistic research more accessible.
• Grassroots Prescriptivism: Morana introduces the concept of grassroots prescriptivism, showing how social media empowers everyday speakers to shape language norms and redefine linguistic authority.
• Gender-Inclusive Language: A timely discussion about non-binary pronouns like singular “they” and their cultural and social implications, backed by insights from Morana’s recent research.
• Copy Editors as Language Gatekeepers: Linda shares fascinating discoveries about the hidden influence of copy editors in shaping norms in publishing and the cultural nuances reflected in their choices.

Linguistics Fun Fact:

Did you know? The 18th-century grammarian Robert Lowth, often caricatured as a strict rule enforcer, was more descriptive in his work than many assume.

Looking Ahead:

• Upcoming episodes will explore the intersections of language norms, identity, and power, with special guests Joan Beal and Robin Straaijer, co-editors, together with Morana, of the Routledge Handbook of Linguistic Prescriptivism (2023),

Links and Resources Mentioned:

• Bridging the Unbridgeable Project
• HUGE Database
• TV Corpus
• Linda’s work on the invisible hand of copy editors
• Ingrid’s book on Robert Lowth
• Routledge Handbook of Linguistic Prescriptivism