E.T.s may be headed toward Earth. Are we ready for them?
For many scientists, it’s no longer a question of “if” but “when.” What will happen when we finally come face to face with space aliens? USC experts look to the skies for answers.
USC doctoral candidate uses AI to preserve the Choctaw language
Every two weeks, a language dies. Lina Brixey, a member of the Choctaw Nation and a USC Viterbi doctoral candidate, is determined hers will not be next.
How language evolves — and ‘they’ became the word of the decade
Language changes as culture changes, and in the 2010s pronouns were the words on center stage. A doctoral student in linguistics at USC Dornsife examines how that came to be.
Cringing at How Teens Talk? Surprise — Language Changes
From gender-neutral words to textspeak, language often has undergone controversial shifts — and no amount of grumbling can stop it.
USC undergrad fights to protect and preserve languages before they’re forgotten
Experts estimate that a language goes extinct every two weeks. USC student Prim Phoolsombat wants to use a blend of linguistics and computer science to help save them.
Immersed in Irish culture, students learn why Gaelic language languishes
Half the world’s languages could disappear in a few decades, and USC Dornsife’s Tok Thompson is helping students figure out why — and what might be lost.
Living and learning in a new culture
Boren Scholarship winners prepare to study in countries that are important to national security.
In memoriam: James Higginbotham, 72
The USC Distinguished Professor’s work in linguistics changed fundamental aspects of the way we think about the meaning of language.
He pronounces his intent to help readers
Jason Zevin focuses on the similarities and differences between English and Chinese speakers.
Octopus got your tongue?
The project will compare the movement of the tongue to the movements of the arms of the octopus and the body of a very small and thoroughly studied worm.
Perfecting a romantic language
Inside a Taper Hall classroom, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences senior Bridget McDonald chatted with classmates, effortlessly transitioning from English to Spanish.