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What's the Hardest Part of Learning English? Students and Teachers Don't Always Agree

By Addison Fisher
February 02, 2026 03:26 PM
Learning a new language is tough—but what parts are actually the hardest? a study by Hartshorn, McMurry, and Rich looked into this question by asking both English learners and their teachers to rate the difficulty of seven different language skills: reading, writing, listening, speaking, grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.
1 Min Read
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The Semantics Behind Customer Service

By Emily Walker
January 29, 2026 03:00 PM
Professors Matt Baker and Brett Hashimoto’s award-winning research dissects the language of online reviews.
4 Min Read
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The Power of Pronunciation

By Emma Mafi
January 15, 2026 03:00 PM
Every region has unique dialect variations distinguishing it from surrounding states and even counties. Undergrad Hallie Davidson researched this phenomenon and looked at two variations from her home state of Utah.
2 Min Read
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Editing in the Age of AI

By Emma Lindorf
January 13, 2026 03:00 PM
How will the rapid advancement of AI impact writers and editors? BYU linguistics professors offer their insight on this unique challenge.
3 Min Read
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Exploring How Language Lights Up the Brain: A Study of Pastaza Kichwa Ideophones

By Addison Fisher
December 19, 2025 12:01 PM
In the heart of the Ecuadorian Amazon, researchers Dan P. Dewey, Jeffrey J. Green, Janis Nuckolls, Auna Nygarrd, and Tod D. Swanson set out to explore a fascinating question: Can words alone—without any extra explanation—trigger sensory experiences in the brain?
2 Min Read
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ASL: A Language Ready for Translation

By Emma Mafi
December 11, 2025 03:00 PM
Graduate student Nathan Browne dedicated his thesis to creating an AI model that translates ASL by looking at eyebrows. Now, he hopes his findings can shine a light on similar technologies to come.
2 Min Read
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Note: This feed combines linguistics articles published by the College of Humanities newsroom with articles published by the department. You can visit and search the college news here.