How 'be like' took over the world, with Sali Tagliamonte

Update: 2026-02-26

Digest

Mignon Fogarty introduces language scientist Sally Teglomonte, a "language detective" from the University of Toronto, who shares her research on teen language and linguistic variation. Teglomonte explains her observational methods, including listening to her children and their friends, and debunks myths about texting negatively impacting grammar, emphasizing that teens creatively use language. Her research highlights the evolution of "like" as a quotative frame and the changing use of intensifiers, noting the surprising resurgence of "very" among younger generations. She also describes sociolinguistic interviews as a method to elicit natural language, and explores the potential of studying AI language models like ChatGPT and their influence on human communication.

Outlines

00:00:00

Understanding Teen Language and Linguistic Variation

Linguist Sally Teglomonte, a "language detective," discusses her research on teen language and linguistic variation. She explains her observational methods, including listening to her children and their friends, and debunks myths about texting negatively impacting grammar, emphasizing that teens creatively use language. Her research highlights the evolution of "like" as a quotative frame and the changing use of intensifiers, noting the surprising resurgence of "very" among younger generations. She also describes sociolinguistic interviews as a method to elicit natural language, and explores the potential of studying AI language models like ChatGPT and their influence on human communication.

00:16:25

Sociolinguistic Interviews and the Future of AI Language

Teglomonte describes how she trains students to be "language detectives" through sociolinguistic interviews, emphasizing active listening and storytelling to elicit natural language. The discussion explores studying AI language models like ChatGPT, questioning if they reflect human linguistic variation and how prolonged exposure to AI-generated text might influence human language.

Keywords

Language Detective

A linguist who investigates language use, focusing on new trends, variations, and the social context of language, employing a methodical and analytical approach.

Teen Talk

Specific vocabulary, grammar, and communication styles used by teenagers, including linguistic innovations and social functions of adolescent language.

Quotative "Like"

The use of "like" to introduce reported speech or thought, functioning as a discourse marker, prevalent among younger speakers.

Intensifiers

Words or phrases that add emphasis or strength to statements, such as "very" or "really," with their changing usage revealing generational differences.

Linguistic Variation

The study of differences in language use across social groups, geographical regions, or contexts, acknowledging the diverse forms of language.

Sociolinguistic Interview

A research method involving conversation to elicit natural language use for analysis, aiming to gather data on language in its social context.

Large Language Models (LLMs)

AI systems like ChatGPT trained on vast text data to understand and generate human-like language, with ongoing research into their linguistic output and influence.

Q&A

How does Sally Teglomonte conduct research on teen language without appearing intrusive?
Teglomonte uses a non-intrusive approach by observing her own children and their friends, volunteering to drive them to activities, and passively listening to their conversations to gather authentic linguistic data.
What is the significance of the word "like" in modern language, according to Teglomonte's research?
"Like" has become a dominant quotative frame, used to introduce reported speech or thought. Its usage has remained stable for many individuals from adolescence into adulthood, indicating its established role in language.
What surprising trend did Teglomonte discover regarding intensifiers?
Contrary to expectations, Teglomonte found that the intensifier "very" is making a comeback among younger generations, suggesting a cyclical nature in language change and the re-emergence of previously declining terms.
What is the primary goal of a sociolinguistic interview, as taught by Teglomonte?
The primary goal is not to ask direct questions about language but to encourage participants to tell stories about their lives. This approach elicits natural language use, including intensifiers and quotatives, providing rich data for analysis.
What are the potential challenges and research questions surrounding Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT?
A key challenge is understanding the linguistic basis of LLMs, as they are trained on vast, often unknown data. Research questions involve whether LLMs reflect genuine human linguistic variation tied to social context and how their output might influence human language use.

Show Notes

1163. This week, we look at what it’s like to be a "language detective" with Sali Tagliamonte and how she used her own teenagers as a research lab. We look at a 25-year study on how the phrase "be like" became a permanent fixture of English, why the word "very" is suddenly making a comeback with younger generations, and what happens to our language when we spend all day talking to AI.

Sali Tagliamonte, University of Toronto

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