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Do you inadvertently seek buy-in with every sentence you utter? Ending each statement with an inflection? Or a “you know”? Linguistics professor Robin T. Lakoff talks to Kathleen about the dynamics of language and effective communication. From annoying filler words (like, umm, you know) to wishy-washy “uptalk” (speaking in question marks instead of periods), Lakoff addresses our most common and annoying speech habits. She discusses what they say about us (a constant need for validation?) and how to break them.
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