Join Paul Meier and his past guests for this retrospective of the first eight years of the podcast. Paul will be taking a hiatus from the podcast and plans to return in 2026, so, for this last episode of 2025, let us reminisce. Think of this month’s episode as a sort of CliffsNotes of the podcast. We hope they inspire you to seek out past episodes in full. You can find them all indexed here , or on your favorite podcast channel or index. But keep in mind that you get all the free extras and rela...
Jul 01, 2025•39 min•Ep. 90
Sarah Nichols For the June 2025 episode, Paul and his guest, voice/dialect coach and IDEA Senior Editor Sarah Nichols, discuss the relationship, or lack thereof, between voice coaches and sound designers in the theatre, with particular emphasis on the use of microphones. Paul and Sarah, along with podcast co-producer Cameron Meier, dive into the history of amplification on stage (and screen) and discuss why, historically, there has not been more cooperation between the disciplines of sound desig...
Jun 01, 2025•45 min•Ep. 89
Michael McAuliffe The May 2025 episode is the first to tackle the red-hot topic of artificial intelligence, or AI. Paul’s guests are speech-to-text specialist Michael McAuliffe and dialect coach Tanera Marshall. Paul, Michael, and Tanera, along with podcast co-producer Cameron Meier, discuss AI in the context of human speech in general but especially acting and singing. Michael, a linguist, brings AI knowledge to the conversation, while Tanera, by virtue of her being the dialect coach for The Br...
May 01, 2025•54 min•Ep. 88
For April 2025, Paul is going solo, discussing one of his favorite topics: rhoticity, or how the letter R is pronounced in words. He addresses many aspects of how the letter is used in several accents and dialects but focuses mostly on how R is sounded before and after a vowel. And he compares rhotic with non-rhotic speech. For more information on the accents and dialects discussed in this podcast, visit this page . And to access Paul’s and Eric Armstrong’s rhoticity research, R and Its Articula...
Apr 01, 2025•18 min•Ep. 87
James Still The March 2025 episode of In a Manner of Speaking is the first to feature a playwright. Paul Meier discusses how playwrights hear their characters voices with Pulitzer Price-nominated James Still. Paul and James also discuss the art of playwriting in general and read from James’ plays A New World and The Heavens Are Hung in Black . James Still’s plays have been produced throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, South Africa, China, and Japan. His new plays include Ever...
Mar 01, 2025•45 min•Ep. 86
Spencer Lott Paul’s February 2025 podcast episode is his first to tackle the speech of inanimate objects, specifically puppets. But as you will see from this month’s guest, accomplished Sesame Street puppeteer Spencer Lott, they can be just as animated as any human. Spencer and Paul discuss puppetry and specifically the art of voicing the characters. They also dive briefly into the psychology of the craft, plus that of the related artform of ventriloquism. Spencer Lott started performing with Se...
Feb 01, 2025•48 min•Ep. 85
Arik Kershenbaum Welcome to the first podcast episode of 2025. To start off the new year, In a Manner of Speaking is doing something it’s never done. In all previous 83 episodes, Paul has focused on human speech. But this month, Paul and his guest, distinguished Cambridge zoologist Arik Kershenbaum, discuss the speech of animals. Kersenbaum is the author of the bestselling The Zoologist’s Guide to the Galaxy . His latest book, Why Animals Talk: The New Science of Animal Communication , explores ...
Jan 01, 2025•45 min•Ep. 84
Jeremy Fisher Renowned singing and voice teachers, coaches, and authors Gillyanne Kayes and Jeremy Fisher return to the podcast for the December 2024 episode to discuss Jeremy’s new book, Just How Boring Are You? , which examines how one can be a better podcast guest. Paul, Jeremy, and Gillyanne talk about pitch, tone, pace, passion, the musicality of speech, and many other aspects of podcast interviewing. The discussion, while often specific to the world of podcasts, has implications for public...
Dec 01, 2024•44 min•Ep. 83
Karen Burgos Linguist Karen Burgos returns to the podcast for the November 2024 episode to discuss American and British dialects in popular song. She and Paul are joined by podcast co-producer and frequent guest Cameron Meier. They play clips from songs ranging from the first decade of the 20th century to today, analyzing the singers’ dialects. In many instances, singers’ dialects don’t match their speaking voices, while, at other times, the singers use dialect to either make a cultural statemen...
Nov 01, 2024•49 min•Ep. 82
Jacqueline Springfield Actor, director, and voice/dialect coach Jacqueline Springfield returns to the podcast for October 2024 to discuss voices of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. Paul and Jacqueline analyze snippets of 11 speeches, ranging in time from Booker T. Washington in 1895 to President Barack Obama in 2017, looking at dialect, content, and style. It’s a remarkable journey through not just pronunciation but American history. Jacqueline previously appeared on episode 43 of...
Oct 01, 2024•50 min•Ep. 81
David Crystal Podcast favorite David Crystal returns to In a Manner of Speaking for the September 2024 episode. The legendary linguist is back to discuss his new website, TraceThatPlace.com , which allows users to enter a British place name and learn all about its origin and history. You’ll also be able to hear the place’s (often bizarre, ambiguous) pronunciation. Billed as the site that allows you to explore “the story and sound of place names on the road signs and railway stations of Britain,”...
Sep 01, 2024•40 min•Ep. 80
Joel Goldes On the August 2024 episode of In a Manner of Speaking , Paul discusses dialect coaching with IDEA Associate Editor and successful dialect coach Joel Goldes. They focus on two of Goldes’ many projects: Come from Away , an award-winning musical set in Newfoundland, about the hospitality that Newfoundlanders afforded airline passengers stranded by the terror attacks of September 11, 2001; and The Woman King , a 2022 epic film directed by Gina Prince-Bythwood and starring Viola Davis. To...
Aug 01, 2024•39 min•Ep. 79
Barrie Kreinik Cinephiles and time-travel enthusiasts are in for a treat with the July 2024 podcast, as the topic is the American dialect known as Transatlantic, Mid-Atlantic, American Stage Speech, or Upper-class American. Paul’s guests are Barrie Kreinik (dialect coach, IDEA associate editor, actor, singer, writer, and audiobook narrator) and podcast co-producer Cameron Meier (film critic and historian, and executive editor of IDEA). Barrie has a unique take on the dialect, as she has just rel...
Jul 01, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 78
Lukas Hassel Welcome to the June 2024 episode of Paul Meier’s In a Manner of Speaking podcast. This month’s guest is celebrated Danish-American actor, writer, and director Lukas Hassel, who has forged a unique path to success in film and television. Paul and Lukas are joined by film critic and co-producer of this podcast, Cameron Meier . The three discuss Lukas’s career, life on the film festival circuit, and the challenges of acting in a second language. Accent modification or “reduction” is ce...
Jun 01, 2024•45 min•Ep. 77
Patricia Cukor-Avila The topic of the May 2024 podcast is African-American English, which Paul discusses with American Dialect Society President Patricia Cukor-Avila. Paul and Patricia principally listen to and analyze historic Black dialects in the United States, from Colonial days to the early 20th century. Gullah is discussed in depth. Recordings come from Patricia’s own research, done over several decades in a small Texas town (nicknamed “Springville”), plus IDEA , YouTube, and the Library o...
May 01, 2024•39 min•Ep. 76
For the April 2024 podcast, Paul explores loudness, or the lack thereof. Just as he examined extremes of the human voice’s pitch and speed in past episodes, this month Paul discusses the extremes of volume, specifically looking at world records for loudness while reflecting on the rarity of true silence. You’ll learn what Guinness World Records considers the loudest human sounds while contemplating the infrequency of quietness. Past podcasts referenced in this episode include episode 34, It’s Al...
Apr 01, 2024•26 min•Ep. 75
Dennis Preston Welcome to the March 2024 episode of In a Manner of Speaking , in which Paul discusses folk linguistics with dialectologist Dennis Preston, professor emeritus at Oklahoma State University and former president of the American Dialect Society. Often defined as the study or examination of language from a non-professional, non-academic, or uninformed perspective, folk linguistics can yield fascinating insights into how the average person perceives language, dialects, and accents. Paul...
Mar 01, 2024•39 min•Ep. 74
Betsy Evans The February 2024 episode of In a Manner of Speaking is all about the American Dialect Society, which was founded in 1889 to study English and other languages in North America. Paul’s guest is Betsy Evans, the new executive director of the society and associate professor of linguistics at the University of Washington in Seattle. Paul and Betsy discuss the history and mission of the ADS and explore the latest trends in accents, dialects, and vocabulary of the United States. Betsy’s re...
Feb 01, 2024•48 min•Ep. 73
Victor Boucher Paul begins 2024 with a discussion about the fundamental nature of the core topic of this podcast: the word. Specifically, he discusses the concept of the word itself, with Victor Boucher, professor of linguistics at the University of Montreal. Piggybacking on last last month’s episode, which discussed spaces between words, Victor and Paul focus on the definition of a word and how words are viewed, written, and spoken in various languages. Victor is a senior professor of speech sc...
Jan 01, 2024•41 min•Ep. 72
Paul Seanger For the last episode of 2023, Paul talks to Paul Saenger, curator of rare books, emeritus, at Chicago’s Newberry Library, about the history of silent reading (versus reading aloud) and the evolution of inserting (or not inserting) spaces between words. They discuss the physiological processes required for decoding a written text written without spaces between words and how that practice influenced the long tradition of reading aloud. From 1985 to 2013, Paul Saenger directed collecti...
Dec 01, 2023•35 min•Ep. 71
Karen Burgos In this, the 70th episode of Paul’s In a Manner of Speaking podcast, we learn what Colonial American English might have sounded like. Paul examines this fascinating and understudied topic with Karen Burgos, a freelance linguist, independent researcher, and founder of Ace Linguist , a truly valuable blog. Karen’s articles on “Indie Girl Voice,” “Colonial American English,” and “The PIN-PEN merger” have educated many netizens on the English sound changes of yesterday, today, and maybe...
Nov 01, 2023•38 min•Ep. 70
Brian Ott For the October 2023 episode of In a Manner of Speaking , Paul Meier discusses the connection between orality and literacy with Professor Brian Ott, an expert in the field of rhetoric and media. Paul and Brian discuss many topics related to rhetoric and the oral tradition throughout human history. Professor Ott, who holds a Ph.D from the Pennsylvania State University, is professor of communication and media at Missouri State University. He has been studying rhetoric and media and their...
Oct 01, 2023•41 min•Ep. 69
David Crystal The September 2023 episode of In a Manner of Speaking features a trip through time: a conversation between Paul and distinguished linguist David Crystal about the history of the English language. David traces the development of English from the Roman occupation of Britain to the spread of Modern English around the world. Highlights include a discussion of Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English (and Original Pronunciation), along with a brief look at the contributions of ...
Sep 01, 2023•53 min•Ep. 68
Jill Purce For the August 2023 episode of In a Manner of Speaking , Paul talks to Jill Purce, the doyenne of harmonic overtone chanting, which is often called polyphonic overtone singing, or singing two or more notes at the same time. Paul and Jill discuss all aspects of this unique art. Jill is recognized globally as the pioneer of both the sound and the ancestral healing movements. In the 1970s, she introduced the teaching of overtone chanting throughout the world, along with the spiritual pot...
Aug 01, 2023•36 min•Ep. 67
The July 2023 episode of In a Manner of Speaking is all about William Shakespeare. Paul dives deep into the Bard, from iambic pentameter, to scansion, to scoring, to metre, to Original Pronunciation . It’s a fun exercise for scholars and professionals but also actors just starting out on their Shakespeare journey. Paul references his Voicing Shakespeare ebook, which is a great accompaniment to this month’s podcast. For details on how to purchase and download it, go here . (It’s available both in...
Jul 01, 2023•26 min•Ep. 66
Praveen Shanbhag After asking the Shakespearean question “What’s in a name?” on the May 2023 In a Manner of Speaking podcast, Paul takes that topic a step further for the June episode by interviewing Praveen Shanbhag, the founder and CEO of Namecoach. Namecoach allows you to create a “namebadge” that you can add to your e-mail signature or social-media account, or wherever you want. The badge contains a sound file of you pronouncing your own name. Paul and Praveen discuss Namecoach and other top...
Jun 01, 2023•36 min•Ep. 65
Graham Pointon For the May 2023 episode of In a Manner of Speaking , Paul and his guest, Graham Pointon, attempt to answer the popular question “What’s in a Name?” Specifically, they discuss how one decides on pronunciations of people and place names, and the issues surrounding “proper” pronunciation of words in general. Graham is the former pronunciation adviser for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). After studying French and linguistics for an MA (Hons), receiving the diploma in phone...
May 01, 2023•45 min•Ep. 64
Catherine Sangster Welcome to the April 2023 episode of In a Manner of Speaking . This month’s guest is Dr. Catherine Sangster, executive editor of pronunciations at Oxford Languages. She has been in charge of pronunciations for The Oxford English Dictionary for 11 years. Paul and Catherine discuss not just the dictionary and the purpose and origins of the dictionary but many other topics related to pronunciation. Before moving into lexicography, Dr. Sangster headed the BBC Pronunciation Unit an...
Apr 01, 2023•40 min•Ep. 63
For the March 2023 episode of the podcast, Paul takes an in-depth look at the world of speed talking and speed singing. He examines the world records and introduces us to the wide variety of people who are called upon to talk or sing quickly — from actors to auctioneers to debaters to people who simply enjoy speaking at high speeds. Here is the original text that Paul and Cameron use in their speed test: “So this old guy comes up to me and wants me to tell him how fast I can talk. I told him I d...
Mar 01, 2023•26 min•Ep. 62
Malachy O’Neill The Irish language is the podcast topic for February 2023, and Paul’s guest is Professor Malachy O’Neill, Irish language scholar and director of Regional Engagement at Ulster University. Paul and Malachy discuss all aspects of the Irish language, including its history, dialects, and status as an endangered language. In his position at Ulster University, Professor O’Neill takes responsibility for relationships with key stakeholders including governmental agencies, councils, trusts...
Feb 01, 2023•18 min•Ep. 61
