Linguists can mix, match or even break the rules of real-world languages to create interesting imaginary ones.

When words fail them, creative writers imagine entirely new ones. Author Patti Callahan Henry examines fictional language, from the words of Tolkien to her own. Our editors and experts handpick every ...

In this one-hour activity, students gain an understanding of the nature of human communication and foster a scientific view on languages. Through class activities, games, reading, and analysis, ...

When John Lee Clark was five years old, in 1983, he entered a small Deaf program within a public school near his home in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Clark was a dreamy kid who dressed in tucked-in button ...

From the earliest cave paintings to modern-day novels, from poetry to speeches and impassioned letters to music lyrics, we have used words and symbols to express our inner thoughts, interpret our ...