Books

• Seth, Riva (2008), First Comes Marriage: Modern Relationship Advice from the Wisdom of Arranged Marriages. Simon & Schuster.
• Chua, Amy (2011). Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. Penguin Books.

Online Resources

Analyzing language use in context

• Steven Pinker: What our language habits reveal
  TED description: “Linguist Steven Pinker looks at language and how it expresses what goes on in our minds – and how the words we choose communicate much more than we realize”

• Elizabeth Stokoe: The science of analyzing conversations, second by second.
  TED description: “Prof. Elizabeth Stokoe takes a run on what she terms the ‘conversational racetrack’ the daily race to understand each other when we speak—and explains how to avoid hurdles that trip us up and cause conflict. Stokoe developed the Conversation Analytic Role-play Method (CARM), an approach based on evidence about what sorts of problems and roadblocks can occur in conversation, as well as the techniques and strategies that best resolve these problems”

• What a difference a word can make: How a single word can change your conversation
  TED (essay) description: “British psychologist Elizabeth Stokoe studies the patterns in talk that most of us don’t even notice. She explains how her research can be used to train people to interact more effectively.”

• Culture in Conversation
  Book chapter by Jessica Robles (From Kurylo, Inter/Cultural Communication: Representation and Construction of Culture) with nice examples of conversation analysis

• What It’s Like to Work at the Waffle House for 24 Hours Straight
  Interesting from the perspective of restricted codes

Using language in public

• Megan Washington: Why I live in mortal dread of public speaking
  TED description: “Megan Washington is one of Australia’s premier singer/songwriters. And, since childhood, she has had a stutter. In this bold and personal talk, she reveals how she copes with this speech impediment—from avoiding the letter combination “st” to tricking her brain by changing her words at the last minute to, yes, singing the things she has to say rather than speaking them.”

• Susan Cain: The power of introverts
  TED description: “In a culture where being social and outgoing are prized above all else, it can be difficult, even shameful, to be an introvert. But, as Susan Cain argues in this passionate talk, introverts bring extraordinary talents and abilities to the world, and should be encouraged and celebrated.”

• Julian Treasure: 5 ways to listen better
  TED description: “In our louder and louder world, says sound expert Julian Treasure, “We are losing our listening.” In this short, fascinating talk, Treasure shares five ways to re-tune your ears for conscious listening — to other people and the world around you.”

Gender and Language

• Who sounds gay?
  About voice stereotypes, short film by David Thorpe (NY Times)
• Filmmaker And Speech Pathologist Weigh In On What It Means To ‘Sound Gay’
  NPR interview with Terry Gross
• Open Letter to Terry Gross By Mark Liberman
  on Languagelog
• The Vocal Fry epidemic
• Vocal Fry May Hurt Women’s Job Prospects
• Vocal fry probably doesn’t harm your career prospects

Communicating and relating electronically

• John McWhorter: Txtng is killing language. JK!!!
  TED description: “Does texting mean the death of good writing skills? John McWhorter posits that there’s much more to texting — linguistically, culturally — than it seems, and it’s all good news.”

• Stefana Broadbent: How the Internet enables
  On the “democratization of intimacy” – are we returning to an old pattern of how relationships were maintained while at work?
  TED description: “We worry that IM, texting, Facebook are spoiling human intimacy, but Stefana Broadbent’s research shows how communication tech is capable of cultivating deeper relationships, bringing love across barriers like distance and workplace rules.”