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What we say and what we actually mean

Michael Rosen on the linguistic comfort food of clichés, the slippery language of gaslighting and how language is used both to connect and to manipulate. With Dr Derek Bousfield.

Michael Rosen on the linguistic comfort food of clichés and and the slippery language of gaslighting. Dr Derek Bousfield explains how words do more than carry meaning - they shape how we connect, persuade, and even manipulate. Context governs what we say and how it’s understood.
Dr Derek Bousfield is Reader in Pragmatics and Communication and Co-Director of The Manchester Centre for Research in Linguistics.
Produced for ѿý Audio Bristol by Beth O'Dea, in partnership with the Open University.
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Release date:

28 minutes

On radio

Thu 25 Sep 2025 15:30

Broadcast

  • Thu 25 Sep 2025 15:30

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