Dr. Valerie Fridland is a professor, sociolinguist, author, and public speaker. Her recent book is: Like, Literally, Dude. Arguing for the Good in Bad English. She joins me on the podcast today for a fascinating discussion about aspects of English we often consider to be bad, such as UM and AH. We also talk about the use of "like" and other language features like Vocal Fry. Valerie also helps me feel more comfortable with my use of UM and AH in speech as they actually have special meanings within conversation. This is a fascinating conversation and I hope you like it too! Show notes page - https://levelupenglish.school/podcast216 Sign Up for Free Lessons - https://www.levelupenglish.school/#freelessons Join Level Up English - https://courses.levelupenglish.school By becoming a member, you can access all podcast transcripts, listen to the private podcast and join live lessons and courses on the website. Support the show