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Episode five hundred and seventy-fifth The United States enters modern industrialization (33) The popularization of debate in the United States

Duration: 0:16:51

American English language underwent significant changes after entering modern civilization. In 1961, the third edition of the new dictionary was published in Massachusetts, which broke the norm by focusing on spoken language. The dictionary collected 10 million examples, including those from politicians, famous writers, movie stars, and athletes. The traditional linguists were unsatisfied with the new version, but it aimed to expand the appeal of the dictionary by including non-standard language with labels indicating they were unconventional. This caused controversy but also contributed to the development of American language and rhetoric. Debating became a popular activity in American universities, and rhetoric was considered a symbol of democracy. The tradition of teaching rhetoric and public speaking continues in American schools today.