EP 104: Kangaroo Court

Australians Teach English

The expression, "Kangaroo Court", sounds like it should be an Australian expression. But is it? We put it on trial to investigate the origins of this expression. And who better to do this with, than Kevin Stroud, host of The History of English Podcast - mandatory listening for anyone interested in knowing the origins of the English language. A former attorney, now linguistics and history enthusiast, his journey and English learning approach is a fascinating one. We look at the reasons why the K in Kangaroo and C in court have the same sound, and other novelties like this that confuse English learners. We also explain the concept of rhoticity and the resultant similarities and differences in Australian and North American English. Investigating the history of words, discovering cognates, and finding out the reasons for oddities are an increasingly important role in language acquisition as we expand our knowledge. I hope this interview provides you with the motivation to take this approach to further your language development.
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