Words Break Bones - Linguistics Training for Dangerous Speech Practitioners

Words Break Bones (WBB) is a global interactive training program that provides crucial linguistic skills to detect, resist, counter, and avoid abusive, discriminatory, and deceitful communication practices, with a focus on three contexts: in-person interaction, social media, and mainstream media (including political rhetoric).

As social beings, we are conditioned to downplay and belittle the power of language – “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” Most of us lack the training to detect the linguistic mechanisms of verbal abuse. This leaves us vulnerable to manipulation when we are exposed to the speech of others. The same lack of discursive awareness also limits our capacity to control our own words. WBB seeks to counter both of these trends, and provide practical tools to develop effective responses.

WBB builds upon the scholarly research and teaching experiences of Dr. Anna Szilagyi, who has studied manipulation, discrimination, and verbal abuse for more than a decade. Anna Szilagyi teaches communication at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Hong Kong. Her writings have appeared in international academic books and journals, including The Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict and Advances in the History of Rhetoric. In 2016, she developed the “Linguistic Self-Defense Guide Against Antisemitism” which was published in English, French, Greek, and Hungarian as part of the pan-European “Get the Trolls Out!” youth education campaign.

There is no registration fee, but participation is extremely limited, so we ask that attendees commit to full participation in both days of the training.