I am a lifelong code-switcher myself.
I hear you.
Languages fascinate me. I almost majored in linguistics but lacked the budget for tuition at a school with such a degree program. Some variants of American English are pretty intriguing. I’d love to get some time to deep-dive the influences of WVian in all its forms.
When I listen to politicians speaking, I am definitely listening for more than my own comprehension. When I listen to them in a semi-unscripted debate, I am listening for other cues. Weasel words. Pitch. Vocabulary choices say a lot about the speaker. Growing up around one very tonal language, and the other a ridiculously complicated language, has made my ears sharper and made me something of an outlier.
Gish gallop alert… apologies:
I am a bit blind to body language, so I suppose I can let Joe Navarro give me the overview. Apologies that this is a Politico link, but at least we know Navarro’s creds and he’s writing it:
ETA: wiki link added for variants (and for mutants, like me)
