5 Smartest podcasts on language - Episode 35
The best podcasts on how we communicate. Warning: You might also learn a new language.
Listen to the Canadian Version:
1. The Mash-Up Americans
"Music is the vanguard of what Spanglish is all about." — Ilan Stavans, on The Mash-Up Americans
What happens when English and Spanish begin to merge in a multi-cultural society like North America? Author Ilan Stavans explains the meteoric rise of "Spanglish."
2. Unsettling Your Language
"If you're the type of person who wants to just study the [Cree] language the way that you would do French or Spanish or Japanese or anything like that. You can't." — host Chelsea Vowel, on Unsettling Your Language
Learn the fascinating history and dialect of a First Nations' language that is on the brink of extinction.
3. Future Tense
"They actually hit the same part of the brain as a facial expression does when you use the facial emojis." — Niki Selken, on Future Tense
A professional Emoji Translator explains why sending cartoon facial expressions can become a language of its own.
4. Word Gang
"Couple months back we did a writing prompt with our creative writing group and we talked about what is your favourite prison word." — Anonymous inmate, on Word Gang
Having been in prison for over 18 years, an anonymous inmate quizzes Word Gang host Rives to guess the meanings of the slang words he picked up behind bars.
5. The Allusionist
"There's a language which is said to be the smallest language in the world. It has around 123 words, 14 letters of the alphabet and apparently, you can become fluent in around 30 hours of study." — Helen Zaltzman, on The Allusionist
Host Helen Zaltzman and Memory Palace host Nate DiMeo attempt to learn the world's simplest new language: Toki Pona.
What podcasts speak to the world of language? Send us an e-mail, tweet us @PodcastPlaylist, or find us on Facebook.
For more great podcasts, check out CBC's podcast portal or subscribe in iTunes.