Dive into the complex tapestry of urban multilingualism as hosts explore how cities like New York, Melbourne, and Montreal thrive on linguistic diversity. Discover the over 700 languages spoken in NYC and the grassroots movements reclaiming space for endangered languages. The discussion shines a light on language rights and justice, emphasizing the responsibility to protect linguistic freedom. Personal stories reveal the rich narratives behind everyday interactions, making it clear that every city is a vibrant mix of voices and identities.
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insights INSIGHT
Cities Concentrate Hidden Linguistic Diversity
Cities attract waves of migration and host many languages beyond those visible in official records.
Urban multilingualism means you regularly overhear languages you don't speak, showing dense linguistic diversity.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Feeling At Home Through Overheard Languages
Gretchen describes feeling at home hearing Chinese on a Melbourne bus after visiting Australia.
She notices similar experiences in Montreal, illustrating multilingual city soundscapes.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Cities Built On Traditional Meeting Points
Lauren connects New York's confluence history to Melbourne and Montreal's locations on traditional meeting points.
Strategic waterways often explain why cities concentrate diverse language groups.
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When we try to represent languages on a map, it's common to assign each language a zone or a point which represents some idea of where it's used or where it comes from. But in reality, people move around, and many cities are host to hundreds of languages that don't show up on official records.
In this episode, your hosts Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne get enthusiastic about urban multilingualism! We talk about a recent book we've been enjoying called Language City by Ross Perlin, about the over 700 languages spoken in New York City, as well as how we've noticed urban multilingualism for ourselves in Melbourne, Montreal, and elsewhere. We also talk about organizations that work with communities interested in reclaiming space for their languages, what linguistic rights are, and how to tell if yours are being taken away from you.
Click here for a link to this episode in your podcast player of choice: https://pod.link/1186056137/episode/dGFnOnNvdW5kY2xvdWQsMjAxMDp0cmFja3MvMjE1NzMxNzE3Mg
Read the transcript here: https://lingthusiasm.com/post/792539370903207936/transcript-episode-107
Announcements:
In this month’s bonus episode we get enthusiastic about linguistic landscapes! We talk about contrasts between the signs in the Chinatowns of Montreal and Melbourne, renaming streets from colonial names to names in First Nations languages, how signs can show the shifting demographics of tourism in an area, and how bi- and multilingual Lost Cat signs show what languages people think their neighbours understand. We also talk about our most absurd sign stories, including the Russell Family Apology Plaque, and creative imaginings of official signage, such as the Latin no-smoking sign in a modern-day British train station.
Join us on Patreon now to get access to this and 100+ other bonus episodes. You’ll also get access to the Lingthusiasm Discord server where you can chat with other language nerds: https://www.patreon.com/posts/135199073
For links to things mentioned in this episode: https://lingthusiasm.com/post/792539190192635904/lingthusiasm-episode-107-urban-multilingualism
Lingthusiasm - A podcast that's enthusiastic about linguistics 
