

Speaking of Language
Language Resource Center, Cornell University
Speaking of Language is a podcast recorded at the Language Resource Center at Cornell University. Each week, we explore a topic related to language pedagogy and second language acquisition.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 6, 2023 • 28min
S12E2 - Américo Mendoza-Mori - Language Revitalization, Cultural Reclamation, and Global Indigeneity
What can be learned from Indigenous languages and cultures? Dr. Américo Mendoza-Mori recently visited from Harvard University to give a talk as a part of our LRC Speaker Series. He explores the impact of making space for marginalized people and traditions.
https://scholar.harvard.edu/americo
Follow @ameriqo on social media.
#yapa
Read a transcription of this episode here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eAoVYaG2ur5vMf1pGOlRRBg8c4NTb3jOxysl3CVbh6Q/edit?usp=sharing

Aug 30, 2023 • 17min
S12E1 - Revenge of What You Did Last Summer
Sam and Angelika revisit what they did last summer. But mostly, they look ahead to trends and current events in language learning, and some of the topics in store for the coming season of the podcast.
Information on cuts being made at West Virginia University:
https://www.actfl.org/news/actfl-statement-on-wvu-plan-to-eliminate-world-language-programs
Change.org petition to protest cuts to world languages at West Virginia University:
https://www.change.org/p/preserve-students-rights-to-study-world-languages-at-wvu
The Sophie Washburn French Instructorship:
https://as.cornell.edu/about/sophie-washburn-french-instructorship
#abbiocco
#verschlimmbessern
Read a transcript of this episode here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fDeAUKy1R1-VKXXPZSF-GbHJBC5biM6EiVhY4K4mkrQ/edit?usp=sharing

May 3, 2023 • 36min
S11E13 - Kate Paesani & Mandy Menke - Literacies in Language Education
Kate Paesani and Mandy Menke discuss their new book, Literacies in Language Education, and the benefits of a literacies-based approach to language instruction.
Companion website: https://carla.umn.edu/literacies/book.html
Instagram & Twitter: @umn_languages
Twitter: @CARLA_UMN
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/UMNLanguages
https://www.facebook.com/carla.umn
#rascacielos
#escalofríos
#juernes
#débile
#grace
Read a transcription of this episode here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jm13pTHFNtBJrMxwR3WQHr2KSgJnpl1OFnOPuObds6Y/edit?usp=sharing

Apr 26, 2023 • 37min
S11E12 - Koen Van Gorp - Exploring Task-Based Language Teaching
Koen Van Gorp joins us to talk about task-based language teaching.
https://vangorpk.msu.domains/
#schokolare
#supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Read a transcription of this episode here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I1QUOtiTB34QokJ2HwtApY_5JqrtjF4HxjpDvI0Xf60/edit?usp=sharing

Apr 19, 2023 • 40min
S11E11 - Valerie Fridland - When “Bad” Language Makes us Better Communicators
Dr. Valerie Fridland, Professor of Linguistics at the University of Nevada, Reno, discusses her new book Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English. Dr. Fridland demonstrates the deep cultural and historical significance of speech patterns that are initially resisted before becoming widely accepted.
https://valeriefridland.com
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/language-in-the-wild
#pumpernickel
#moist
Read a transcription of this episode here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MNOKZHZhfURnToBj7o7LSjHwXaVyuXkaDGUFN-91pV8/edit?usp=sharing

Apr 12, 2023 • 27min
S11E10 - Florencia Henshaw - Guiding SLA Principles and Assessment
Florencia Henshaw returns to discuss her book, Common Ground: Second Language Acquisition Theory Goes to the Classroom. She recently gave a talk as part of our monthly LRC Speaker Series on SLA principles and assessment. Her talk was part of our spring learning community that is sponsored by the Central New York Humanities Corridor from an award by the Mellon Foundation. The learning community brings together colleagues from Cornell, Colgate, Skidmore, and Syracuse to exchange best practices in language teaching.
Linktree for Florencia: https://linktr.ee/florenciahenshaw
Florencia's Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/Unpackinglanguagepedagogy
#gnocchi
Read a transcription of this episode here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DRpJyznWMGOMY5FnW4bNi_uvs-LoUcvkJJGbCVwc490/edit?usp=sharing

Mar 29, 2023 • 31min
S11E9 - Richard Kiely - Transformative Learning, Community Engagement, and Dissonance
Dr. Richard Kiely is a senior fellow in Cornell's Einhorn Center for Community Engagement, and, among many other things, stewards the design and implementation of the Engaged College Initiative. He discusses transformative learning theory, international community-engaged learning, and dissonance.
Einhorn Center: https://einhorn.cornell.edu/
#häftigt
#lagom
#fika
Read a transcription of this episode here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jDa2qCbN4xGltbXkf76lUDs9t2jKIbFnjb3pAMtPft8/edit?usp=sharing

Mar 22, 2023 • 32min
S11E8 - Margaret Ransdell-Green & Eric Barker - Constructing Language and Culture
Margaret Ransdell-Green is a linguist who has been creating constructed languages, or ConLangs, since the late 1990s. Eric Barker, her husband, is a musician and composer. The two have collaborated on writing music and lyrics in the languages and styles of these fictional peoples.
Margaret's ConLangs: http://www.aeniith.com/
Music video: https://youtu.be/dTp67Xqr2WU
Language Creation Society (LCS): https://conlang.org/
Ana Lemma
The songs heard in this episode were "Zhumzhu" and "Phatakap."
#積ん読
#mingqun
#akleng
Read a transcription of this episode here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jWKrNg9c4Nl_xOV9jH5Bixs5xPnWPXtoHq1IZpfOWqg/edit?usp=sharing

Mar 15, 2023 • 24min
S11E7 - Xiaoyan Li - AI and Turn-Taking in Online Discussions
Xiaoyan Li enlightens us on her role in developing an AI agent that helps enforce equal participation for native speakers and second language learners in online discussions.
#tschüss
Improving Non-Native Speakers' Participation with an Automatic Agent in Multilingual Groups - https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3567562
https://infosci.cornell.edu/
Read a transcription of this episode here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1adKq1yDCNWM6PZCKMzdxR6u6cGQaukLQhXtmB-Vt5PQ/edit?usp=sharing

Mar 8, 2023 • 30min
S11E6 - Cory Duclos - Data, Ethics, and AI
Cory Duclos, Director of the Keck Center for Language Study at Colgate University and a Senior Lecturer in Linguistics, joins Sam and Angelika this week. One of his current research projects is concerned with ethics of data gathering online.
https://fltmag.com/interview-project-9-artificial-intelligence/
#moleque
Read a transcription of this episode here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pEuGwXn5T7dS5SnlzbqXcbb0o6Vp28DZHeTsJR62XRg/edit?usp=sharing