How to Learn a Language

Lindsay Dow
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Sep 28, 2018 • 6min

BONUS MINI: Aymara + Language Families

Aymara is the final language to take us down an internet rabbit hole for this Bonus Mini series. This episode, we look at how similar it is to Quechua. Support The Show The best thing you can do right now to support the project is threefold, and if you've ever listened to any podcast before, I'm sure you'll be familiar with what I'm about to say! Subscribe - by subscribing to the Language Stories podcast in your favourite place and YouTube for the sister videos, you're going to keep up with all future episodes. Woop! Review - when it comes to the tech stuff, reviews are pretty important. Reviews help to tell iTunes that people like the podcast, and that helps to raise the profile so that new people can find it easily. Yay! Tell a friend - word of mouth still wins! If you know someone who would love Language Stories, tell them about it. And if they're new to podcasts, walk them through the process to subscribe them. Woohoo! To make it as easy as possible to share the podcast, click here to tweet about episode. Share Your Story If you have a Language Story you’d love to share, or if you know someone that does, get in touch. I always love to hear from you! Your feedback helps to shape future episodes so thank you.Links:Aymaran Languages - WikipediaAymara and Quechua : Languages in Contact by M. J. HardmanOrigins and Diversity of Aymara - Quechua.org.ukNumbers 1-5 in Quechua and Aymara - Quechua.org.uk
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Sep 21, 2018 • 8min

BONUS MINI: Quechua + Language vs Dialect

Much like the other episodes in this Bonus Mini series, Quechua led me down a deep internet rabbit hole here. We're heading into tricky territory in this episode: language vs dialect. Support The Show The best thing you can do right now to support the project is threefold, and if you've ever listened to any podcast before, I'm sure you'll be familiar with what I'm about to say! Subscribe - by subscribing to the Language Stories podcast in your favourite place and YouTube for the sister videos, you're going to keep up with all future episodes. Woop! Review - when it comes to the tech stuff, reviews are pretty important. Reviews help to tell iTunes that people like the podcast, and that helps to raise the profile so that new people can find it easily. Yay! Tell a friend - word of mouth still wins! If you know someone who would love Language Stories, tell them about it. And if they're new to podcasts, walk them through the process to subscribe them. Woohoo! To make it as easy as possible to share the podcast, click here to tweet about episode. Share Your Story If you have a Language Story you’d love to share, or if you know someone that does, get in touch. I always love to hear from you! Your feedback helps to shape future episodes so thank you.Links:Quechuan Languages - WikipediaTupac Shakur and Tupac AmaruQuechua.org.uk - great website with lots of information on QuechuaPiedmontese - OmniglotVenetian - OmniglotSardinian - OmniglotSicilian - OmniglotWhat’s a Language, Anyway? - The Atlantic
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Sep 14, 2018 • 4min

BONUS MINI: The Galápagos + The Evolution of Language

The Galápagos Islands are a magical place, famous for their role in the theory of evolution. But, how about the evolution of language in the Galápagos Islands? Support The Show The best thing you can do right now to support the project is threefold, and if you've ever listened to any podcast before, I'm sure you'll be familiar with what I'm about to say! Subscribe - by subscribing to the Language Stories podcast in your favourite place and YouTube for the sister videos, you're going to keep up with all future episodes. Woop! Review - when it comes to the tech stuff, reviews are pretty important. Reviews help to tell iTunes that people like the podcast, and that helps to raise the profile so that new people can find it easily. Yay! Tell a friend - word of mouth still wins! If you know someone who would love Language Stories, tell them about it. And if they're new to podcasts, walk them through the process to subscribe them. Woohoo! To make it as easy as possible to share the podcast, click here to tweet about episode. Share Your Story If you have a Language Story you’d love to share, or if you know someone that does, get in touch. I always love to hear from you! Your feedback helps to shape future episodes so thank you.Links:Galapagos History Humans on the GalapagosGalapagos Colonists - Galapagos ConservancyPirates and Buccaneers - Galapagos Conservancy
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Sep 7, 2018 • 3min

BONUS MINI: Costa Rica + Is Immersion Everything?

"If I went there, I'd be fluent..." "Immersion is all you need!"...Is it? In this Bonus Mini episode, I reflect on my time in Costa Rica and how immersion changed my Spanish. Support The Show The best thing you can do right now to support the project is threefold, and if you've ever listened to any podcast before, I'm sure you'll be familiar with what I'm about to say! Subscribe - by subscribing to the Language Stories podcast in your favourite place and YouTube for the sister videos, you're going to keep up with all future episodes. Woop! Review - when it comes to the tech stuff, reviews are pretty important. Reviews help to tell iTunes that people like the podcast, and that helps to raise the profile so that new people can find it easily. Yay! Tell a friend - word of mouth still wins! If you know someone who would love Language Stories, tell them about it. And if they're new to podcasts, walk them through the process to subscribe them. Woohoo! To make it as easy as possible to share the podcast, click here to tweet about episode. Share Your Story If you have a Language Story you’d love to share, or if you know someone that does, get in touch. I always love to hear from you! Your feedback helps to shape future episodes so thank you.
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Aug 31, 2018 • 4min

BONUS MINI: Pipil + Language Nests

Pipil is a language spoken in El Salvador. There's not many speakers nowadays, but revitalisation efforts are happening, including the beautifully named language nests... Support The Show The best thing you can do right now to support the project is threefold, and if you've ever listened to any podcast before, I'm sure you'll be familiar with what I'm about to say! Subscribe - by subscribing to the Language Stories podcast in your favourite place and YouTube for the sister videos, you're going to keep up with all future episodes. Woop! Review - when it comes to the tech stuff, reviews are pretty important. Reviews help to tell iTunes that people like the podcast, and that helps to raise the profile so that new people can find it easily. Yay! Tell a friend - word of mouth still wins! If you know someone who would love Language Stories, tell them about it. And if they're new to podcasts, walk them through the process to subscribe them. Woohoo! To make it as easy as possible to share the podcast, click here to tweet about episode. Share Your Story If you have a Language Story you’d love to share, or if you know someone that does, get in touch. I always love to hear from you! Your feedback helps to shape future episodes so thank you.Links:Pipil language - WikipediaCourses for Pipil - TushikRevitalising Te Reo Māori – a language activist reflects on how far we have comeLanguage Nest Program - First Peoples' Cultural CouncilLanguage Nests and Language Acquisition: An Empirical Analysis - a dissertation by Eve K. OkuraLanguage Nest Handbook Online Companion Toolkit - First Peoples' Cultural CouncilPipil - The Endangered Languages Project
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Aug 24, 2018 • 4min

BONUS MINI: Garifuna + Gender Differences

Researching Garifuna led me down the first of many internet rabbit holes from this Bonus Mini series. This time, it's all about different languages for different genders. Support The Show The best thing you can do right now to support the project is threefold, and if you've ever listened to any podcast before, I'm sure you'll be familiar with what I'm about to say! Subscribe - by subscribing to the Language Stories podcast in your favourite place and YouTube for the sister videos, you're going to keep up with all future episodes. Woop! Review - when it comes to the tech stuff, reviews are pretty important. Reviews help to tell iTunes that people like the podcast, and that helps to raise the profile so that new people can find it easily. Yay! Tell a friend - word of mouth still wins! If you know someone who would love Language Stories, tell them about it. And if they're new to podcasts, walk them through the process to subscribe them. Woohoo! To make it as easy as possible to share the podcast, click here to tweet about episode. Share Your Story If you have a Language Story you’d love to share, or if you know someone that does, get in touch. I always love to hear from you! Your feedback helps to shape future episodes so thank you.Links:Garifuna Language - WikipediaGender Specific Vocabulary - Wikipedia
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Aug 17, 2018 • 8min

BONUS MINI: Cuba + Is Cuban Spanish Hard?

Ooo! Bonus Mini episode?! Yes! Over the next 7 weeks, I'll be sharing 7 Bonus Mini episodes with you. To get us started? We're in Cuba and asking the question: Is Cuban Spanish hard? Support The Show The best thing you can do right now to support the project is threefold, and if you've ever listened to any podcast before, I'm sure you'll be familiar with what I'm about to say! Subscribe - by subscribing to the Language Stories podcast in your favourite place and YouTube for the sister videos, you're going to keep up with all future episodes. Woop! Review - when it comes to the tech stuff, reviews are pretty important. Reviews help to tell iTunes that people like the podcast, and that helps to raise the profile so that new people can find it easily. Yay! Tell a friend - word of mouth still wins! If you know someone who would love Language Stories, tell them about it. And if they're new to podcasts, walk them through the process to subscribe them. Woohoo! To make it as easy as possible to share the podcast, click here to tweet about episode. Share Your Story If you have a Language Story you’d love to share, or if you know someone that does, get in touch. I always love to hear from you! Your feedback helps to shape future episodes so thank you.
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Jun 8, 2018 • 25min

BONUS: Dalriada Gaelic - Back From The Brink

Bonus Language Stories?! Yup. Woohoo! This episode, I chat with Àdhamh Ó Broin who is working to bring Dalriada Gaelic, an endangered dialect of Scottish Gaelic, back from the brink. The Video Click here to watch the sister video to this podcast episode. To keep track of future episodes in video form, click here to subscribe on YouTube. Support The Show The best thing you can do right now to support the project is threefold, and if you've ever listened to any podcast before, I'm sure you'll be familiar with what I'm about to say! Subscribe - by subscribing to the Language Stories podcast in your favourite place and YouTube for the sister videos, you're going to keep up with all future episodes. Woop! Review - when it comes to the tech stuff, reviews are pretty important. Reviews help to tell iTunes that people like the podcast, and that helps to raise the profile so that new people can find it easily. Yay! Tell a friend - word of mouth still wins! If you know someone who would love Language Stories, tell them about it. And if they're new to podcasts, walk them through the process to subscribe them. Woohoo! To make it as easy as possible to share the podcast, click here to tweet about episode. Share Your Story If you have a Language Story you’d love to share, or if you know someone that does, get in touch. I always love to hear from you! Your feedback helps to shape future episodes so thank you.Special Guest: Àdhamh Ó Broin - Dalriada Scottish Gaelic Consultant.Links:Àdhamh Ó Broin - contact Àdhamh directly to learn more about his work in general or enquire about teaching and tours.Gáidhlig Dhail Riada Facebook Page - Àdhamh regularly updates this page with real life vocab and updates on when Dalriada Immersion Weekends are running.Dalriada Gaelic – Growing an Endangered Gaelic Dialect - read Maureen's blog post recounting her immersion weekend.LearnGaelic.net - great place to start to learn some Scottish Gaelic (not the Dalriada dialect but would help to give you a foundation in the language)Learner Links - more links to help you learn Scottish Gaelic (again, the language in general here not the dialect!)
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May 25, 2018 • 26min

Guarani in the Heart of South America

Guarani is an indigenous language that defies all odds to exist today as it does alongside Spanish in Paraguay. But what odds? How does it thrive in the modern world? In this episode of Language Stories, we're exploring the story of Guarani in Paraguay. THE VIDEO Click here to watch the sister video to this podcast episode. To keep track of future episodes in video form, click here to subscribe on YouTube. SUPPORT THE SHOW The best thing you can do right now to support the project is threefold, and if you've ever listened to any podcast before, I'm sure you'll be familiar with what I'm about to say! Subscribe - by subscribing to the Language Stories podcast in your favourite place and YouTube for the sister videos, you're going to keep up with all future episodes. Woop! Review - when it comes to the tech stuff, reviews are pretty important. Reviews help to tell iTunes that people like the podcast, and that helps to raise the profile so that new people can find it easily. Yay! Tell a friend - word of mouth still wins! If you know someone who would love Language Stories, tell them about it. And if they're new to podcasts, walk them through the process to subscribe them. Woohoo! To make it as easy as possible to share the podcast, click here to tweet about episode. SHARE YOUR STORY If you have a Language Story you’d love to share, or if you know someone that does, get in touch. I always love to hear from you! Your feedback helps to shape future episodes so thank you.Special Guests: Cecelia - Guaraní Tutor at IDIPAR, Guaranglish, Marcelo Alvarenga - Guaraní Tutor, and Romy Natalia Goldberg - Author of Paraguay Other Places Travel Guide .Links:Newfound Pride in Guaraní, a Language Long Disdained in Paraguay - an article from the New York TimesLanguage Planning and Policy in Paraguay - a document about how Guaraní and Spanish live alongside each other in Paraguay.Land and Dignity in Paraguay - a Google Book covering Guaraní under Stroessner.Language Planning and Policy in Latin America, Volume 1 - another Google Book with some interesting points on Guaraní under Stroessner.Guarani course on Duolingo (in Spanish)Peace Corps PDFs for Guarani
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Apr 27, 2018 • 27min

Nicaraguan Sign Language

Every language has a unique story, but Nicaraguan Sign Language is pretty special. A language emerging in the 80s amidst a revolution? In this episode of Language Stories, we're exploring the story of Nicaraguan Sign Language. THE VIDEO Click here to watch the sister video to this podcast episode. To keep track of future episodes in video form, click here to subscribe on YouTube. SUPPORT THE SHOW The best thing you can do right now to support the project is threefold, and if you've ever listened to any podcast before, I'm sure you'll be familiar with what I'm about to say! Subscribe - by subscribing to the Language Stories podcast in your favourite place and YouTube for the sister videos, you're going to keep up with all future episodes. Woop! Review - when it comes to the tech stuff, reviews are pretty important. Reviews help to tell iTunes that people like the podcast, and that helps to raise the profile so that new people can find it easily. Yay! Tell a friend - word of mouth still wins! If you know someone who would love Language Stories, tell them about it. And if they're new to podcasts, walk them through the process to subscribe them. Woohoo! To make it as easy as possible to share the podcast, click here to tweet about episode. SHARE YOUR STORY If you have a Language Story you’d love to share, or if you know someone that does, get in touch. I always love to hear from you! Your feedback helps to shape future episodes so thank you.Special Guests: Antonio Prieto Buñuel - Cafe de las Sonrisas and James Shepard-Kegl - Nicaraguan Sign Language Projects.Links:Oralism - WikipediaPsychological Effects of Oralism - a study on the psychological effects of oralismHammocks from Cafe de las Sonrisas - learn more about Tio Antonio, Cafe de las Sonrisas and treat yourself to one of their handmade hammocks if you fancy!Nicaraguan Sign Language Projects - learn more about the work James and his wife Judy do.Visual Dictionary - a dictionary for Nicaraguan Sign LanguageA Life Without Words - a documentary about bringing Nicaraguan Sign Language to rural communities.Sign: A Game About Being Understood - a silent game based on the emergence of Nicaraguan Sign Language.

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