How to Learn a Language

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

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.

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!)

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

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.

Trade has always influenced the languages we speak. But what happens with language at one of the busiest and most important trade routes in the world, the Panama Canal? In this episode of Language Stories, discover languages at The Panama Canal. 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.Links:The Panama Canal - WikipediaAgreement from Panama Canal - the agreements document issued by the Panama Canal with the "Important Notice" at the top. English Test Guidelines - the English Test Guidelines for jobs at the Panama Canal. Jobs at the Panama Canal - the list of jobs at the Panama Canal (in Spanish).No accident: Ancient walnut forests linked to languages, trade routes - an interesting read about research involving languages, trade, and walnuts...

K'iche' is a Mayan language spoken in Guatemala by over a million people. Join us for this episode of Language Stories as we explore K'iche' Maya at a local homestay and in a busy market town, as well as learning how to learn K'iche'. 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: Carlos and Family - Guatemala, Dave Prine - K'iche' Learner, and Juan Leon Cortez - Galeria Pop Wuj.Links:Stay with Carlos and family in the Mayan Countryside - check Carlos' Airbnb listing to stay for yourself with him and his family.Galeria Pop Wuj - learn more about the art and classes taking place at Juan's gallery.Can Knowing Some K’iche’ Save Your Life and Make You Rich? - Dave's presentation on K'iche' from the Polyglot Gathering 2017.Online free K'iche' course from The University of TexasFurther resources to learn K'iche' - a few extra links from the University of Connecticut.Institute of World Languages - the initiative that Dave is learning K'iche' through.Mayan Languages: How I Learned to Speak Tz’utujil in Guatemala - Fluent in 3 MonthsAcademy of Mayan Languages in Guatemala

As we've been travelling through Latin America and heading into a new Spanish-speaking country every few weeks, I've realised something. I arrive in a new Spanish-speaking country and don't know how to address YOU. 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.Links:Duality - WikipediaSaying 'you' in Japanese - Nihon Shock100 Ways to Say 'You' in Japanese - Japanese Level UpJapanese Personal Pronouns - WikipediaSubjectless Sentences in Child Language - academic paper sharing research on children dropping subject pronouns.

Belize isn't like the rest of Central America. Belize speaks English. But that's not the full story... 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: Osmer Balam - Northern Belizean Spanish and Timothy McKeon - Creole Specialist.Links:Guatemalan Passport - this interesting website has images of all the passport covers in the world. You can see the jaggy line I mention between Guatemala and Belize on this one.Guatemala Passport Map an Affront to Belizeans - AmandalaQ'eqchi' - WikipediaMopan - WikipediaCIA Factbook - A useful list of country sizes. I used this for the size comparisons mentioned in the podcast.Belize Language Stats - Official stats from the Belizean Government.National Kriol Council - the useful website of the National Kriol Council has some great references both for the language and culture.National Garifuna Council - a language we didn't get into in this episode. The website has some useful info on the Garifuna language and culture that spreads beyond Belize to Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua also.A Spanish Accent, The Economist - an interesting article on the impact of immigration on the languages in Belize.

Nahuatl is a language spoken in Mexico that maybe you've never heard of until now. But guess what? You know a word in Nahuatl. 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: Siskia Lagomarsino - The Polyglotist.Links:Uto-Aztecan Languages on Wikipedia - check the Wikipedia page for an introduction to the Uto-Aztecan family.The Flower Tree Poem - the whole poem I quote at the end of the podcast.More Nahuatl poem suggestions - a Quora post with more suggestions for poems in Nahuatl.An app to learn Nahuatl - if you're curious to learn a few words, this looks like a great start!Starter Lessons - Self-proclaimed 'Inadequate' Nahuatl Lessons.