30 en-us http://www.theworld.org 2010 Public Radio International The World in Words with Patrick Cox focuses on language. We decode diplospeak and lay bare nationalist rants. And as English extends its global reach, we track the blowback from the world's 6,000+ other languages, in the form of hybrids like Chinglish, Hinglish, Singlish and Binglish. Binglish? The World in Words with Patrick Cox focuses on language. We decode diplospeak and lay bare nationalist rants. And as English extends its global reach, we track the blowback from the world's more than 6,000 other languages. The World is a US-based international news and analysis program co-produced by the BBC World Service, Public Radio International, and WGBH Public Radio in Boston. Public Radio International Public Radio International interactive@pri.org http://www.theworld.org/images/podcast_images/worldinwords_v5.png http://www.theworld.org foreign, news, international, bbc, wgbh, public, radio, npr, language, words, global,patrick cox no http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast229.mp3 With 23 official languages-- rising to 24 in July-- the European Union is knee-deep in translation. Must every document be translated into Latvian and Irish? Or should the EU simplify matters by making English its working language? Also, the Webby Awards are known for 5-word acceptance speeches. Many are clever, few are boring, but are any truly memorable? http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast229.mp3 Tue, 21 May 2013 15:30:00 EST no 10:34 European Union, official languages, English, Irish, translation, interpreter, Webby, acceptance speech, John Crace, Digested Read http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast228.mp3 New York-based composer Kevin James's Vanishing Languages Project explores the musicality in four endangered languages: Ainu, Quileute, Dalabon and Jawoyn. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast228.mp3 Fri, 17 May 2013 16:00:00 EST no 09;36 endangered languages, Ainu, Quileute, Dalabon, Jawoyn, Vanishing Languages Project, Kevin James, UNESCO, Australian Aboriginal, Japan http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast227.mp3 Language news with Cartoon Queen Carol and Patrick: 1. Describing wine flavors in Chinese. 2. Bible translators avoid the words "Father" and "Son" in some cultures. 3. Fears for the future of Yoruba, one of Nigeria's most beloved languages. 4. Americans are missing out on some great subtitled TV dramas. 5. New Zealand issues a list of names you can't call your child. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast227.mp3 Wed, 15 May 2013 16:35:00 EST no 41:24 Yoruba, Rooti Dolls, Wole Soyinka, endangered languages, Chinglish, Bible translation, The Killing, Borgen, Danish, baby names http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast226.mp3 For two decades at her Brooklyn dining room table, Alice Kober worked into the night to decipher a mysterious script. The script 'Linear B' had been discovered on clay tablets in Crete. It was finally deciphered-- but two years after Kober died. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast226.mp3 Mon, 13 May 2013 15:55:00 EST no 09:06 Linear B, Alice Kober, Margalit Fox, Michael Ventris, Ancient Greek, The Riddle of the Labyrinth, Rosetta Stone, linguistics, Crete, Arthur Evans http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast225.mp3 Chinese hackers are fast catching up with their global counterparts in producing linguistically localized phishing scams. Also, why does Glasgow produce so many successful soccer coaches? Is it to do with the city's impenetrable accent and slang? http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast225.mp3 Thu, 09 May 2013 16:25:00 EST no 12:09 Phishing, Peter Cassidy, APWG, malware, spyware, David Moyes, Glasgow, Glaswegian, Janey Godley, slang http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast224.mp3 A conversation with writer Julie Barlow. Barlow and Jean-Benoit Nadeau are co-authors of "The Story of Spanish," their follow-up to "The Story of French." Though linguistically similar to French, Spanish has evolved with more freedom and variation, and is now far more widely spoken than French. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast224.mp3 Mon, 06 May 2013 16:15:00 EST no 34:26 Spanish, Julie Barlow and Jean-Benoit Nadeau, Spain, history, language evolution, Latin America, Spanish in the United States, Al-Andalus, Arabic, Latin http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast223.mp3 From a loved one's hasty scrawl to Jack Lew's "manufactured" signature, how much do people reveal about themselves in their handwriting? Author Philip Hensher says quite a bit, though not as much as handwriting experts sometimes claim. Hensher argues that digital communications deprive us of the intimacy of handwriting. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast223.mp3 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:15:00 EST no 5:06 Philip Hensher, handwriting, graphologist, signature, Wendy Cope, Hitler, France, keyboard, Jack Lew, texting http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast222.mp3 "Matilda," now a Broadway hit, has a cast full of Americans doing British accents. We usually think of actors as carrying off the best fake accents. But others do it, sometimes with great success. What's the secret? http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast222.mp3 Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:55:00 EST no 8:46 British accent, Renee Zellweger, Bridget Jones's Diary, voice coach, Radovan Karadzic, Gary Younge, Broadway, Matilda, dipthong, pure vowel http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast221.mp3 A conversation with musician Steafan Hanvey about the history and memory that Irish place names conjure up. Hanvey's father was a photojournalist who has recorded moments in these places in recent decades. Now, Hanvey has written a song cycle inspired by his father's photography. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast221.mp3 Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:15:00 EST no 7:00 Irish, Northern Ireland, place names, The Troubles, Bobby Hanvey, photojournalist, Steafan Hanvey, Derry, Londonderry, Nuclear Family http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast220.mp3 The Irish language used to be a symbol of Catholic nationalism. But it's gradually becoming de-politicized, morphing into just another minority language in need of saving. You can see evidence of that change in community halls in Belfast, where a few Protestants are learning Irish. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast220.mp3 Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:05:00 EST no 7:56 Irish, Gaelic, Gaeltacht, Gaeilgeoir, Belfast, Protestant, Catholic, Sinn Fein, nationalism, English http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast219.mp3 The Associated Press is dropping the term, 'illegal immigrant.' Why? And what term to use in its place? We offer some suggestions from some non-English language media. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast219.mp3 Wed, 3 Apr 2013 15:55:00 EST no 8:01 Illegal immigrant, undocumented, Drop the I-Word, define American, No human being is illegal, Monica Novoa, immigration reform, alien, hiding http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast218.mp3 Incrementally, the Kurdish language appears to be making a comeback in Turkey. Official restrictions on the public use of Kurdish are easing, making it easier for schools to teach it. But some Kurds aren't used to speaking their own mother tongue. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast218.mp3 Mon, 1 Apr 2013 15:45:00 EST no 12:27 Kurdish, Turkey, language rights, language of instruction, official language, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Medya Ormek, Dicle University http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast217.mp3 Samir Khullar aka Sugar Sammy is the son of Indian immigrants who at home spoke Punjabi and Hindi, at school studied in French, and learned to tell jokes in English. He's now taking his native Quebec by storm with stand-up comedy delivered in four languages. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast217.mp3 Thu, 28 Mar 2013 15:15:00 EST no 17:54 Sugar Sammy, bilingual, Quebec, Montreal, Pastagate, immigration, Pauline Marois, French Canadian, official language, Hindi http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast216.mp3 Should the proposed legalization of millions of undocumented immigrants be termed an amnesty? Does that suggest they would be receiving something for nothing? http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast216.mp3 Mon, 25 Mar 2013 14:45:00 EST no 8:41 amnesty, immigration reform, illegal immigrant, undocumented, legalization, Obama, crime, Mexican border, Spanish, labor http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast215.mp3 A few public schools in Gaza are offering classes in Hebrew to ensure that younger Palestinians can learn "the language of our enemy." http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast215.mp3 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 14:30:00 EST no 4:40 Hamas, Gaza, Israel, Hebrew, Arabic, education, language learning, Palestinian, Middle East, Jerusalem http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast214.mp3 A new round of skirmishes in Quebec's war over language has broken out. The province's largest party wants to further protect French, but some say "Non!" if that comes at the expense of English. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast214.mp3 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:00:00 EST no 20:41 Quebec, French, English, bilingual, Canada, Pastagate, Lisee, Bill 14, Parti Quebecois, two solitudes http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast213.mp3 Beatboxers make sounds most of us think we can't make. Sounds that native English speakers usually have trouble making. Sounds sometimes borrowed from other languages. So say researchers at the University of Southern California. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast213.mp3 Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:00:00 EST no 7:22 beatboxing, language acquistion, MRI, University of Southern California, Xhosa, click languages, Quechua, Grace Savage, Shrikanth Narayanan, Rahzel http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast212.mp3 A conversation with KCRW's Matt Holzman about the year's best foreign language movies. Some are Oscar-nominated. Many are not. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast212.mp3 Fri, 22 Feb 2013 15:30:00 EST no 13:06 Oscars, Academy Awards, foreign language category, Barbara, The Intouchables, Polisse, Amour, European bias, This is not a Film, Iran http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast211.mp3 Was President Obama's rhetoric "dumber" than that of George Washington, as The Guardian claimed after analyzing State of the Union speeches over the years? Also, was Senator Marco Rubio's Spanish language response effective in turning Latino heads and attitudes? http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast211.mp3 Wed, 13 Feb 2013 15:30:00 EST no 16:33 State of the Union, Obama, dumb, The Guardian, rhetoric, Tad Devine, Latin America, Marco Rubio, Spanish, Republican http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast210.mp3 He speaks Latin, he tweets in Latin, he even brought back the Latin mass. Now Pope Benedict has resigned in Latin, and not everyone understood what he was saying. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast210.mp3 Tue, 12 Feb 2013 15:15:00 EST no 05:24 Pope, Vatican, Latin, Holy See, ANSA, resignation, languages of Antiquity, Catholic mass, Twitter, Giovanna Chirri http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast209.mp3 What happens if you get lost at one of the world's largest religious gatherings? Not only are there millions of people, but among them they speak hundreds of mutually incomprehensible languages. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast209.mp3 Fri, 8 Feb 2013 15:00:00 EST no 08:26 India, multilingual, Kumbh Mela, Ganges, lost and found, mutually incomprehensible languages, Hindu festival, Allahabad, linguistic. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast208.mp3 Some Americans think a VW ad to be broadcast during the Super Bowl is racist because it features a white guy speaking Jamaican patois. But Jamaicans seem happy that the ad is giving their nation and culture some free publicity. Also, will an Icelandic 15-year-old get to officially use the name her parents gave her? A court decides. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast208.mp3 Fri, 1 Feb 2013 15:00:00 EST no 12:25 Volkswagen, Jamaican patois, Minnesota, racist, white guy, stereotype, reggae, Iceland, name, Blaer http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast207.mp3 The latest literary hit in China is a new translation of James Joyce's notoriously difficult novel, Finnegans Wake. The original English version of the book has defeated many readers, but Joyce's Chinese translator says Finnegans Wake is primarily a book about freedom. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast207.mp3 Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:20:00 EST no 07:06 James Joyce, Finnegans Wake, China, Chinese translation, literary translation, Congrong Dai, great novels, Ireland, English, Ulysses http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast206.mp3 Quebec's new separatist government is promising to require French exams in English language schools and to ban bilingual newsletters in some municipalities. That's enraging many English speakers. So the government is bankrolling a province-wide tour by a pro-English musician. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast206.mp3 Thu, 24 Jan 2013 14:40:00 EST no 04:38 Quebec, French, English, Francophone, Anglophone, David Hodges, Notre Home, Bill 14, bilingual newsletter, Montreal http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast205.mp3 Dim Sum Warriors is the world's only bilingual interactive comic book iPad app-- at least the only one with Chinese snack characters who practise kung fu. A conversation with the creators of Dim Sum Warriors and with some of its fans. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast205.mp3 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:40:00 EST no 18:04 Dim Sum Warrriors, bilingual, iPad apps, Chinese, Mandarin, English, teaching material, comic books, interactive, China http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast204.mp3 Linguist Mark Turin takes us on a whirlwind tour of New York to explore a few of its 800 languages. Some thrive, at least briefly. Some survive in spite of the odds. Some live on through the words they loan to English and other immigrant tongues. But nearly all of them eventually die. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast204.mp3 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 09:40:00 EST no 28:50 New York, Endangered Language Alliance, Queens, Jackson Heights, linguistic density, Yiddish, Daniel Kaufman, nation of immigrants, English, language death http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast203.mp3 Linguist Mark Turin reports from South Africa, whose post-Apartheid constitution designates eleven languages as official. English is more popular than ever, Afrikaans is re-inventing itself, while the government's efforts to raise the status of languages like Xhosa and Zulu have succeeded-- up to a point. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast203.mp3 Thu, 10 Jan 2013 15:25:00 EST no 28:57 South Africa, English, Xhosa, Zulu, official languages, Mandela, Apartheid, Afrikaans, Afrikaaps, language revival http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast202.mp3 Many Mexican migrants are leaving the US and returning to Mexico. Their children often speak better English than Spanish. So back in Mexican schools, many struggle. In order to help these kids, some teachers in Mexico are now learning English. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast202.mp3 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 14:25:00 EST no 09:16 Mexico, immigration, English, Spanish, bilingual, language of instruction, deport, migrants, Zacatecas, ELL http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast201.mp3 In the first of a three-part BBC series, linguist Mark Turin returns to Nepal, where he learned and documented the Thangmi language. Spoken by 30,000 people, Thangmi has many unique expressions. The Nepalese government is trying to protect Thangmi and scores of other minority languages by introducing them into schools, but it may be too late: the children of many Thangmi speakers are choosing to speak other languages. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast201.mp3 Thu, 03 Jan 2013 9:25:00 EST no 30:16 Nepal, endangered languages, United Nations, Thangmi, Mark Turin, language of instruction, language death, low status languages, Kathmandu, Global English http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast200.mp3 A new study finds that boys' voices are breaking at age 12, two years younger than in 1960. That's bad news for boy sopranos and the choirs they sing in. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast200.mp3 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 15:25:00 EST no 6:18 boy choir, Handel's Messiah, Haydn's Nelson Mass, Bach, Jonty Ward, New College Choir, early onset puberty, soprano, human voice, Edge Hill University http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast199.mp3 'House names' are nicknames that Ethiopian family members give each other. Traditionally multisyllabic and descriptive, house names are becoming shorter and more cutesy. Also, changes in Uruguayan surnames. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast199.mp3 Wed, 19 Dec 2012 14:35:00 EST no 11:01 Ethiopia, house names, nicknames, onomastics, linguistics, reduplication, Addis Ababa, Uruguay, gay marriage, surname http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast198.mp3 The US Army is reviving a program that offers immigrants with certain language skills a fast track to US citizenship. Many of the slots, including all those for Korean speakers, have already been filled. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast198.mp3 Mon, 17 Dec 2012 15:35:00 EST no 08:09 http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast197.mp3 Forget Klingon, Na'vi and Dothraki, and consider instead the invented languages of novels: Elvish, Pravic, the language of the Ariekei and Wardwesan. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast197.mp3 Thu, 13 Dec 2012 15:45:00 EST no 14:32 Elvish, The Hobbit, invented languages, novel, China Mieville, Ursula Le Guin, Tolkien, Clockwork Orange, Frederic Werst, natural languages http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast196.mp3 The World's Gerry Hadden has lived in Catalonia for eight years. He speaks English, Spanish, French and German. But not Catalan. No matter that his kids speak it, his neighbors speak it, the stars of mighty FC Barcelona speak it. Gerry doesn't speak Catalan because he doesn't need to. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast196.mp3 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 14:35:00 EST no 05:29 Catalan, Spanish, FC Barcelona, minority language, Catalonia, immersion schools, Spain, endangered language, Wert, Messi http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast195.mp3 Language news with Cartoon Queen Carol and Patrick: 1. South Africans debate whether they call President Zuma's newly refurbished home a residence, a compound or 'Zumaville.' 2. Uganda's President Museveni has co-written a thesaurus for his mother tongue, Runyankore/Rukiga. 3. Debates for Ghana's upcoming presidential election are all in English, to the annoyance of some. 4. Gabon is the latest Francophone country in Africa to consider switching to English. 5. A call for more bilingual education in multilingual India. 6. Food idioms in German, Swedish and Polish. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast195.mp3 Fri, 30 Nov 2012 15:30:00 EST no 42:18 South Africa, Zumaville, Uganda, African languages, French, lingua franca, Gabon, Rwanda, bilingual education, food idioms http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast194.mp3 There is no copyright on book titles, which can lead to confusion. It's all too easy to mistakenly buy the wrong version of 'Pure,' 'Sweet Revenge' or 'Nemesis.' Also, novelist Tom Wolfe talks about his continued experimentation with punctuation. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast194.mp3 Tue, 27 Nov 2012 11:45:00 EST no 14:33 book titles, John Sutherland, Nemesis, Sweet Revenge, Past Imperfect, copyright, Tom Wolfe, Back to Blood, new journalism, punctuation http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast193.mp3 'Chips Funga' is one of the most popular phrases in Kenya today. It means 'french fries to go'...and a whole lot more. We hear from musician Anto Neosoul who helped popularize the expression. He's also penned a song about deception on social networks called 'Qwerty Love.' http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast193.mp3 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 13:35:00 EST no 09:06 Nairobi, Kenya, Anto Neosoul, Chips Funga, Africa, Facebook, twitter, hooking up, one-night stand, slang http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast192.mp3 Its 90th birthday falls at an awkward time for the scandal-rocked BBC. But it is celebrating nonetheless, with an audio collage that harks back and peers forward, courtesy of musician Damon Albarn. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast192.mp3 Wed, 14 Nov 2012 15:30:00 EST no 07:30 BBC, Damon Albarn, 90 years, 2LO Calling, Radio Reunited, Blur, Gorillaz, Big Ben, Bertrand Russell, Morse code http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast191.mp3 Is the BBC's huge well of public trust in danger of drying up? A veteran news anchor says its managers must stop speaking the 'gobbledygook' of bureaucratic jargon and start properly overseeing its output. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast191.mp3 Mon, 12 Nov 2012 15:50:00 EST no 06:41 BBC, George Entwistle, journalism, Jimmy Savile, Newsnight, trust, Bangladesh, language services,Ted Koppel, Nightline http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast190.mp3 Israel's Maronites don't like being labeled as Arabs. They have gone to court for recognition as 'Aramaic.' The problem is, most of them don't speak much Aramaic. So now the language is being re-introduced. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast190.mp3 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 13:40:00 EST no 10:19 Israeli, Aramaic, Maronite, Jish, Galilee, Sweden, Bible, Jesus, language revival, Ksenia Svetlova http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast189.mp3 On the eve of the US elections, two people who know how to throw a phrase about offer their thoughts on America's troubles. Novelist Lionel Shriver is an American living in London. Journalist Edward Luce is a Brit living in Washington. They both care deeply about United States, and they're worried. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast189.mp3 Mon, 05 Nov 2012 14:35:00 EST no 5:26 US politics, political polarization, Pentagon, withdraw, infrastructure, education, Lionel Shriver, Edward Luce, Obama, Romney http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast188.mp3 We visit a Bangladeshi-owned barbershop in post-Sandy New York. Tuesday's ballot was supposed to have been translated into Bengali-- a requirement under the Voting Rights Act-- but election officials missed the deadline. In the barbershop, though, voters are as divided between Obama and Romney as the country is. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast188.mp3 Fri, 02 Nov 2012 14:25:00 EST no 7:58 Voting Rights Act, non-English languages, Bengali, Spanish, ballot access, New York City, Jackson Heights, Bangladeshi, Obama, Romney http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast187.mp3 An explanation of the pranksterish wordplay in Ai Weiwei's take on Gangnam Style. And a conversation with the translator of Liu Xiaobo's Tiananmen poems. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast187.mp3 Tue, 30 Oct 2012 10:40:00 EST no 13:38 Ai Weiwei, Liu Xiaobo, Gangnam style, Jeffrey Yang, Tiananmen, June Fourth Elegies, Chinese, Great Firewall, Mo Yan, Grass Mud Horse http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast186.mp3 Many streets in Arab East Jerusalem are unnamed. Jerusalem's mayor has launched a campaign to name them and put up street signs. While many locals welcome this, some fear that it's part of an Israeli plan to annexe the Arab parts of the city. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast186.mp3 Fri, 26 Oct 2012 14:40:00 EST no 06:37 East Jerusalem, street naming, history, Israeli, Arab, Palestinian, 1967, Hebrew, Arabic, linguistic http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast185.mp3 Britons used to impress the world with their displays of resilience and sangfroid. But recently, they express themselves as much by crying as by grinning and bearing it. Should the stiff upper lip be consigned to history? Plus, the origin of 'Keep Calm and Carry On,' and a Belgian take on that slogan. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast185.mp3 Fri, 26 Oct 2012 09:20:00 EST no 15:39 Stiff Upper Lip, World War One, Victorian, British Empire, Wellington, Napoleon, Keep Calm and Carry On, Andy Murray, Princess Diana, Ian Hislop http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast184.mp3 After Australia's prime minister accuses the opposition leader of misogyny, Australia's leading dictionary says the word has changed its meaning. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast184.mp3 Wed, 17 Oct 2012 13:55:00 EST no 04:28 Australia, Julia Gillard, misogyny, sexism, feminism, Macquarie Dictionary, Sue Butler, Peter Slipper, YouTube, etymology http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast183.mp3 Translator and author Nataly Kelly talks about interpreting 911 calls and 'cupid calls,' as well as translating poetry from a hybrid of Spanish and Shuar, a mainly Ecuadorian tribal language. Kelly has co-written a book on the translation industry called 'Found in Translation.' http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast183.mp3 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 14:15:00 EST no 44:57 Found in Translation, interpreter, Spanish, Jost Zetzsche, cupid calls, color blind, Global Public Health Intelligence Network, Shuar, Inuktitut, machine translation http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast182.mp3 Hinglish is a modern version of Indian English, spoken in various forms in India, Britain and elsewhere. You can trace its roots at least as far back as Hobson-Jobson, a nineteenth century dictionary that listed English words with South Asian origins. Unlike most dictionaries from that era, Hobson-Jobson is still in print, as poet Daljit Nagra reports. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast182.mp3 Mon, 01 Oct 2012 11:15:00 EST no 32:54 Hobson-Jobson, colonial India, Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Daljit Nagra, English, Global English, Hinglish, http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast181.mp3 For Obama, Romney and many before them, speaking to voters in their native tongue is a great idea--until it goes wrong. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast181.mp3 Tue, 18 Sep 2012 14:40:00 EST no 5:21 Spanish, Obama, Romney, Presidential campaign, bilingual, English Only, Hispanic vote, Latino, si se puede http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast180.mp3 Learn Egyptian car horn code for expressions like 'Open your eyes!' 'You are no driver!' and, of course, 'I love you.' http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast180.mp3 Mon, 17 Sep 2012 15:15:00 EST no 5:09 Egypt, Cairo, car horn, honk, traffic, Morse code, language of the streets, car culture http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast179.mp3 At the Paralympics, the BBC is telling its journalists to use terms like 'person with disabilities' and not others like 'handicapped'. So how does that translate into Ukrainian, Persian and Uzbek? http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast179.mp3 Thu, 06 Sep 2012 11:20:00 EST no 11:48 Paralympics, language of disability, disabled, able-bodied, non-disabled, blind, BBC language services, Uzbek, Persian, Ukrainian http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast178.mp3 Chinese-born Haji Noor Deen is a master calligrapher who uses a script that combines Chinese and Arabic, traditions that are "at once opposites and complements." http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast178.mp3 Tue, 04 Sep 2012 16:00:00 EST no 15:18 Haji Noor Deen, calligraphy, Chinese, Arabic, Islamic, Hui, Islam in China, Ha Hui, Uyghur, Harvard http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast177.mp3 A group of Jewish American college students take a cultural tour of Yiddish Eastern Europe, and find out how their ancestors lived. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast177.mp3 Thu, 23 Aug 2012 12:35:00 EST no 12:28 Yiddish, Helix Project, Yiddishkayt, Nina Porzucki, Belarus, Jewish, Poland, Morris Rosenfeld, Moyshe Kulbak, cultural ancestry http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast176.mp3 The Sikh turban: the meaning, the aesthetics, the turban rights movement, the music. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast176.mp3 Wed, 22 Aug 2012 09:00:00 EST no 9:31 Sikh, turban, dastaar, Turbanology, Punjabi, turban rights movement, Gurinder Singh Mandla, Wade Michael Page, Sikh temple, Muslim http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast175.mp3 There's a long tradition of languages invented for fiction, from Elvish to Klingon. Now there's Dothraki, created for HBO's Game of Thrones, and Gaalaguzi, reportedly a language invented for the upcoming Indian sci-fi comedy Joker. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast175.mp3 Tue, 14 Aug 2012 12:40:00 EST no 9:42 Dothraki, Gaalaguzi, invented languages, David Peterson, Conlang, Hollywood, Bollywood, Arika Okrent, Elvish, Na'vi http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast174.mp3 A new Translators Without Borders report says most African nations are in dire need of translation services. Report co-author Nataly Kelly talks about how that might happen, and how translation can save lives and foster democratic values. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast174.mp3 Fri, 03 Aug 2012 16:50:00 EST no 27:36 Translators Without Borders, Africa, Swahili, English, Hausa, Chinese, translation, translator, interpreter, Nataly Kelly http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast173.mp3 1. If you're a retailer in London, the thing you fear most is a visit from the Olympic Brand Police. 2. A new app for Olympic athletes and tourists who don't speak English. 3. Archery terminology. 4. London's Poetry Parnassus brings together poets from around the world. 5. Reading Dickens in instalments online. 6. Boris Johnson makes the case for London as a multicultural hothouse that enriched the English language. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast173.mp3 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 18:25:00 EST no 45:55 Olympics, London, archery, terminology, Dickens, Boris Johnson, choc ice, translation app, Brigham Young, Tippa Irie http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast172.mp3 We're just starting to learn how the bilingual brain works, but what of the 'bimusical' brain? Do the brains of people who grow up listening to say, Madonna and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, function the same way as those of people exposed to just one type of music? A new study offers some clues. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast172.mp3 Wed, 18 Jul 2012 12:50:00 EST no 14:07 bimusical, bilingual, bicultural, monocultural, Patrick Wong, Northwestern University, Western music, Indian music, executive function, neurolinguistics http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast171.mp3 As millions more Chinese access the web through their phones and computers, there have been some unexpected effects on the Chinese language. The changes come via slang, puns and other wordplay, but Nina Porzucki reports that they're affecting all Chinese discourse. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast171.mp3 Wed, 11 Jul 2012 13:30:00 EST no 12:41 China, Chinese characters, puns, wordplay, slang, pinyin, censorship, Great Firewall, phonetic, texting, http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast170.mp3 1. As US state governments tighten budgets, some courts are hiring unqualified court interpreters. That may result in miscarriages of justice. 2. Britons are again chortling over the misuse of the word 'literally,' after a prominent politician said: "You see people literally in a different galaxy who are paying extraordinary low rates of tax." http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast170.mp3 Wed, 04 Jul 2012 15:50:00 EST no 14:44 court interpreters, Spanish, miscarriage of justice, Nevada, immigrants, literally, Nick Clegg, misuse of English, Oxford English Dictionary, Jamie Oliver http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast169.mp3 A conversation with biologist Mark Pagel on human prehistory and language. Pagel says humans have been uniquely able to adapt to diverse environments because of their ability to retain and share information. Yet at the same they have also developed thousands of mutually incomprehensible languages-- not so good for sharing. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast169.mp3 Tue, 26 Jun 2012 15:50:00 EST no 16:19 evolution, biology, linguistics, Mark Pagel, tribalism, mutually incomprehensible, Wired for Culture, language evolution, genes, family http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast168.mp3 1. Beijing is urging Chinese restaurants to take more care in translating menu items into English. 2. Will an overhaul in math terminology in the US improve the performance of math students? 3. Learn to pronounce those pesky Euro 2012 host cities with the BBC Pronunciation Unit. 4. The idiosyncratic glory of unnecessary quotation marks. 5. Do biodiversity and linguistic diversity go hand in hand? http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast168.mp3 Mon, 18 Jun 2012 15:15:00 EST no 36:07 Chinese, menu items, Chinglish, pronounce, Polish, math, unnecessary quotation marks, Tori Spelling, linguistic, biodiversity http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast167.mp3 1. A group of artists are daubing the walls and buildings of Nairobi with a series of murals and graffiti. The images are replete with political messages aimed at young people. 2. Kenyan pop star Juliani raps about climate change in a slangy English-Swahili mash-up known as Sheng . http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast167.mp3 Mon, 11 Jun 2012 15:25:00 EST no 11:47 Kenya, Nairobi, Sheng, English, Swahili, grafitti, Julius Owino, Juliani, Mtaa Mentality, political speech http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast166.mp3 1.As Burma opens up, more of its citizens are learning English, sometimes in strange ways. 2. With the country in political transition, political speech is less restricted, but testing it is still a risk. 3. Some of Burma's punk rockers appreciate the right to express themselves, but they have other problems. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast166.mp3 Fri, 01 Jun 2012 15:40:00 EST no 24:38 Burma, Myanmar, English, Aung San Suu Kyi, language learning, free speech, parliament, protest, sanctions, punk rock http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast165.mp3 1. An Indian boy's life changes forever when he is transported on a train to Bengal, where they don't speak his native tongue, and he can't figure out how to get home. 2. Morse code signals to and from the Titanic in the days and hours before it sank. 3. The Nazi film version of the Titanic. 4. A conversation with self-styled Tourette's Syndrome superhero Jess Thom, who refuses to shy away from the funny, surreal side of her verbal tics. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast165.mp3 Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:30:00 EST no 24:33 Saroo Brierley, Hindi, Bengali, Australia, Numa Numa, Titanic, Morse code, Nazi film, Tourette's hero, Jess Thom http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast164.mp3 Vietnam has a bad history with China, which is why most Vietnamese refuse to learn Chinese. Vietnam also has a bad history with the United States, but many Vietnamese are crazy about learning English. Reporter Jennifer Pak talks with a diva, an economist and a 10-year-old English-speaking prodigy. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast164.mp3 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EST no 25:22 English, Vietnam, language institute, child prodigy, Chinese, Mandarin, opera, Jennifer Pak, United States, Vietnam War, http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast163.mp3 On the Malay Peninsula, the linguistic juggernaut that is English has hit a bump in the road. In Malaysia, schools have dropped English as the language of instruction for math and science. In Singapore, the business-minded government is urging its citizens to learn Mandarin. Reporter Jennifer Pak talks with Malaysians and Singaporeans about their attitudes to English. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast163.mp3 Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:35:00 EST no 24:55 English, Malaysia, Bahasa Melayu, Malay, nationalism, language of instruction, Singapore, Singlish, Chinese, Mandarin http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast162.mp3 1. Libyan militiamen mistake Welsh for Hebrew, which is bad news for a couple of arrested journalists. 2. Gullah, Haitian Creole and other creoles spoken in the U.S. with Elizabeth Little. 3. Guitarist Wilko Johnson speaks mainly English but also Old Norse, both with a slayer of an Essex accent. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast162.mp3 Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:25:00 EST no 27:44 Elizabeth Little, Trip of the Tongue, Haitian Creole, Gullah, Spanish, Hebrew, Welsh, Wilko Johnson, Dr Feelgood, Old Norse http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast161.mp3 A conversation with Elizabeth Little, author of "Trip of the Tongue: Cross-country Travels in Search of America's Languages." We talk mainly about Spanish, Navajo, Crow, and a language popularized by the Twilight series, Quileute. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast161.mp3 Thu, 08 Mar 2012 09:45:00 EST no 24:28 Elizabeth Little, Trip of the Tongue, Twilight, Jacob Black, Quileute, Crow, Navajo, Spanish, English Only, bilingual http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast160.mp3 1. Hong Kongers and Mainland Chinese clash over language and politics. 2. Native speakers of Russian, Vietnamese and Arabic discuss how they translate English language news jargon. 3. The Sun, and the language of tabloid news. 4. France bids farewell, officially, to the term Mademoiselle. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast160.mp3 Wed, 29 Feb 2012 14:45:00 EST no 32:41 Hong Kong, Cantonese, Mandarin, news jargon, translation, Murdoch, Sun, Mademoiselle, Madame, France http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast159.mp3 1. Swivet, upscuddle and other words in the new volume of the Dictionary of American Regional English. 2. Don't bother learning a foreign language. 3. China directs orphanages to give babies common names. 4. Are linguistically stereotypical depictions of Asians making a comeback in the US? 5. The Academy bars a Spanish language movie from its foreign language category. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast159.mp3 Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:20:00 EST no 34:43 Dictionary of American Regional English, Larry Summers, Chinese orphans, Angry Asian Man, Pete Hoekstra, Yellowgirl, Lisa Chan, Puerto Rico, Spanish, Academy Awards http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast158.mp3 1.How to construct a love song. 2. The inadequacy of the word love. 3. How love scrambles the message of the Peace Corps. 4. Operas that aren't about love. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast158.mp3 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:50:00 EST no 23:17 love songs, Kliche, Danish, NATO phonetic alphabet, Lisa Appignanesi, Eros and Agape, Peace Corps, opera, Terry Jones, Stewart Copeland http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast157.mp3 1.Iran launches a Spanish language TV channel. 2. The origins of an oft-used Hebrew expression to describe the segregation of women favored by some ultra-Orthodox Jews. 3. Scientists at UC Berkeley unveil technology that seeks to put words to our thoughts. 4. Why songs get stuck in our heads. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast157.mp3 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:55:00 EST no 25:23 Iran, HispanTV, Latin America, hadarat nashim, Hebrew, segregation of women, UC Berkeley, Bob Knight, mind reading device, earworm http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast156.mp3 1. The Iran-based translator of Firoozeh Dumas' "Funny in Farsi" has vanished, probably arrested. 2. Debunking myths about the Chinese language and things Chinese leaders are believed to have said. 3. Suggestions for what to call someone who regularly comments on your friends' Facebook posts. 4. Multilingual Angolan singer Lulendo. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast156.mp3 Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:40:00 EST no 21:30 Firoozeh Dumas, Funny in Farsi, Mohammad Soleimani Nia, Chinese, character for crisis, General Tso's chicken, Facebook, neologism, Lulendo http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast155.mp3 1. Some US Presidential candidates seem embarrassed by their ability to speak a foreign language. 2. Sounding presidential: a voice coach critiques candidates. 3. A hospital trains foreign nurses in local idioms. 4. A musician sings famous English language songs in Garifuna. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast155.mp3 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:35:00 EST no 25:17 Gingrich, Romney, French, Obama, rhetoric, nurses, health care, Norfolk dialect, Garifuna, Endangered Language Alliance http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast154.mp3 More with Michael Erard about his new book "Babel No More: The Search for the World's Most Extraordinary Language Learners". Erard met with several hyperpolyglots and canvassed the opinions of many more. He talks about their lives and what drives them. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast154.mp3 Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:00:00 EST no 30:15 Babel No More, Michael Erard, hyperpolyglots, Alexander Arguelles, brain plasticity, language learning, Gregg Cox, Ziad Fazah, Giuseppe Mezzofanti http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast153.mp3 A conversation with Michael Erard about his new book "Babel No More: The Search for the World's Most Extraordinary Language Learners". In describing hyperpolyglots, Erard has coined the term 'the will to plasticity': these speakers of dozens of languages seem to combine a fierce desire to learn with childlike brain plasticity. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast153.mp3 Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:00:00 EST no 33:15 Babel No More, Michael Erard, hyperpolyglots, Giuseppe Mezzofanti, brain plasticity, Hippo Family Club, LEX, Emil Krebs, language learning, immersion http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast152.mp3 1. Usain Bolt bolts, Anna Smashnova was a tennis pro, Bob Flowerdew is a gardening expert. Coincidence? Criminal defense lawyer Frances Cook and vicar Michael Vickers discuss. 2. Clemson Smith Muniz, the play-by-play voice of Los Knicks en espanol on how basketball terms in Spanish vary from country to country. 3. Free speech on the Korean Peninsula. 4. The late Christopher Hitchens discusses the power of argument with his brother Peter Hitchens. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast152.mp3 Fri, 30 Dec 2011 11:30:00 EST no 29:52 nominative determinism, names, jobs, NBA, Spanish, Latin America, Korea, Na Ggom Su, Christopher Hitchens, Peter Hitchens http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast151.mp3 A Yale study claims that the language you speak may determine how much money you save. You're in luck if your native tongue doesn't have a future tense. Also, a paint job on Scotland's Forth Bridge is declared complete, and so a metaphor loses out. And South African pop sensation Zahara sings in English and Xhosa. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast151.mp3 Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:10:00 EST no 25:21 future tense, Keith Chen, savings habits, John McWhorter, Forth Bridge, painting, metaphor,Zahara, Xhosa, Mandela http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast150.mp3 Tamil has more speakers than Italian or Turkish, but there are fears about its future. A dictionary editor and a singer are trying to popularize the language. Also, Romania's largest minority get a new official name. And a conversation about spelling, grammar and re-tweeting. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast150.mp3 Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:50:00 EST no 32:05 Tamil, Tanglish, Kolaveri Di, Chennai, Twitter, grammar, spelling, David Schneider, Romania, Roma http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast149.mp3 The King James Bible gets all the accolades, but what of some lesser-known translations of the Bible? Also, Hebrew slogans at a Tel Aviv protest, and Hebrew classes at a New York charter school. And, the songs of Shakira and others with new lyrics...in Burmese. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast149.mp3 Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:35:00 EST no 34:16 Occupy Wall St, King James Bible, Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Greek, Giuseppe Mezzofanti, Hebrew Language Academy, A C Grayling, The Good Book, Burma, Heather McLachlan http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast148.mp3 The Oxford English Dictionary reveals its word of the year. Also, the Pakistan government's problem with rude - and not so rude - words used in text messaging. And Kate Bush, along with collaborator Stephen Fry, has come up with 50 real and invented words that evoke snow. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast148.mp3 Fri, 25 Nov 2011 14:15:00 EST no 23:08 Oxford English Dictionary, word of the year, squeezed middle, Pakistan, text messaging, Kate Bush, 50 Words for Snow, North Dakota, refugees, Rosetta Stone http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast147.mp3 A conversation with three Australians about language, culture and history. Thomas Keneally, Deborah Cheetham and Kate Grenville discuss the myths and secrets of Aboriginal languages, the rhetoric of official apologies, and the magnificent prose of legendary bush ranger Ned Kelly. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast147.mp3 Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:20:00 EST no 35:19 Australia, Deborah Cheetham, Kate Grenville, Thomas Keneally, Ned Kelly, Aboriginal, Pecan Summer, Cummeragunja walk-off, Stolen Generations, Kevin Rudd http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast146.mp3 Did San Francisco's Chinese language newspapers help elect a Chinese-American mayor? Also, a linguist creates a writing system for one of Zambia's 73 languages. Plus a conversation with David Brooks about language and emotion. And a 24-year-old American and her slangy online English lessons are a hit in China. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast146.mp3 Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:20:00 EST no 24:08 Jessica Beinecke, OMG! Meiyu, San Francisco, Ed Lee, Chinese press, Zambia, Shanjo, Paul Tench, David Brooks, emotional language http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast145.mp3 A translation special with the American Translators Association, David Bellos, author of a "Is That a Fish in Your Ear?", and a discussion of just what exactly Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles owes to The Iliad. Plus, a mode of speech that's always tough to translate: humor. And not just any humor. Greek humor. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast145.mp3 Fri, 04 Nov 2011 13:20:00 EST no 29:52 American Translators Association, Google Translate, human translation, US Intelligence community, David Bellos, history of translation, Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles, Greek Humor, Papandreou http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast144.mp3 Top five language stories this month with Patrick and Carol: City Sentral, riDQulous, and other nasty corporate spelling experiments...the expanding reach of English means more accents...for Singapore's Chinese, a challenge: speak English in public, Mandarin Chinese at home...a new Italian film explores fears about the global spread of Chinese...in Japan, English-speaking chatbots guarantee embarrassment-free conversations. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast144.mp3 Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:30:00 EST no 30:40 City Sentral, riDQulous, English accents, sound comparisons, Arizona, Singapore, Mandarin, Chinese, The Arrival of Wang, Japan, chatbot http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast143.mp3 In the past seven years, China has opened almost 300 Confucius Institutes around the world. We visit one such language center in Kigali, Rwanda. Meanwhile in the US, the government-run China Radio International is seeking out new audiences. But as Chinese language and culture expands abroad, it's a different story at home, where mastery of Chinese characters is declining. To combat that, some Shanghai schools require students to take calligraphy classes. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast143.mp3 Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:35:00 EST no 26:46 Chinese, Mandarin, Confucius Institute, Rwanda, Africa, calligraphy class, Shanghai, letter of the two sorries, Hainan Island incident, China Radio International, WILD, Boston http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast142.mp3 An interview with writer and actor Stephen Fry, who has made a documentary series on language for BBC TV. Also, 30 years after Belize won independence, Belizean Creole is winning respect alongside English. And how Steve Jobs' Macs and iPods helped globalize local speech and localize global ideas. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast142.mp3 Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:35:00 EST no 31:59 Stephen Fry, Planet Word, Stephen Pinker, Belize, Kriol, Belizean Creole, Igbo, Garifuna, Calestous Juma, democracy in Kenya, Steve Jobs, Apple http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast141.mp3 In Tanzania and South Korea, the grammar of urban organization is lacking a few verbs. Also, a Cambridge linguist returns from a year living with an Inuit community. And a visit to a Massachusetts elementary school that's become a model for teaching English to non-native speakers. Plus, Frank Zappa's surreal and profane lyrics as transcribed by a prim English secretary. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast141.mp3 Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:30:00 EST no 24:01 Dar es Salaam, traffic accidents, South Korea, address system, Polar Inuit, Inuktun, Portguese, ELL, Framingham, Frank Zappa, Pauline Butcher, Absolutely Free http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast140.mp3 Should diplomats learn the languages of the countries they're assigned to? Diplomat Sherard Cowper-Coles and translator David Bellos say yes...but try to avoid foreign faux pas. Also, teaching in two languages in a US state where bilingual education is banned. Plus, the children of Pakistan's Sindh province are learning Chinese, while a Chinese classical musician is learning rock and jazz. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast140.mp3 Tue, 20 Sep 2011 14:05:00 EST no 25:02 Bilingual education, Massachusetts, English language learners, dual immersion, Sherard Cowper-Coles, David Bellos, translation, Foreign Office, Sindh, learning Chinese, Yang Ying, erhu http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast139.mp3 Nine years after bilingual education was banned in Massachusetts, educators are still arguing over the effect on students' language abilities. Also, more conversation with American linguist in Britain, Lynne Murphy. This time, we talk "toilets", "excuse me" and other key differences between American English and its British cousin. Plus girl pop from the 1960s, in Spanish. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast139.mp3 Fri, 09 Sep 2011 16:30:00 EST no 27:29 Bilingual education, Massachusetts, American English, British English, Lynne Murphy, Separated by a Common Language, accent, dialect, pronunciation, toilet, Chicas, Marisel http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast138.mp3 A conversation with University of Sussex linguist Lynne Murphy aka Lynneguist. An American in Britain, Murphy maintains the Separated by a Common Language blog. Murphy's accent is soft, but that doesn't stop Brits from mocking it, and labeling it twangy. Among the many observations noted in her blog, Murphy has seen British English lose some of its status among Americans. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast138.mp3 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 14:25:00 EST no 23:10 American English, British English, Lynne Murphy, Separated by a Common Language, accent, dialect, pronunciation, Americanisms, high status, social class, twang http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast137.mp3 Britain now requires an English proficiency test for some visa applicants. There's already a legal challenge from the Indian husband of a British woman. Also, in Britain, a town has starting fining people for swearing in public. In Alaska, some children of Sudanese refugees are learning their parents' native Nuer language. And a conversation with Greg Barker, director of "Koran by Heart". http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast137.mp3 Fri, 05 Aug 2011 15:05:00 EST no 23:37 UK, English, immigrant visa, Rashida Chapti, swear words, Barnsley, Alaska, Sudanese, Nuer, Koran by Heart, Greg Barker, HBO http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast136.mp3 How much we should blame extreme political rhetoric for the actions of Anders Breivik? Did words help pull the trigger so many times? Is it accurate to describe him as a lone madman, existing outside Norway's civilized society? What of Glen Beck who likened Breivik's victims at a political summer camp to the Hitler Youth? And what might the late Stieg Larsson have thought about this? Also, New York-based Ghanaian rapper Blitz the Ambassador. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast136.mp3 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:05:00 EST no 30:27 Anders Breivik, Lars Gule, Matthew Goodwin, immigration, extreme right, Glen Beck, Jan Egeland, Andrew Silke, Maajid Nawaz, Nick Fraser, Stieg Larsson, Blitz the Ambassador http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast135.mp3 Top five language stories this month with Patrick and Carol: The first Punjabi language public school in the US is about to open...bad translations with bad results...a Lagos radio station broadcast in Pidgin expands to other Nigerian cities...a new book traces the rise and decline of French as an international language...and a British journalist rails against the invasion of what he calls Americanisms into British English. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast135.mp3 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST no 29:38 Punjabi, charter school, Sacramento, bad translations, Electrolux, Pepsi, Nigerian pidgin, Wazobia, When the World Spoke French, Marc Fumaroli, Annoying Americanisms, Matthew Engel http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast134.mp3 Among other nefarious acts, journalists caught up in the News International scandal have been accused of something called blagging. Also, why governments and aid agencies avoid using the word famine. Plus, a science fiction novelist dreams up a language without metaphors, and therefore without fabrication. And, if you sing in French, don’t expect airtime in the Brussels metro. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast134.mp3 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:20:00 EST no 22:37 blagging, Rupert Murdoch, Gordon Brown, famine, Ethiopia, China Mieville, Embassytown, Arieka, metaphor, Belgium, Brussels metro, Millow http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast133.mp3 After rumors spread that former Chinese President Jiang Zemin was dead, authorities blocked searches of certain words including river (jiang) and heart attack. Also, California moves to regulate how political candidates names are translated into foreign languages. Plus, a new study confirms that reading fiction is good for you. And the people of South Sudan are learning their new national anthem. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast133.mp3 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:20:00 EST no 21:16 Jiang Zemin, Chinese, California, Mike Eng, wheat can be kindness, David Prager Branner, Voting Rights Act, Leland Yee, fiction, Keith Oatley, South Sudan, national anthem http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast132.mp3 This week, a BBC special on the Bible's influence in translation. We hear how the translated Bible has profoundly affected the English spoken by Jamaicans, and how it may yet affect languages such as Jamaican Creole and Kalenjin. Recent technological advances are speeding up the process of Bible translation, not without controversy. Through it all, Bible translation and linguistic research have marched hand in hand, sometimes producing unintended results. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast132.mp3 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EST no 28:25 Bible translation, King James Bible, Jamaican English, Kei Miller, Jamaican Creole, Bertram Gayle, Kalenjin, United Bible Societies, Meru, Richard Burridge, Daniel Everett, Piraha http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast131.mp3 After a global effort lasting nearly a century, scholars have released an Assyrian dictionary. Also, Donald Keene's love affair with Japanese has culminated with his move from New York to Tokyo at the age of 89. Plus, France prohibits broadcasters from saying Facebook or Twitter on the air. And is the word Canuck offensive? http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast131.mp3 Mon, 13 Jun 2011 15:15:00 EST no 25:22 Assyrian, University of Chicago, British Museum, Irving Finkel, Donald Keene, Japanologist, Columbia University, France, Anne-Elisabeth Moutet, Facebook, Twitter, Canuck http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast130.mp3 Top five language stories this month with Patrick and Carol: slangy new entrants in the Collins Scrabble Dictionary include "innit", "grrl" and "thang"...a new study concludes that the Japanese language may have originated on the Korean Peninsula...the US Intelligence Establishment wants to decode foreign languages through their metaphors...new details about Barack Obama's bilingual early years...and an experiment in Australia to get robots to speak to each other in a language of their own invention. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast130.mp3 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 10:30:00 EST no 40:11 Scrabble, slang, origins of Japanese, phylogenetics, DARPA, IARPA, Metaphor Program, Barack Obama, Indonesian, Stanley Ann Dunham, Ruth Schultz, lingodroid http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast129.mp3 Thousands of kids from the United States are enrolling in Mexican schools, often after their parents have been deported. These children are struggling to re-learn Spanish. Also, the language and politics of terms like illegal alien and undocumented worker. Plus, British gag orders aren't working, thanks to Twitter. And, does Obama heart Britain as much as Brits heart Obama? We have some takes on the so-called Special Relationship. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast129.mp3 Fri, 27 May 2011 16:25:00 EST no 21:09 Mexico, deported, Spanish, illegal aliens, undocumented workers, super-injunctions, Ryan Giggs, Trafigura, Special Relationship, Obama, Niall Ferguson, Simon Schama http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast128.mp3 Arrested Chinese artist Ai Weiwei wrote a blog that was, if anything, even more provocative than his art. We hear from the woman who translated Ai's blog posts into English. Also, fellow Big Show podcaster Clark Boyd on the trials, tribulations and silliness of living in Belgium, where most people define themselves not by nationality but by mother tongue. And the latest children's TV hit in the UK features Jamaican-British musical mice, with dialects that offend English purists. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast128.mp3 Mon, 16 May 2011 14:30:00 EST no 32:36 Ai Weiwei, Lee Ambrozy, Great Firewall of China, Belgium, French, Dutch, scheve architect, surrealism, Rastamouse, children's TV, Greg Boardman, Reggie Yates http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast127.mp3 Now that Osama bin Laden is dead, a new battle begins: the rhetorical fight to frame his legacy. The White House got off to a bad start, with its initial claims about the circumstances of the killing. Also, we try out a couple of instant translation devices that the Pentagon is considering for field operations. And a quixotic attempt to lighten up the lyrics to Peru's national anthem. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast127.mp3 Thu, 05 May 2011 16:00:00 EST no 23:37 Osama Bin Laden, Lawrence Wright, mythology, cave, rhetoric, Simon Sebag Montefiore, Pentagon, DARPA, translation, V Communicator Mobile, SpeechTrans, Peruvian national anthem http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast126.mp3 For more than 200 years, the Pentagon has been trying to gets its personnel to learn the languages spoken by friends and foes alike. For most that time, it's been an uphill struggle. Also, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is not amused at a Colombian telenovela which has named a badly-behaved dog after him. Plus, we learn about a 19th century English reverend who liked to invent the job titles of his parishioners. Finally, the word princess gets a workout, and not all for the good. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast126.mp3 Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:20:00 EST no 26:16 Pentagon, Defense Language Institute, Stephen Payne, Nancy Gentile Ford, Hugo Chavez, Chepe Fortuna, Peter Kitson, Very Reverend Dr Peter Scrimshire Wood, cabbage gelder, royal wedding, princess, Peggy Orenstein http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast125.mp3 The English Only movement in the United States is always active during times of high immigration. Now it's got a shot in the arm from the Tea Party. Also, a conversation with Aya Watanabe, who has spent much of the past month translating earthquake-related tweets from Japanese to English. And we hear from Egypt about an instantly popular news satire show whose host is being compared to Jon Stewart. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast125.mp3 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:00:00 EST no 22:07 Aya Watanabe, Gen Taguchi, Twitter, Japanese earthquake, Press One for English, Tim Schultz, Robert Lane Greene, Spanish, German, Benjamin Franklin, Egyptian satire, Bassem Youssef http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast124.mp3 Robert Lane Greene's new book "You Are What You Speak" examines how language we speak is bound up in our identity. How much does our native language define us? How much does it set our ways of thinking? Can we think a different way in a different language? Why do people get so persnickety about punctuation? Why do grammar sticklers yearn for a golden age of usage that usually coincides with their school days? Do governments overstretch when they lay down alphabet and spelling rules? http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast124.mp3 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST no 38:21 Robert Lane Greene, Lynne Truss, Cicero, Lijia Zhang, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Spanish, German, Chinese, Arabic, French, Turkish, language academies http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast123.mp3 Top five language questions this month with Patrick and Carol: Napoleon, Hitler and Gaddafi all grew up speaking a distinct dialect of their native tongue. Coincidence? Does Japanese have a word for looting? Is finger spelling a language? Is the language of cartoons necessarily harsh? And, should the many dialects of Inuit be standardized? http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast123.mp3 Wed, 30 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST no 34:33 Dialect, Gaddafi, Napoleon, Japanese, looting, Nuclear Reactor Boy, Scottish English, finger spelling, Cartoon Museum, Marriage a la mode, Inuit, Elijah Erkloo http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast122.mp3 Japan has a whole lexicon of earthquake-related phrases. But the severity of this quake, and now the radiation threat, is expanding that lexicon. Also, a video explains the nuclear emergency to children with an analogy that kids understand all too well. In France, the government is battling newspapers and online outlets over probes into the practices of some politicians. And American brewers are giving reviving a centuries-old type of beer, Russian Imperial Stout, and plundering Russian history to name the brews. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast122.mp3 Fri, 18 Mar 2011 16:30:00 EST no 20:11 Japan, tsunami, Tohoku earthquake, radiation, anime, Kazuko Hachiya, France, Sarzkozy, Le Monde, Russian Imperial Stout, Kate the Great, Old Rasputin http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast121.mp3 English teachers in South Korea don't come cheap. Schools often have to fly them in, and then house them. One Korean school is trying a cheaper alternative: a robot. Also, writer Dave Tompkins on how the sound-distorting vocoder morphed from a wartime security device into one of Hip Hop's favorite toys. Plus, new limits for foreign reporters in China, and the man who steered Jagermeister out of the forests of Saxony onto campus parties everywhere. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast121.mp3 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 16:00:00 EST no 24:14 Vocoder, Dave Tompkins, daleks, South Korea, English teacher, robot, Jagermeister, Gunter Mast, China, Jasmine Revolution, Eating Sideways, Bulgarian http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast120.mp3 We take a trip inside the mind in this week's pod. Rhitu Chatterjee takes us through some of the recent research into the bilingual brain, which has focussed on babies. Also, psychologist Nicholas Humphrey gives us his take on consciousness, and why language is only a small part of it. Then we consider poetry, which may be a bridge between consciousness and language. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast120.mp3 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 16:55:00 EST no 24:36 Nicholas Humphrey, Soul Dust, consciousness, bilingual, Judith Kroll, Rhitu Chatterjee, Janet Werker, Terry Waite, Simon Armitage, Cecil Rajendra, Saparmurat Niyazov, Ronald Reagan http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast119.mp3 In France, the Sarkozy government is proposing that children start learning English at age three. Good idea, say some French intellectuals, but why English? In Ireland, mandatory Irish learning in schools has become an election issue. In Tunisia, journalists are getting used to their new freedoms; some are clinging to the old ways. And Anglo-Middle Eastern singer Natacha Atlas is singing about free speech in Egypt and beyond. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast119.mp3 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:40:00 EST no 22:17 French, preschool, learning English, Irish language, election, Fine Gael, free speech in Tunisia, Natacha Atlas, Egypt http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast118.mp3 Was Mubarak Egypt's last pharaoh? Maybe only if Putin is Russia's last Tsar. Names for strong men (and women: the Iron Lady) may say as much about what a nation's people expect as they do about a leader's style. Also, fears for the future of Cantonese, once the lingua franca of Chinatowns around the world. And British cultural revolutionaries Gang of Four talk about their name, their music, and phrases that include the word "farm." http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast118.mp3 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:00:00 EST no 24:07 Mubarak, pharaoh, Tarek Osman, Marshall Poe, Cantonese, Chinese, David Prager Branner, Gang of Four, bought the farm http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast117.mp3 Top five language stories this month with Patrick and Carol: Shakespeare's plays will be performed in 38 languages next year in London; two new studies on texting focus on grammar acquisition and the habits of Australians; an effort to eradicate a Colonial-era pidgin still used by South African mineworkers; attempts to keep Russian and Chinese free of English words; and a new book by Nicholas Ostler sparks a debate about the staying power of English. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast117.mp3 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 16:30:00 EST no 40:06 Shakespeare, Olympics, Shona, Urdu, Maori, last lingua franca, texting, grammar, Australia, Fanagalo, Zulu http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast116.mp3 Huge cuts have been announced at the BBC World Service: five language services to close, seven more cut back from radio to internet only, and six services ceasing short wave transmissions. It means an estimated 30 million fewer BBC listeners worldwide. Will people migrate to the web and to English language news, or will the BBC - and its news values - become less influential? We hear from the director of BBC global news, a former World Service director, the British foreign minister, and the head of the axed Caribbean Service. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast116.mp3 Fri, 28 Jan 2011 15:45:00 EST no 27:10 BBC World Service, Russian, Caribbean, Foreign Office, William Hague, journalism, independent, radio, soft power, Empire Service http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast115.mp3 A new exhibit in Silicon Valley takes the long view in its presentation of the origins of computing and the language of computer programming. Also, new research suggests that hard-to-read typographical fonts may help us remember the ideas they spell out. And, the architectural grammar of the United Nations Security Council: the design layout of the council's chamber and adjourning rooms is considered so important that replicas have been constructed during refurbishment. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast115.mp3 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:30:00 EST no 24:15 UN Security Council, Michael Adlerstein, David Bosco, Jonah Lehrer, education, typography, Computer History Museum, Revolution: the first 2000 years of computing http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast114.mp3 After the Tucson shootings, we hear from Dutch and German journalists about political discourse and violence in their countries. Also, Obama's oratory in Tucson gets high marks from commentators on both left and right. Plus, an exploration of the term "blood libel." If Sarah Palin had known exactly what it meant, would she still have used it? http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast114.mp3 Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:10:00 EST no 25:39 Tucson, Gabrielle Giffords, Clarence Dupnik, political discourse, Sarah Palin, blood libel, Germany, Holocaust, Netherlands, Pim Fortuyn http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast113.mp3 First, lost medieval songs sung by Louisiana-based descendents of immigrants from the Canary Islands. Then, the man behind a Teach Yourself book on Ancient Babylonian. That's followed by a conversation with a Squamish Nation chief on the original name for Stanley Park in Vancouver. Finally, the Ashes: a story of cricket, Twitter, and babysitting. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast113.mp3 Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:00:00 EST no 19:07 Babylonian, the Ashes, cricket, Ashley Kerekes, Islenos, decimas, Hurricane Katrina, Stanley Park, Squamish http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast112.mp3 In a decidedly non-festive podcast, we hear about an initiative in Mali to preserve the Tamasheq language, spoken by a dwindling number of the nomadic Tuareg people. Also, a conversation about the literary merits of the King James Bible, which turns 400 in 2011. And, the R word: rationing. Among some Americans, the rationing is R-rated when it comes to health care. But in Britain, rationing is part of the national psyche: it got the country through two world wars, and its collectivist values are at the core of Britain's government-run health service. Now though, the emergence of expensive, new end-of-life drugs are challenging Brits' belief in rationing http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast112.mp3 Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:00:00 EST no 31:20 Tuareg, Tamasheq, King James Bible, Shakespeare, Andrew Motion, rationing, NICE, NHS, Lionel Shriver http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast111.mp3 With budgets tight at American schools and colleges, and with a growing interest in Chinese, what happens to a language like Italian? Once a heritage language, Italian is now more of a lifestyle choice. Also, Latin America is livid with the Royal Spanish Academy, which has decided to remove two letters from the Spanish alphabet. And the relaunched online version of the Oxford English Dictionary: now with detailed word histories! http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast111.mp3 Thu, 09 Dec 2010 16:00:00 EST no 24:14 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Italian, Lidia Bastianich, SUNY, Royal Spanish Academy, alphabet, Ilan Stavans, Oxford English Dictionary http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast110.mp3 Top five language stories this month with Patrick, Carol and Rhitu: Tibetans protest over the potential loss of their language in some schools; Spain re-orders its family names rules; a list of historical events that have shaped the development of the English language; how do you know when you can speak a language?; and new research out of Australia on how the languages we speak may determine how we think. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast110.mp3 Tue, 30 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST no 33:38 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Tibetan, language of instruction, Chinese, Spanish names, Picasso, the English project, fluency, Aboriginal http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast109.mp3 The French of Anna Sam and that of Juliette Greco could hardly be more different. Sam records the mendacious and the mundane that she overhears at the supermarket checkout. The French of Greco is moody and melodramatic, as befits this veteran chanteuse. Also, what got lost in translation in the UN Security Council's most famous resolution, the so-called land-for-peace concept in the Middle East. And we hear from the founders of Meena, an Arabic-English bilingual poetry journal. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast109.mp3 Tue, 16 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST no 20:32 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Arabic, bilingual, poetry, Meena, Resolution 242, translation, French, Anna Sam, beepeuse, Juliette Greco http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast108.mp3 There are times when it's helpful to understand a foreign language: during an election campaign, for example, if you're a naturalized citizen. And there are times when it's essential: during a ceremony to renew your wedding vows. We find out in both cases what can happen if you don't have the linguistic tools. Also, an Islamic calligraphy master offers classes in his Arlington, Virginia home. And Broadway star Amra Faye-Wright talks about learning Japanese so she could perform "Chicago" in Tokyo. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast108.mp3 Fri, 05 Nov 2010 15:40:00 EST no 20:23 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Maldives, Dhivehi, wedding vows, Korean, Flushing, Islamic calligraphy, Chicago, Japanese, Amra Faye-Wright http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast107.mp3 A conversation about making English the only official language in the United States. Tim Schultz, lobbyist of US English makes the case for this, ahead of an English-only vote in Oklahoma. Also, an election ad in Chinese, aimed at Americans who don't speak Chinese. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast107.mp3 Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:45:00 EST no 28:50 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, U.S. English, English only, bilingualism, Spanish, Oklahoma, Tim Schultz, Citizens Agasint Government Waste, Chinese http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast106.mp3 English is so widely and variously spoken that it barely can be called a single language. That hasn't stopped grammar stickler Simon Heffer from trying to re-establish order. Also, poet Les Murray describes some of the colorful phrases of Australian English. And we check in on a language school in India where the teachers have a strong sense of what constitutes proper English. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast106.mp3 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST no 26:10 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, grammar stickler, proper English, Simon Heffer, Australian English, slang, Les Murray, India, Elise Hahl, Latin http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast105.mp3 Another top five language stories: A new line of Tamil pulp fiction translated into English keeps the magnificent onomatopoeia of the original; new research shows that no matter you much some Germans try, they can't make their language gender-neutral; a Belgian video pokes fun at the country's linguistic battles; we hear more about two linguists who won MacArthur genius awards; and Carol Hill's adventures among the Swedes. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast105.mp3 Fri, 08 Oct 2010 10:35:00 EST no 31:20 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Tamil, pulp fiction, Swedish, license plates, MacArthur Fellowships, sign language, Wampanoag, Belgian video, gender http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast104.mp3 Every year, 4,000 staffers at the United Nations in New York sign up for language classes. There they learn not just languages but how to use them diplomatically. Also, reporter Jason Margolis visits Liberia and ends up judging a competition to determine the country's most inventive proverb. And, is it a language? No! Is it a dialect? No! It's Ajami: Arabic script used as a writing system for many African languages. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast104.mp3 Tue, 28 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST no 26:14 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, United Nations, diplomacy, African proverbs, Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian Kreyol, Ajami, Arabic, Wolof http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast103.mp3 A new PBS documentary follows four students and their families at dual immersion schools in San Francisco. The film offers evidence that the study of math, science and other subjects in more than one language gives students an edge, despite what some disapproving relatives might think. Also, a conversation with Deborah Fallows on living in China and learning Chinese. In Chinese, she says, rude is polite, brusque is intimate. And then there's the lousy Chinese name she was given. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast103.mp3 Fri, 17 Sep 2010 15:20:00 EST no 34:03 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, bilingual, dual immersion, Mandarin, Spanish, San Francisco public schools, Speaking in Tongues, Chinese etiquette http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast102.mp3 A back-to-school edition about learning in a second language. We hear from an elementary school teacher in Downey, CA on the challenges of teaching English language learners. Also, a Creole-speaking Haitian girl newly arrived in New York City enrols in a high school. Then it's back to California as an Arabic immersion program gets underway at a charter school in Fremont, CA. Finally, the first Zulu-English dictionary in 40 years has just been published in South Africa. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast102.mp3 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:50:00 EST no 29:54 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, bilingual, dual immersion, Spanish, Arabic, ELL, public school, California, Haiti earthquake, Zulu dictionary http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast101.mp3 Forget their laidback image, Brazilians care about grammar. One city has a long-established grammar hotline staffed by Portuguese language experts. Now the state of Rio de Janeiro is following suit. Also, an interview with the newly-crowned world record holder in speed-texting. And the art of performing magic in a language that's not your own. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast101.mp3 Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:10:00 EST no 20:14 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Brazil, Portuguese, grammar hotline, Lula da Silva, texting, world record, Japan, magic in translation, Norwegian http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast100.mp3 Iran's leader Ahmadinejad is known for his fruity prose, and this month he outdid himself with a new anti-American insult. Also, we hear from a linguist who's spending a year in Northwest Greenland, documenting Earth's northernmost dialect. Then, a survey of how foreign language movies in the United States are seeking new ways of finding their audiences. Finally, getting from Point A to Point B in Urdu, a language that has the same word for "go straight" and "turn right". http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast100.mp3 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:15:00 EST no 21:16 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Persian, Ahmadinejad, insult, Greenland, Polar Inuit, Inuktun, foreign language movie distribution, directions in Urdu http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast99.mp3 Two takes on self-censorship. A child survivor of Hiroshima explains why she kept quiet about her experiences for so long, through the pain and guilt of survival. Late in life, she tells her story, in the presence of her daughter and granddaughters. Then, a Japanese examination of the self-censorship of American newspaper reporters and editors in the weeks after Hiroshima and Nagasaki. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast99.mp3 Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:15:00 EST no 23:48 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, self-censorship, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Japan, United States, hibakusha, Atomic bomb survivors, speech, journalism http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast98.mp3 Another top five language stories: an Israeli study shows bilinguals respond differently depending on the language of the questions; new research points to a possible breakthrough in deciphering ancient scripts; Sarah Palin compares her coinage of new English words to Shakespeare's; a science writer argues that language diversity condemns a society to poverty; and Clark Boyd's adventures in linguistically confused Belgium. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast98.mp3 Fri, 30 Jul 2010 09:55:00 EST no 33:57 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, bilingual, Hebrew, Arabic, Ugaritic, decipher, Sarah Palin, refudiate, Belgian, Flanders, Dutch, Wallonia, French http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast97.mp3 In Colombia, you can hear Latin America's clearest, crispest Spanish. As a result, Bogota is home to everything from call centers to telenovela production houses. Also, a conversation with philosopher Oscar Guardiola-Rivera about what the spread of Spanish in the United States is doing to the language, and to the country. Finally, Dora the Explorer and Kai-Lan: two fictional TV characters who introduce American kids to their first words of Spanish and Chinese. In Dora's case, she also introduces Spanish speakers to their first English words. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast97.mp3 Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:30:00 EST no 22:19 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Spanish, Colombia, Latin America, Dora the Explorer, Oscar Guardiola-Rivera, Ugly Betty, Spanglish, Kai-Lan, Chinese http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast96.mp3 Our top five language stories this month: A translator recalls the Nuremberg Trials; sign languages that don't have signs for some Islamic words; the phrase that Manute Bol didn't invent; a controversial move in Southern India to make Tamil more official; those Russian spies and their faux Euro/Canadian accents. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast96.mp3 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:00:00 EST no 29:13 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Manute Bol, NBA, my bad, ASL, Islam, Nicaraguan, Russian spies, accents, Quebecois, French, Nuremburg Trials, Tamil http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast95.mp3 This week, the case for and against Globish. A group of writers and artists debate the proposition that a simplified version of English is uniquely equipped to take over the linguistic world. Also, now that millions more Americans have health insurance, there's pressure on clinics and hospitals to make their services more accessible to non-English speakers. Plus, a check-in on World Cup TV viewing in English and Spanish, and a conversation with Gregory Levey, whose book "Shut Up I'm Talking" has more Facebook fans than Bill Clinton. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast95.mp3 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 14:50:00 EST no 34:03 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Globlish, Robert McCrum, English, Spanish, Chinese, World Cup, ESPN, Univision, Gregory Levey, facebook http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast94.mp3 The newest star of Germany's national soccer team is an ethnic Turk. His popularity is one of the reasons why Turkish has become just a little more accepted in Germany today. Also, the Georgian government pulls down a statue of Joseph Stalin in his hometown, but people there use the language of extreme denial to describe the town's most famous son. And a British politician calls French a "useless" language to learn. He and a German diplomat debate which languages may be more useful. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast94.mp3 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:20:00 EST no 22:09 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Germany, Turkish, World Cup, Cem Ozdemir, Mesut Ozil, Georgia, Russia, Stalin, Gori, Chris Bryant, French, Spanish http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast93.mp3 One group of Belgians has had enough of the endless battles between the country's Dutch and French speakers. The group is trying to get people to adopt families from across the language divide. In Montenegro, there's virtually no divide between the Montenegrin and Serbian dialects -- but the government says there is. It is promoting what it calls the Montenegrin language. Finally, a discussion on what happens to spelling in the age of Spell Check and Google. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast93.mp3 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:30:00 EST no 22:55 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Belgium, Dutch, French, Flemish, Walloon, Montenegrin, Serbian, spelling, spell check, Google, jeito, David Wolman http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast92.mp3 At the World Cup in South Africa, it's not just Brazil vs Spain and Argentina vs Everybody Else. It's Bafana Bafana vs Les Elephants, soccer vs football, cleats vs boots and the coach vs the gaffer. We have stories on the new adidas ball and its globally correct corporate name; on the race to rename streets in South African cities; on a few words rooted in South Africa's eleven official languages that may go global after this tournament; and on the US-English confrontation off the field: the linguistic battle over soccer/football terminology. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast92.mp3 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:25:00 EST no 27:47 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, World Cup, South Africa, bafana, street names, Drogbacite, England, ball, Jabulani, United States, Shep Messing http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast91.mp3 Anamika Veeramani won this year's National Spelling Bee by correctly spelling the word "stromuhr". It's one of many English words in the contest that sounded decidedly unEnglish. After a report on some of those words, we speak with David Wolman, whose book "Righting the Mother Tongue" traces the anarchic evolution of English spelling. Unlike some languages, English is barely policed: foreign words -- often with strange foreign spelling intact -- migrate unhindered into English. Also, we remember the man who invented the ATM, among other acronyms. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast91.mp3 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:45:00 EST no 37:55 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, spell, 2010 National Spelling Bee, David Wolman, Righting the Mother Tongue, English, ATM, PIN, John Shepherd-Barron http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast90.mp3 Not many parents in Israel make the choice, but a few send their kids to Arabic-Hebrew bilingual preschools. The World's Jerusalem correspondent Matthew Bell is one of them. Also, a Seattle rabbi visits the Cairo Genizah, and explains why so many sacred Jewish texts were written in Arabic. Plus, a report from Syria on book-publishing and reading in the Arabic-speaking world. And we hear from experts at the New York Public Library on the secrets that a book's smell will reveal to an educated nose. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast90.mp3 Mon, 31 May 2010 14:45:00 EST no 27:12 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Jerusalem, bilingual, preschool, Mark Glickman, Cairo Genizah, books in Arabic, smell, Ed Parks, Personal Days http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWnews10.mp3 Our top five language stories this month: translating Iceland's collapse into English, document by document; magnificently bad translations on Shanghai's streets and at the Eurovision Song Contest; coming up with a language for communication with extraterrestrials; Arizona moves against accented schoolteachers; and Costa Rica's new president Laura Chinchilla is one of millions of people worldwide who are named after animals. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWnews10.mp3 Mon, 24 May 2010 16:30:00 EST no 30:15 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Icelandic, translators, Eurovision, Moldova, Shanghai, Expo 2010, aliens, Arizona, accent, schools, Costa Rica, Chinchilla http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast89.mp3 Translators are proving their worth twice in this week's podcast: in New York, where they're helping elderly Russian speakers fill out their census forms; and in Louisiana and Mississippi where they're interpreting for Vietnamese-American fishermen whose livelihoods are threatened by the big oil spill. Also, which do you think tastes better: Silverfin, Kentucky tuna or Asian carp? They are one and the same fish. And finally, a conversation about counting: some languages are more numerate than others. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast89.mp3 Fri, 14 May 2010 13:55:00 EST no 21:10 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Russian, Census Bureau, Vietnamese, oil spill, Mexican gulf, translators, math, Chinese, counting, Asian carp http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast88.mp3 A language-learning marathon is over, as the author of a blog called 37 Languages decides which one to learn for real. Also, a new film documents a year in the life of an elementary school in Turkey. The kids speak only Kurdish, their teacher only Turkish. And we profile one of Ukraine's most beloved performers: the cross-dressing Verka Serduchka, who is popularizing a hybrid Ukrainian-Russian dialect. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast88.mp3 Fri, 07 May 2010 15:20:00 EST no 30:04 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, 37 languages, Keith Brooks, speed-dating, Turkish, Kurdish, Ukraine, Verka Serduchka, Surzhyk http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast87.mp3 The U.S.Census Bureau is firing on all linguistic cylinders to ensure that non-English speakers are counted in this year's census. Things don't always go smoothly: in Vietnamese, the word "census" got translated into something closer to "investigation". Also, how to pronounce that unpronounceable Icelandic volcano, Scrabble obsession beyond the English-speaking world, and five unique Japanese expressions. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast87.mp3 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:20:00 EST no 27:50 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Census Bureau, mulitlingual, Vietnamese, volcano, Iceland, pronounce, Scrabble, Thai, Japanese, Eve Kushner http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast86.mp3 In 1973 Sue and Peter Westrum and their baby went to live among an indigenous tribe, the Berik, in Indonesian New Guinea. Their aim was to learn the oral Berik language, develop a script for it, and then translate the Bible into Berik. They spent more than 20 years there. It was a time of great transformation for the Berik people, their beliefs and their language. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast86.mp3 Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:10:00 EST no 37:28 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Berik, Indonesia, Bible translation, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Sue Westrum, Peter Westrum, linguistics, Papua http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWnews9.mp3 Our top five language stories this month: Why Google Translate rules, and why human translators shouldn't feel threatened; a weight-loss company advertizes for Product Testing Associates, whose sole task is to eat more food -- not the first time an employer has over-egged the job title pudding; there's evidence that certain accents are less welcome than others in corporate boardrooms; India's economic rise and linguistically mixed marriages mean that fewer young Indians speak the languages of their parents; and French citizens vote on new words for "buzz", "chat", and "newsletter." http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWnews9.mp3 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 14:45:00 EST no 31:10 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Google translate, misleading job titles, French, accent, English, Hindi, India, minority languages, Academie Francaise, new words http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast85.mp3 When it comes to naming a street, you can go with the bland: Bella Vista Ave. Or not: Mugabe St. In the Palestinian city of Ramallah, some recently named streets celebrate "fallen matyrs". Israel too, memorializes its "freedom fighters" from the early 20th century. Also, a conversation with the head of the world's largest Bible translation organization. The group wants to translate the Bible into every language by 2025. Finally, language journalist Michael Erard declares why henceforward he will use only words that are locally grown and sustainably packaged. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast85.mp3 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 11:30:00 EST no 31:09 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Rachel Corrie, street names, Palestinian, Israel, Wycliffe Bible translators, religion, Michael Erard, words, satire http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast84.mp3 Two takes on the Irish language: one from Patrick's dad, who was a schoolboy in the early years of Ireland's independence, when studying Irish was an exercise in nation-building. Then, an interview with Manchan Magan who made a TV series about traveling around Ireland speaking only Irish. Next, we hear from Alexander McCall Smith: his latest offering in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series is a children's book in the Scots language. Finally, hip-hop artist Boomer Da Sharpshooter who grew up speaking English but now raps in Cambodia's main language, Khmer. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast84.mp3 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:45:00 EST no 26:37 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Irish, Gaelic, Manchan Magan, Scots, Scots, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Khmer, Boomer Da Sharpshooter http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast83.mp3 The Alhambra in Grenada, the crowning glory of Moorish Spain, has more than 10,000 prayers and poems in Arabic inscribed on its pillars and walls. We hear about a high-tech effort to decipher and catalog the inscriptions. Then it's the second part of the BBC's documentary on Yiddish. Reporter Dennis Marks takes us to New York, where the language is undergoing a modest revival: among Hasidic Jews in Crown Heights, with a family who text message in transliterated Yiddish, and with musician Alicia Svigals and novelist Dara Horn who are re-interpreting the old language of Eastern Europe's shtetls for new generations. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast83.mp3 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:35:00 EST no 30:55 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Yiddish, Hasidic, Jewish, klezmer, Dara Horn, Alicia Svigals, Aaron Lansky, Alhambra, Arabic, Granada, inscriptions http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast82.mp3 Eleven days after Haiti's earthquake, the BBC began daily radio broadcasts in Haitian Creole. We hear how the broadcasts kept Haitians abreast of the news and put them in touch with loved ones. Also, the past, present and future of Yiddish. Once spoken by millions in Europe, it was nearly wiped out in the Holocaust and through assimilation. Today it survives, and not only as the language that gave English klutz, kosher, kvetch and many other evocative expressions. Some older Jews in New York City and elsewhere still speak Yiddish while many younger Jews are pushing for a full-scale revival of the language. Part one of two. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast82.mp3 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:15:00 EST no 30:41 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Yiddish, New York, Gershwin, Friar's Club, Folksbeine, Haiti, Creole, Kreyol http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWnews8.mp3 Our top five language stories this month: why the disappearance of the Bo language is a big deal; the Olympics are being broadcast for the first time in, among other languages, Cree; when pandas move from the U.S. to China, do they have to learn a new language?; lawsuits concerning Arabic flashcards in hand baggage and speaking Spanish in English-only school; and the Pentagon's latest attempts to equip soldiers with real-time speaking translator-bots. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWnews8.mp3 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:15:00 EST no 43:12 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Bo, Olympics, Cree, Canada, pandas, Sichuan, TSA, Arabic flashcards, Spanish, English only, Charlotte schools, DARPA, translator http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast81.mp3 Hundreds of language programs at public schools have become victims of shrinking budgets. Not Chinese. We visit an inner city high school where 400 students are learning Chinese. Also, don't be fooled: the language of love is not universal, not unless you keep you mouth shut. That's the view of an American woman who endlessly misunderstands the amorous words of her German-speaking lover. Plus, bodice-ripping our way out of the recession: romance novels are more popular than ever. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast81.mp3 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:15:00 EST no 29:16 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Chinese, public schools, Asia Society, Suzanne Brockman, economy, Ich liebe dich, love, Valentine, Jen Percy http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast80.mp3 As Obama enters the second year of his presidency, he's dropped some expressions -- "war on terror", "Af-Pak", even "Middle East". His administration has invented a few too: "remotedly piloted aircraft" (drones) and "overseas contingency operations" (wars). Also, a special screening of Avatar in Ecuador for indigenous groups. What did these Shuar and Achuar speakers think of Avatar's invented language, Na'vi? Finally, a new online satirical movie is all the rage in China. It features a Chinese double-entendre phrase aimed at avoiding government censorship. The movie also includes a fantastic "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!" rant. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast80.mp3 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST no 25:41 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Obama, rhetoric, Middle East, drones, Avatar, Schuar, Ecuador, China, Grass Mud Horse, World of Warcraft http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWnews7.mp3 Our top five language stories this month: best and worst words of the year and the decade; Georgia launches a Russian language TV channel to counter the Kremlin's message; new ventures and technologies give a boost to Arabic online; just how many cases, genders and moods it takes to make one Amazonian language the world's most difficult; and the New York Police Department, now enforcing the law in nearly a hundred languages. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWnews7.mp3 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST no 32:24 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, word of the year, decade, Georgian TV, Russian, Arabic online, most difficult language, Tuyuca, NYPD http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast79.mp3 A conversation with Adam Jacot de Boinod, a seeker of obscure but colorful English expressions. If you read his new book, "The Wonder of Whiffling", you'll know whether you prefer to muppet shuffle or dwile flunk. You'll know if you are a pozzy-wallah. Some of expressions are brand new, others long gone. Some are from Britain, but many hail from former colonial outposts where English is re-invented with the help of local languages and customs. Also, the meaning of the word peace. Barack Obama was the latest figure to tweak its definition when he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize and made the argument for "just war". http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast79.mp3 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST no 24:02 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Adam Jacot de Boinod, whiffling, tingo, idiom, peace, Obama, Nobel, war http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast78.mp3 Hebrew is most successful attempt ever at language revival. We find out why. Also, Malaysians are rioting after a court rules that a Catholic newspaper can use the word Allah. Then, two reports on alphabet letters: in Sweden, parents win the right to name their newborn Q; and in Turkey, using the Kurdish-associated letters Q, W or X can land you in jail. And, a two-nations-divided-by-one-language examination of the word grit. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast78.mp3 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:05:00 EST no 33:07 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, National Hebrew Day, Eliezer Ben Yehuda, Swedish name, Q, Kurdish alphabet, Turkey, Malaysia, Allah http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast77.mp3 We talk to the director and central figure in a PBS documentary about a Catholic church's struggles with language. "Scenes From a Parish" follows the priests and parishioners of St Patrick's in Lawrence, MA. The priests introduce more Spanish masses to cater to Lawrence's predominantly Latino population. Some English-speaking parishioners are less than thrilled. Also, how do you say Neptune and Uranus in Hebrew? The answer used to be: Neptune and Uranus. Now the two planets have Hebrew names. Finally, a New Year's Day hangover courtesy of the good people of Denmark. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast77.mp3 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 14:25:00 EST no 27:17 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Spanish, Lawrence, St Patrick's, Dominican, Puerto Rican, PBS, Independent Lens, Hebrew, Uranus, Neptune, planets http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast76.mp3 December 15 is the most important day in the calendar for people who speak Esperanto. It is Zamenhof Day, named after the man who dreamed up the idea of a language that the entire planet would one day speak. L.L. Zamenhof was born 150 years ago, and though his dream was never realized, Esperanto is still spoken -- in fact it's undergoing something of a revival in the internet age. We consider the failure and success of Esperanto. Also, why the Irish parliament bans words such as guttersnipe and brat, but permits certain swearwords. Finally, if your name is Mark, expect to be teased in Norway. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast76.mp3 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:40:00 EST no 28:15 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Esperanto, L.L.Zamenhof, Yiddish, Esther Schor, Okrent, William Shatner, invented, Irish parliament, banned, Norwegian http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast75.mp3 1. An audio archive of British World War One POWs recorded by a German linguist. 2. A British convenience store chain re-writes wine labels in Scottish, Liverpudlian and other UK dialects. 3. How English might have sounded had the Saxons won the Battle of Hastings in 1066. 4. An ATM company uses cockney rhyming slang to dispense cash. 5. American anglophiles on lorries, cricket bats and other linguistic oddities. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast75.mp3 Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:10:00 EST no 25:55 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, dialects, British Library, audio archive, Wilhelm Doegen, Spar, wine labels, cockney slang, ATM, anglophile, 1066 http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWnews6.mp3 Our top five language stories this month: African languages get their versions of Windows; the government of Moldova changes the name of the country's official language; South Korean birthing centers go multilingual; unfortunate foreign meanings of baby names and how you can protect yourself; and Na'vi, invented for the silver screen, hopes to emulate Klingon. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWnews6.mp3 Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:35:00 EST no 23:38 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, African, Windows, Microsoft, Moldovan, Romanian, South Korea, linguistic diversity, baby names, translation, Klingon, Na'vi, Avatar http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast74.mp3 Many people learned their first foreign words from their grandmothers. Marco Werman learned a Dutch curse. Nina Porzucki learned a Yiddish word that speaks to a certain Jewish mindset. Marilyn Chin learned insults, puns and tongue twisters, many of which later found their way into Chin's poetry and fiction. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast74.mp3 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:15:00 EST no 28:13 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, dafke, Dutch, grandmother, Yiddish, Michael Wex, Chinese, Taishanese, Cantonese, Marilyn Chin http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast73.mp3 An all-Chinese pod today. First, the contrasting oratorical styles of presidents Hu and Obama. Then something on a type of Chinese idiom known as chengyu. Then to the UK, where Confucian philosophy infuses Chinese language classes in some schools. Finally, poet Marilyn Chin on why she loves the expression chop suey. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast73.mp3 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:15:00 EST no 22:17 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, China, Obama, Hu Jintao, oratory, Chinese, spell, James Lilley, chengyu, chop suey, Marilyn Chin, Confucius http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast72.mp3 First, a study finds that we may begin language acquisition in the womb. Then a report from Ukraine, where Ukrainian is enjoying a government-sponsored revival, at the expense of Russian (with the exception of swear words: people still curse exclusively in Russian). Finally, a conversation with the two French guys behind cover band Nouvelle Vague. Their new album re-imagines punk and new wave classics by The Sex Pistols, Plastic Bertrand and others. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast72.mp3 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:10:00 EST no 23:21 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russian, Berlin Wall, Nouvelle Vague, punk, Sex Pistols, Joy Division, linguistic, babies http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWnews5.mp3 We select our top five language-related stories from the past month. Among them: Some birds develop distinct dialects based on the decibel levels of their habitats; Companies doing business in Glasgow are offered interpreters to translate the local dialect; The French government reforms foreign language teaching; And Chinese expats do battle over which script U.S. schools should use to teach Chinese - traditional characters, favored in Taiwan and Hong Kong, or simplified characters, used in mainland China. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWnews5.mp3 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:50:00 EST no 22:23 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, birds, dialects, cows, France, Sarkozy, Glaswegian, translator, Chinese, simplified, traditional, Taiwan, ICANN http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast71.mp3 Question: what happens when a court gags a newspaper? Answer: The gag sags, 140 characters at a time. That's what happened this month when microbloggers tweeted what The Guardian couldn't report. Also, a group of Beijing and expat artists discover a Chinese word that seems to convey the zeitgeist in China; and the near-death - and possible rebirth - of the native American Lakota language, with an assist from a German rock star. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast71.mp3 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST no 23:31 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, cou huo, Beijing, Lakota, Peter Maffay, Pine Ridge, twitter, parliament, guardian, Trafigura http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast70.mp3 Nobel literature prize winner Herta Mueller dreamed up metaphors in a mix of her native German and the Romanian she learned at school. Try translating that into English. Also, a conversation with the author of "Whatever Happened to Tanganika? The Place Names that History Left Behind." And a profile of the man the Los Angeles Dodgers hired to interpret for the team's Japanese players; it helps that he also speaks fluent Spanish. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast70.mp3 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:45:00 EST no 29:06 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Tanganika, Danzig, Moldova, place names, Harry Campbell, Herta Mueller, Romanian, German, Dodgers, Japanese http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWnews4.mp3 Patrick Cox and Carol Hills select their top five language-related stories from the past month. Among them: the sad tale of Muammar Gaddafi's translator at the United Nations; the quixotic tale of the real estate mogul who is trying to export Korean Hangul script to Indonesia; India's burgeoning number of official languages; a declaration from UNESCO that a southern Swedish dialect is in fact a language under threat; and a German court's decision to permit Nazi hate speech, so long as it's not in German. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWnews4.mp3 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST no 16:11 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Gaddafi, Libya, UN, Hangul, Cia-cia, Korean, India, Sweden, UNESCO, Skanian, Skaanska, UNESCO, Germany, Nazi slogan http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast69.mp3 After Joe Wilson's "you lie!", after Kanye West at the MTV awards, after Serena Williams' outburst at the US Open, you may think, enough already with nasty speech. Well, you ain't heard nothin' yet: this week, a report on offensive - really offensive - Dutch cartoons. Also, a South African gadfly-journalist upsets just about everyone. And the Danish tourist bureau stages a faux one night stand. It was supposed to be a come-on to foreign visitors; instead it had Danish politicians trying to curb the speech of their own government. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast69.mp3 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:15:00 EST no 23:36 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Visit Denmark, hygge, Max du Preez, apartheid, Afrikaner, Thabo Mbeki, Netherlands, cartoons http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast68.mp3 This week, a look back at the career of the late Sergei Mikhalkov. During World War Two, Mikhalkov wrote the lyrics to the Soviet national anthem. Decades later, he composed the words for Russia's national anthem-- to the same piece of music. Also, a conversation with Keith Spicer on Canada's 40-year-old language laws. Spicer was the country's first enforcer of bilingualism. Finally, the British government apologizes for its treatment of Alan Turing, who helped break the Nazis' war codes. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast68.mp3 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:05:00 EST no 25:29 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Alan Turing, Breaking the Code, Mikhalkov, Russia, Soviet, Keith Spicer, Canada, bilingual, Quebec, French http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast67.mp3 This week, a mom-and-pop effort to restore Arabic script to street signs in Israel. Also, author Katherine Russell Rich on learning Hindi at a language school in Rajasthan. Her book "Dreaming in Hindi" is also an investigation into what happens to our brains when we learn a learn a language. Plus, a somewhat shameful expression in Spanish. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast67.mp3 Mon, 07 Sep 2009 10:30:00 EST no 32:40 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Hebrew, Arabic, signposts, Hindi, neurolinguistics, bilingual, second language acquisition, Katherine Russell Rich http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast66.mp3 This week, the rise and rise of Rosetta Stone. With big government contracts and a huge advertising campaign, Rosetta Stone is now American's #1 language teacher. If you learn the Rosetta Stone way, you'll absorb a language an infant does. Well, that's the theory. Also, non-native English speakers from around the world take part in an English Spelling Bee in New York. And, Hillary Clinton's not-so-lost-in-translation moment in Kinshasa, Congo. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast66.mp3 Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:10:00 EST no 26:07 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Hillary Clinton, State Department, translation, Kinshasa, Bill, Global Spellevent, Rosetta Stone, Berlitz, podcasts http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast65.mp3 This week, Israel's government tries out some new words to describe its West Bank settlement program. We consider those, and take a look at previous rhetorical attempts to justify Israel's expansion into Palestinian territory. Then, a conversation with the University of Arizona's Kathy Short, who runs a collection of children's books from around the world. Finally, an update on Brooklyn's finest fake French band, Les Sans Culottes. After more than a decade together, the band is finally performing in France. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast65.mp3 Fri, 07 Aug 2009 09:05:00 EST no 22:24 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Israel, settlements, judenfrei, Worlds of Words, children's books, Les Sans Culottes, faux French http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast64.mp3 This week, the nuanced -- and sometimes not so nuanced -- world of diplomatic insults: we hurl a few your way, courtesy of Hugo Chavez, Hillary Clinton and Winston Churchill. Then, news of languages that include a large amount of tongue clicks: linguists have figured out how to decipher and classify click from clack, as it were. Then, the Norwegian for silly season (it involves cucumbers). Finally, many French fans of Harry Potter novels read the books in English. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast64.mp3 Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:05:00 EST no 17:44 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, insults, Hillary, Winston Churchill, Hugo Chavez, Norwegian, silly season, cucumber, Harry Potter, French, click http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWnews3.mp3 Patrick Cox and Clark Boyd select their top five language-related stories from July. Among them: Slovakia passes a law banning Hungarian in official communications in some of its Hungarian-speaking regions; new research seeks to show why babies and toddlers are so adept at learning two languages simultaneously; the trangressive nature of swearing helps when it comes to tolerating pain; and Japanese toy maker Takara Tomy has come up with a device that claims to translate dog noises into human language. But do we ready want to know what pooch is saying? Plus, our favorite hated words http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWnews3.mp3 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:25:00 EST no 20:32 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Slovakia, Hungarian, Malaysia, Bahasa Malay, English, math, science, bilingual, Japanese, bowlingual, swearing http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast63.mp3 This week, the granddaddy of British linguists David Crystal reflects on a life in language. Crystal is an inclusionist: he welcomes slang and textspeak, for example, into the English language. He recalls that as a young academic he was contacted by a shoe company who placed an order with him for several nouns and adjectives. Also this week, the Moomins: they're as popular in their native Finland as Disney is in the United States. But strange things happen to the Moomins when they are translated into Japanese, Cantonese or English. Finally, we hear from a Lebanese man who has proclaimed himself Emperor of Nowheristan. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast63.mp3 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:45:00 EST no 22:56 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Moomins, Tove Jansson, Finnish, Swedish, David Crystal, linguistics, Nowheristan, http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast62.mp3 This week, a conversation with Arika Okrent, author of "In the Land of Invented Languages: Esperanto Rock Stars, Klingon Poets, Loglan Lovers and the Mad Dreamers Who Tried to Build a Perfect Language." Okrent, herself a linguist, tells the stories of people who dreamed up languages that would replace our own bastard tongues. She also submerges herself, Orwell-style, into the geeky world of invented language societies. The vast majority of invented languages from Lingua Ignota (c.1150) to Dritok (2007) have completely failed to take off. But they tell us much about how we think, how we do not think, and how we love to blame language for our own shortcomings. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast62.mp3 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:45:00 EST no 32:56 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Esperanto, Klingon, Blissymbolics, Arika Okrent, Laadan, Star Trek, John Wilkins, Ludwik Zamenhof http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast61.mp3 This week, why a Pentagon program to recruit more foreign language-speaking soldiers is attracting so many Koreans. Then selling beer North Korean style. After that we give thanks to activist listeners in Gagauz, Tongan, Czech and many other languages. Finally, as Barack Obama heads to Ghana, we head to a beach in Ghana, a beach whose name is hotly debated. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast61.mp3 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:15:00 EST no 20:54 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Ghana, Pentagon, Korean, Kim Jong Il, beer, Gagauz, Tongan, Czech, Nez Perce, Hungarian, Danish, Somoan http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast60.mp3 The Obama Administration is moving to boost foreign language speakers at the State Department and the CIA. But at the Pentagon there's a problem: the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy has resulted in early discharge for more than 300 linguists, including 60 Arabic speakers. Also today, Ukraine wants to change the names of cities named after Soviet heroes, many of them Russian. And a conversation with Jag Bhalla, collector of foreign language idioms. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast60.mp3 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:30:00 EST no 24:50 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Jag Bhalla, idioms, Ukraine, Tymoshenko, Soviet, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Pentagon, gay, linguists http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWnews2.mp3 Patrick Cox and Carol Hills select the top five language-related stories from June. Among them: Google translation gets to work on the streets of Teheran; Microsoft's choice of Bing as the name for its search engine to rival Google may not go down well in China; a music festival in Quebec runs afoul of language sensitivies; and a drug ring in Pennsylvannia uses Iraqi Arabic dialects in its communications. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWnews2.mp3 Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:05:00 EST no 16:09 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Persian, Farsi, Google, Microsoft, Bing, Chinese, censorship, gay, Sotomayor, Arabic, Iraq, drug ring http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast59.mp3 First, an interview with Vanina Marsot, whose new novel "Foreign Tongue" is about French, English, being bilingual, and translation. It also includes more false cognates than you can hurl a dictionary at, a racy story within a story, and lots of French attitude. Then, a quick detour to Mexico to learn about a Spanish expression that's favored there. And finally to Afghanistan, where Pentagon acronyms are the lingua franca. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast59.mp3 Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:30:00 EST no 23:49 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Vanina Marsot, Foreign Tongue, faux amis, Afghanistan, Pentagon, alphabet soup http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast58.mp3 A nice linguistic fight to start with this week: a Texas organization is claiming that the English language has just gained its millionth word. Linguists say it's a publicity stunt. Then it's on to Singlish, a hybrid tongue that Singaporeans speak among themselves, much to the consternation of their famously fussy government. Finally, as the US releases some Chinese Uighurs from Guantanamo, a look at the Uighur language. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast58.mp3 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:30:00 EST no 31:29 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Payack, millionth, David Crystal, Uighur, Singlish, Hokkien, Malay, Singapore, Bermuda http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast57.mp3 This week, how President Obama's big speech to the Muslim world was translated, officially by the State Department, and less officially by news outlets. Also, ahead of elections in Belgium, we hear from the leader of Belgium's first and only bilingual political party. Then, Chinese microbloggers battle government censors. Finally, Bangladeshi hip hoppers rediscover their Bengali voices in New York City. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast57.mp3 Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:15:00 EST no 23:19 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Stoic Bliss, censorship, China, Tiananmen, ProBruxsel, Koran, Bible, Talmud http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast56.mp3 This week, two takes on language teaching in France. First, a couple of Paris high schools have started teaching Antillean creole. Then, part two of Patrick's conversation with American Laurel Zuckerman who wanted to teach high school English. Zuckerman fought the French education establishment- and guess who won? We then consider an Arabic word beloved by Saudi Arabia's morality police. Finally, Spain unites over a soccer victory, but remains divided over which songs best represent the spirit of the nation. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast56.mp3 Fri, 29 May 2009 11:15:00 EST no 25:28 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Sorbonne Confidential, Barcelona, Joan Manuel Serrat, Ana Belen, Manolo Escobar http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWnews1.mp3 Patrick Cox and Carol Hills select the top five language-related stories from May. Among them: the strongest challenger to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is campaigning in his native Turkish Azeri; you can now update, poke and unfriend on Facebook in six more languages, all spoken in India; and British researchers are developing software that would not only lip-read, but also determine the language being spoken from soundless video images. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWnews1.mp3 Thu, 28 May 2009 12:05:00 EST no 14:15 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, closed circuit; Arabic, French, Belgium, ProBruxsel, State Department, Pashto, Tamil, Bengali, Hindi, Punjabi http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast55.mp3 When Laurel Zuckerman tried to become an English teacher in France, she assumed that being a native English speaker would be an advantage. The book she wrote about her experience caused a sensation in France. Also, the linguistic underpinnings of Sri Lanka's just-concluded civil war. Plus, a Sinhala word that succinctly describes how many teeth you still have, and why "potato-ness" may decide a product's tax status. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast55.mp3 Fri, 22 May 2009 09:35:00 EST no 26:01 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Sorbonne Confidential, Ceylon, Tamil Tigers, Pringles, Procter and Gamble http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast54.mp3 We begin with two Americans who fell in love with French. American GI Alan Cope loved the language so much he stayed in France after end of World War Two. He lived there for the rest of his life. Anne Ishii also put in some time in France, and used her prowess with the language to date a succession of French men. Also, Star Trek and how the original Captain Kirk et al sound in several European languages. Plus, the German predilection for making up quotes and attributing them to Winston Churchill. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast54.mp3 Thu, 14 May 2009 16:10:00 EST no 20:51 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Farivar, Emmanuel Guibert, ill iterate, Khan, Spanish, Italian http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast53.mp3 How would you prefer to spend your evening...memorizing Russian declensions and conjugations...or chowing down on some pelmeni and shaslyk? Let's face it, sampling another culture's cuisine is a whole lot easier than learning a foreign language. But food and how it's viewed from one culture to the next is far from simple. Is it to ward off starvation, or to show off sophistication? We take a cooking class in Beijing that draws on recent Chinese history. Then we go to Cyprus, where local Turks and Greeks are claiming sole ownership of the dishes both love. And then, what happens to the simple Eastern European dumpling when capitalism replaces communism? It gets garnished with sprig of parsley and costs ten times as much. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast53.mp3 Fri, 08 May 2009 09:50:00 EST no 22:36 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, dumplings, Jen Lin-Liu, Jennifer 8 Lee, Clotaire Rapaille, Guyana, Cypriot, Slovakia http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast52.mp3 The language that gave English the words dingo and boomerang has been extinct for more than a century. But that's not stopping one Australian school from teaching it. A better known language that refuses to die, Latin, lives on in the dummy texts of book and web designers. But who wrote the most famous Latin dummy text? Also, the music and poetry of bilingual Zimbabwean Comrade Fatso. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast52.mp3 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:00:00 EST no 22:36 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Dharug, wombat, koala, typesetting, placeholder, Shona, Mugabe http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast51.mp3 Add this to the CIA's troubles: the agency is nowhere near multilingual enough. Despite urging from Congress and the 9/11 Commission, the CIA remains overwhelmingly English-only. Also, what Hollywood might make of one linguist's social experiment: he proposed marooning six families who spoke mutually incomprehensible languages on an uninhabitated island to see if they would create a new language. Finally, Hawaiian language lessons from musician Keali'i Reichel. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast51.mp3 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:55:00 EST no 22:28 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Derek Bickerton, Kukahi, Michael Erard, evolution, creole, pidgin, Hawaii, Central Intelligence Agency, Hoekstra http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast50.mp3 In Thailand's political chaos, there's one thing that most Thais agree on: their king is untouchable. Now, the Thai government is agressively enforcing a law that prohibits criticism of the monarch. Also this week, recordings of American poets are added to a British archive, British pubs are being given slightly ridiculous new names, and Barack Obama's confusing pirate policy. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast50.mp3 Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:35:00 EST no 19:24 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Thai, lese majeste, slug and lettuce, private, Yusef Komunyakaa, Kay Ryan http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast49.mp3 Live! From the hermit kingdom! Yes, it's a North Korea special. The Korean language, like everything else on the peninsula has split into two. Our report from inside North Korea features a song whose lyrics fixate on one thing: food. Then we take a look at the linguistic challenges facing North Korean refugees in South Korea. Finally, Barack Obama's adventures in the wonderful world of Hungarian. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast49.mp3 Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:45:00 EST no 32:19 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast48.mp3 Stretch, breathe, and connect...or something. Yoga - the word and the practise - carry different meanings in India than in the United States and elsewhere. A new movie, "Enlighten Up!" investigates, at times hilariously. Also this week, the French schoolboy who created a whole language for kids turns 50. And part two of our conversation with Wikipedia historian Andrew Lih. He argues that American politicos write many more manipulative wiki-articles than their Chinese counterparts...and he reveals why there is, shockingly, no Wikipedia in Montenegrin. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast48.mp3 Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:40:00 EST no 28:18 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Chinese, Le Petit Nicolas, Kate Churchill, Nick Rosen, http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast47.mp3 We begin with President Obama's improving Spanish on display on Univision. Then we take a trip to a language school in Mexico to hear about changes in Spanish-language learning. Then it's to France, where traditionalists are horrified at President Sarkozy's gutter talk. Finally a conversation with author and wikipedian Andrew Lih on why foreign language wikipedias are so different from the English version. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast47.mp3 Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:30:00 EST no 30:07 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Mexico, Spanish, Wikipedia, Sarkozy, France, Obama, Univision, Herera, Bayern Munich http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast46.mp3 In Britain, the economic crisis may be worse than in the United States. Brits are just about keeping their upper lip stiff with the help of a revived World War Two slogan. Also in the UK, an association of local officials wants to ban government jargon; under threat, some of these phrases seem lyrical and worth keeping, not unlike brutalist architecture. Finally, Yiyun Li, a Chinese-born novelist who writes, beautifully, in English. Her first novel, "The Vagrants" has just been published. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast46.mp3 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:10:00 EST no 15:14 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, economy, Yiyun Li, The Vagrants, World War Two, Chinese, "Keep Calm and Carry On" http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast45.mp3 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been circling the globe, hitting the reset button on America's foreign relations. But then someone at the State Department tried - and failed - to translate "reset" into Russian. Now the Kremlin is urging more Americans to learn Russian. Also this week, middle class Pakistanis prefer English to Urdu...and the historical roots and enduring appeal of spelling the Canadian English way. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast45.mp3 Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:35:00 EST no 22:08 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Urdu, Balti, Joe Clark, Lavrov, peregruzka, perezagruzka, The Matrix Reloaded http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast44.mp3 This week, we check out a claim that with the aid of a super-computer, it's possible to predict which words will become extinct in a few centuries. We also have a report on the extraordinarily devoted fans of Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami. That's followed by a conversation with Eve Kushner, a devoted fan of those Japanese characters known as kanji. Finally, Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig on his favorite phrase out of Africa: kwassa kwassa. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast44.mp3 Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:50:00 EST no 25:43 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, words, extinction, Mark Pagel, Japanese, Kanji, Haruki Murakami, Roland Kelts, Vampire Weekend http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast43.mp3 As Hollywood embraces Hindi, we ask why so many recent Oscar-nominated movies include non-English dialogue. Also, Hillary Clinton grapples with Indonesian, Irish cops grapple with Polish, and UNESCO upsets Cornish speakers by declaring their language extinct. Finally, two items on Arabic in America: the centuries-old roots of Arabic in the United States, and teaching Arabic through song. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast43.mp3 Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:00:00 EST no 21:38 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, UNESCO, Cornish, Jonathan Curiel, Lost in Translation, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Babel, Lamia Zayzafoon http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast42.mp3 We're in the final days of the International Year of Languages (it's also the end of the International Year of the Potato, but that's another story). We find out how the year has been observed and whether minority languages are any better protected as a result. Then we check in on one big success story: Welsh. Once endangered, Welsh is now spoken by more than 600,000 people. Then, a story on how Brazilians in Massachusetts - many of them undocumented - are clamoring to learn English. Finally, the history of Jamaica's unofficial national anthem, Bob Marley's "One Love". http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast42.mp3 Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:00:00 EST no 26:07 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, United Nations, Wales, hwyl, Don Osborn, Framingham, Portuguese, Trenchtown, Kingston http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast41.mp3 Forget humans. Why not date a language? That's what Keith Brooks is doing. He's checking out 37 languages with a view to getting serious with one of them -- after he's played the field a bit. Also, strange things happen to the pitch of women's voices during ovulation. Plus, we chow down sideways with a Yiddish word, and hear the tale of the chant from Cameroon that's been popularized by Michael Jackson and Rihanna. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast41.mp3 Fri, 13 Feb 2009 10:00:00 EST no 23:59 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Norwegian, Slovenian, Hindi, Keith Brooks, German, Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe, Sol Steinmetz http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast40.mp3 We begin with reaction from the Arab world to Barack Obama's embrace of a language of "respect" toward Muslims. Then, we accompany a group of Upper Midwest dairy farmers on a trip to Mexico, where they learn the languages and culture - and meet the families of their Mexican employees. After that, we take a tour of Latin America's many Spanish dialects with actor Benicio del Toro ("Che"). And finally we consider one of John Updike's lesser-known books, "The Coup." It's set in a fictional West African state that is obsessed with French language and culture. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast40.mp3 Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:45:00 EST no 27:49 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Obama, Al-Arabiya, Muslim, Spanish, Che Guevara, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Bolivia, Francophone http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast39.mp3 This podcast is 100 percent Persian. Consider it a primer for the Obama Administration as it sizes up Iran's leaders. First, a report on the BBC's new Persian language TV station. Then Persian-language radio from the Voice of Israel. After that, a profile of Iranian-American spy novelist Salar Abdoh. We round things off with writers Firoozeh Dumas ("Laughing Without an Accent") and Azar Nafisi ("Reading Lolita in Teheran" and "Things I've Been Silent About"). http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast39.mp3 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:30:00 EST no 31:11 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Persian, Farsi, TV, Israel, Salar Abdoh, Firoozeh Dumas, Azar Nafisi, Hafez, poem http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast38.mp3 We kick off with linguist and blogger Mark Liberman's take on President Obama's inaugural address. Then, a report on whether the disappearance of the term "war on terror" in post-Bush Washington will result in policy changes. Then a little something on language learning: incoming Presidents often try - and fail - to get Americans to learn a second language. Finally an inventive piece of Algerian slang that mixes Arabic and French. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast38.mp3 Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:55:00 EST no 20:18 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Bush, Obama, inauguration, Language Log, war on terror, Guantanamo, language learning, Arabic, Maryland, Algeria http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast37.mp3 As George W. Bush becomes a private citizen again, we consider his legacy by means of a name he once cited: Alden Pyle, a fictional CIA officer dreamed up by Graham Greene in "The Quiet American." Also, a new Indian mockumentary focuses on Bush's blunders, verbal and otherwise. Finally, the national anthems of Ghana -- the official one that sounds oh-so-British and the unofficial one that everyone loves. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast37.mp3 Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:40:00 EST no 20:26 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Bush, Graham Greene, Alden Pyle, Vietnam, Iraq, India, movie, bushism, Ghana, anthem, Ewe http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast36.mp3 Two hundred years after Louis Braille was born, the writing system he invented for the blind is still going strong. Also, the Israeli government has trouble translating a Hebrew word meant to convey withdrawal without any defeatist connotations. Plus, two French items: a new language test that would-be French citizens must take, and Brooklyn's very own faux French band, Les Sans Culottes. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast36.mp3 Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:20:00 EST no 22:19 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Braille, Hebrew, settlements, France, citizenship, Franglais http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast35.mp3 The word denier usually follows the word Holocaust. Can we re-invent it and speak of global warming deniers? Or will it always be associated with the Nazi genocide? Then there's the term 9-11. After the Mumbai attacks, is it useful or crass to speak of India's 9-11, or Spain's, or Britain's? Finally, the top words of 2008, according to the Global Language Monitor. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast35.mp3 Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:50:00 EST no 25:51 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, Eating Sideways, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, denial, Holocaust, climate change, Obama, 9-11, terrorism, Mumbai, Payack, Sasak, water buffalo http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast34.mp3 In Japan, the economic bubble may have burst but the pop culture bubble is still expanding. In this week's cast, first a report on how American teens are learning Japanese so they can read manga and watch anime in the original language. Then a brief history of manga, including a visit to the Tezuka studio's vault. Finally, the perils of translating manga - a conversation with translator Anne Ishii. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast34.mp3 Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:20:00 EST no 25:04 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Japanese, manga, anime, Osamu Tezuka, Anne Ishii, Japanese-American, Chihiro Cherry Enoki http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast33.mp3 The focus this week is on language and personality. Does Barack Obama's bilingual nominee for Commerce Secretary Bill Richardson have an English-speaking personality and a Spanish-speaking personality? A prominent bilingual scholar says many people develop differently depending on which language they're using. Also, Mexican-American singer Julieta Venegas is bilingual but she sings in only one language, and the strange shorthand of Ghanaian electoral politics. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast33.mp3 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:15:00 EST no 24:13 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Eating Sideways, bilingual, Bill Richardson, Spanish, English, personality, Barbara Zurer Pearson, Julieta Venegas, Ghana, election http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast32.mp3 First this week, the Bible is being translated into Jamaican patois. For some, it'll bring the scriptures alive; for others it's just not how the word of God ought to sound. Then a longish segment on English that's so bad, it's rotten. Whether spoken by Joe Strummer, Linton Kwesi Johnson or Louise Bennett, this is the language of oppression, rebellion and revenge. It can sound more raw and authentic than the Queen's English, but it's often just as refined. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast32.mp3 Fri, 28 Nov 2008 16:15:00 EST no 23:51 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Eating Sideways, Jamaica, Bible, Rotten, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Louise Bennett, the Clash, colonial, creole http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast31.mp3 Which dead old writer coined the words eyeball, premeditated and jaded?Which one came up with embellish, sensuous and intervolve? (OK, so they didn't all catch on.) And which one kept a diary - now online in blog form - whose most popular entry is One Egg? It's part one of our look at writers who have expanded the English language. Also, the Japanese word yokomeshi helps us name our segment on foreign words that defy translation.> http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast31.mp3 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST no 19:24 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Shakespeare, John Milton, intervolve, word invention, Orwell blog, one egg, yokomeshi, tough to translate http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast30.mp3 We kick off with a look at how open source software is helping Bolivia's Aymara language enter the digital age. Then, a nice turn of phrase in another Bolivian language, Quechua, as used by someone's grandmother in moments of road rage. Finally, two South African hits - a proposed pledge of allegiance that has everyone in a tizzy, and a short history of South African hip hop. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast30.mp3 Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:25:00 EST no 21:26 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Bolivia, Aymara, open source, Quechua, road rage, South Africa, pledge of allegiance, hip hop, Zulu, Tswana http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast29.mp3 We kick off the Globama era with a discussion of how we micharacterise wars, especially how and when they end. Did the American Civil War end at Appomattox in April 1865 or at the ballot box in November 2008? Also, we examine why Rwanda is switching its language of instruction from French to English. Finally, we discover how French words often lose their original meaning when co-opted by English speakers. Think double entendre. Think en suite. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast29.mp3 Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:45:00 EST no 22:00 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, election, Rwanda, French, civil war, metaphor, sports, double entendre, Borat http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast28.mp3 An explanation of pinata politics-- and why that approach won't work on election day. Then the political and linguistic divide between Chinese immigrant voters and their Chinese-American offspring. Then two hits on speaking two languages: Oregon votes on bilingual education, while more American parents chose to raise their children bilingually. We round off the cast with a tough-to-translate French phrase. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast28.mp3 Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EST no 20:59 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, election, Spanish, Chinese, bilingual, education, preschool, translate http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast27.mp3 This week, it's the second half of our presidential election alphabet. Which means nuclear energy, Spanish language ads, Chinese language ballots, and the Canadian who wishes he were American. Maybe only on election day. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast27.mp3 Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:25:00 EST no 29:56 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, election, Obama, McCain, Spanish, Chinese, transliterate, ballot, Vietnam, nucular, Luke Doucet http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast26.mp3 This week and next, we're alphabetizing the presidential election campaign. A is for Auma, B is for Bangladesh -- and you'll have to listen to the podcast to hear the rest. Among the issues: Islam, political cliches, and foreign versions of Joe Six-Pack. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast26.mp3 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:30:00 EST no 20:56 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, election, Obama, McCain, maverick, cliche, French, Islam, Joe Six-Pack, Spanish, Nevada http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast25.mp3 It's Arabic week at The World in Words. First, how Arabic and Hebrew both help and hinder Middle East negotiations. Then, Arab-American writers and the words they have to use post 9/11. Finally, The Simpsons gets an Arabic language makeover -- and a cultural makeover too. That plus our inauguaral hard-to-define foreign word segment (a title for this please, listeners...). http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast25.mp3 Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:55:00 EST no 20:57 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Arabic, Hebrew, Arab-American, writers, terrorism, Arabesque, The Simpsons, Homer, Omar http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast24.mp3 We have two takes on Spanglish this week, along with many fine examples of America's fastest-growing language. First, Ilan Stavans explains why he is translating Don Quixote into Spanglish. Then, Bill Santiago explains why he delivers much of his stand-up comedy in Spanglish. In non-Spanglish news, we consider the charge from a Nobel Lit Prize judge that American writers are too insular...because they don't read enough translated fiction. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast24.mp3 Tue, 7 Oct 2008 10:30:00 EST no 22:47 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Spanglish, Don Quixote, Ilan Stavans, Bill Santiago, Nobel, Swedish, American http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast23.mp3 We start with a US-funded attempt to revive a mountain language in Central Asia. Then a conversation with Mr Endangered Languages, Peter Austin. Finally we hear about the meanings of some fantastically original foreign words. Don't you wish that English had a word for an interferer at a card game who gives unwanted advice? http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast23.mp3 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EST no 20:30 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, endangered, Shughni, Peter Austin, foreign words, Adam Jacot de Boinod http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast22.mp3 We get all PC on this week's cast as we ask: did ESPN's Tony Kornheiser offend Spanish speakers on Monday Night Football? Then we chat with Anneke Forzani, founder of Language Lizard, a dual-language book distributor. (And yes, you really can read Hansel and Gretel in Urdu.) Finally, we check in with singer Dan Zanes who learned Spanish so he could sing the songs on his latest album, Nueva York. http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast22.mp3 Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:40:00 EST no 21:33 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Tony Kornheiser, children's books, Language Lizard, Dan Zanes, Spanish http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast21.mp3 Forget tough love, how about tough translation? We ask a translator of recently-deceased novelist David Foster Wallace how he rendered Infinite Jest into German. Then a segment on translating poetry, and the message seems to be: go ahead and mess with the meaning, but don't rupture the rhythm. Then a take on war zone translators from Dexter Filkins of the New York Times. Finally, a trip to Odessa, alleged spiritual home of Jewish Humor. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast21.mp3 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:20:00 EST no 24:04 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, translation, poetry, David Foster Wallace, Dexter Filkins, Odessa, Jewish humor http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast20.mp3 A celtic cast today, topped with an Arabic primer from the campaign trail. US-based Al Jazeera TV correspondent Abderrahim Foukara talks about the challenges of translating some words and concepts of American presidential politics. Among the toughest: maverick and superdelegate (hockey mom is easy). Then it's Scottish Gaelic: the BBC is launching is launching a new Gaelic TV service this month. We consder that and other efforts to reverse the decline of the language, and we drop in on a Gaelic class at Harvard. Finally we listen in on speakers of Scots, that much-maligned dialect that may or may not be a language. Language or not, it is hugely expressive. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast20.mp3 Tue, 9 Sep 2008 15:40:00 EST no 25:54 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Al Jazeera, Arabic, Scottish Gaelic, Harvard, Scots http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast19.mp3 Two newsy items top the podcast: Wasilla, Alaska, hometown of John McCain's running mate Sarah Palin, and the LGPA's decision to ban profesional female golfers who don't speak English. Then we have a report on George Orwell's "blog" followed by a segment on two Bosnian novelists who write in foreign languages. Finally, we wrap our ears around everyone's favorite Icelandic insult. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast19.mp3 Tue, 2 Sep 2008 10:40:00 EST no 22:25 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, English, golf, Orwell, Bosnian, Hemon, Icelandic http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast18.mp3 It's an all-gallic lineup this week. First I wax unlyrical on the French language and American politicians. Then we hear why French is growing in global importance, at least according to a couple of Canadians. We stay in Canada after that to check in on the Quebec provincial government's efforts to get immigrants to learn French. Then it's on to the banlieues of Paris, where street talk that mixes several languages has resulted in a new dictionary. And finally we hear from French-Algerian pop star Rachid Taha on the challenges of singing in Arabic. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast18.mp3 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:50:00 EST no 27:40 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, French, Canada, slang, Rachid Taha, Arabic http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast17.mp3 For blogger Stephen Dodson (languagehat.com), swearing is liberation. And the more languages you can swear in, the more liberated you'll feel. Dodson is the co-author of a new book on global cursing, and we feature an interview with him. Also this week, the story of YouTube sensation (now that's a 2008 cliche) Peter Nalitch, a Russian who sings nonsense English. And we'll hear from a group of Georgian choral singers. They're part of a revival of Georgian-language hymns and folk songs following decades of Soviet repression. It's some of the most hauntingly beautiful music I've ever heard. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast17.mp3 Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EST no 24:23 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Stephen Dodson, swearwords, Peter Nalitch, Russian, nonsense, Georgian, polyphony http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast16.mp3 Why is Ghana's most famous citizen Kofi Annan so named? Hint: if he'd been born on a different day he might have been called Kwame. Plus, in New Zealand a judge has allowed a 9-year-old girl to change her name from Talula Does the Hula from Hawaii. In parts of Honduras, the name Radiator is popular. Yup, it isn't just in the United States where people are given ridiculous names. Also, in this podcast why the Senegalese love scrabble, and a conversation with Michael Erard, author of "Um," a book about slips, stumbles and verbal blunders. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast16.mp3 Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:30:00 EST no 19:36 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Ghana, names,Honduras, Senegal, scrabble,Michael Erard, stumbles http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast15.mp3 Learning English is all the rage in China right now. We have several items on how the Chinese are struggling to learn English: many struggle more than learn. We ask whether China's emerging English profiency will mean an end to those poor but funny translations known as Chinglish. We also discover that you can commit some seriously juicy Chinglish in reverse form, from English to Chinese. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast15.mp3 Tue, 5 Aug 2008 10:30:00 EST no 24:24 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Chinese, English, learning, translation, Chinglish, http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast14.mp3 With the Olympics just a couple of weeks away, Chinese national pride is peaking. What better way to express that than name your one - and probably only - child Olympic Games? We get the lowdown on that, as well as on China's many languages and dialects. Plus, there's something else we can blame on computers: Chinese people are forgetting how write the script of their own language. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast14.mp3 Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:15:00 EST no 18:54 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Chinese, Olympics, dialect, script, characters http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast13.mp3 It's non-verbal language this week. The chants, grunts and rhythms of a crowd, and why one refrain in a White Stripes song has become so popular among European soccer fans. Also, the language of applause...and the deeply weird story about the TV ad in Esperanto - except it wasn't Esperanto. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast13.mp3 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:50:00 EST no 24:00 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, White Stripes, football, soccer, applause, Esperanto http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast12.mp3 We hit the Presidential campaign trail this week. John McCain has an awkward moment with a voter who wants Spanish banned. Barack Obama has to deal with charges that he would force Americans to learn Spanish. Also, from 70s rock to reggaeton: the unofficial campaign songs of the Presidential candidates. And French and English exchange a few words. Some French people now say "boss" and "one-to-one." But English-speaking Quebecers say "cinq-a-sept" and "valoriser." http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast12.mp3 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EST no 20:23 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, McCain, Obama, learn Spanish, French, Quebec http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast11.mp3 It's official: "muffin top" now has its own entry in the Concise Oxford English Dictionary. This week, we consider several new words, or new meanings of old words, that have found their way into the Concise OED. We also talk with writer Charlotte Brewer about how the OED tries to keep up with the ever-evolving English language. And we hear from two Americans who perform in foreign languages: the first is a singing ambassador, the second is a rapper Y-Love. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast11.mp3 Tue, 8 Jul 2008 11:15:00 EST no 22:26 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Charlotte Brewer, Oxford English Dictionary, Muffin Top, Y-Love http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast10.mp3 With a nod to July 4th, we check in on a quintessential American value: free speech. President Bush says it's a foreign policy priority. Well, actually, it's not when it comes to U.S. ally Singapore. We also take a look at a bill in Congress called the Global Online Freedom Act. And we spend some time with a Pakistani-American family living in Phoenix, AZ, who together have written "The American Muslim Teenager's Handbook." That and a tribute to George Carlin. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast10.mp3 Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:40:00 EST no 24:00 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, free speech, Singapore, Global Online Freedom Act, American Muslim, George Carlin http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast9.mp3 The English language has been expanding its reach since, well, long before those Mayflower men hit an American rock. Recently, English has made inroads in post-Soviet Russian, much to the consternation of many there. In neighboring Estonia, everyone's so busy learning English that they have forgotten that they are right next to Mother Russia. Then there's Sol Steinmetz, a man of many tongues. Several decades ago, he was a boy of many tongues: he learned Hungarian, then Yiddish, then Spanish, then English. He still speaks all those languages, but he feels most comfortable speaking English. There are, of course, global rivals to English but Esperanto is most assuredly not one of them. Now there's a new Esperanto for the text messaging generation. Someone in our newsroom said it should be called Textperanto. Alas, no: its name is NOL. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast9.mp3 Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:30:00 EST no 20:36 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Russian, Estonia, Sol Steinmetz, Esperanto, NOL, Textperanto http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast8.mp3 The evolving language of George W. Bush's foreign policy: we take a look at how his descriptions of Iraq and the "war on terror" have changed over the years. We also hear about a few words the President wishes he hadn't used. And finally, we consider the Boston Celtics' embrace of the Zulu concept of "ubuntu." http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast8.mp3 Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:35:00 EST no 19:54 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Iraq, war on terror, rhetoric, Boston Celtics, ubuntu http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast7.mp3 The language of humor: is German humor really an oxymoron? Are Soviet jokes still funny? Why does the comedy of say, The Office overcome language barriers while other, sometimes cleverer, humor remain imprisoned within its own language? Also, how two video artists turned an obscure Finnish word meaning "complaints choir" into a worldwide phenomenon. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast7.mp3 Mon, 9 Jun 2008 16:35:00 EST no 19:04 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, German, humor, Soviet, Finnish, complaints choir http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast6.mp3 As 111 nations agree to ban cluster bombs, we consider the meanings of term "cluster bomb." Also, we begin an occasional series on Arizona's noisy battles over language and immigration: English is the official language, but Spanish is washing across the border. We'll hear from from undocumented high schoolers, and from Arizona writer Tom Miller. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast6.mp3 Mon, 2 Jun 2008 16:35:00 EST no 27:05 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, cluster bombs, Arizona, immigration, official language, Tom Miller http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast5.mp3 The Bush Administration now offers grants for Americans to study languages such as Arabic. We travel to Cairo where language schools are full of American students. Also, a conversation with self-described language fanatic Elizabeth Little. And a journey through the linguistic politics - and just plain silliness - of the Eurovision Song Contest. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast5.mp3 Mon, 26 May 2008 16:35:00 EST no 28:25 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Arabic, learning, Elizabeth Little, Eurovision http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast4.mp3 Languages are dying out faster than ever, and no-one seems to know quite what to do about it. But that's not stopping a Chilean teen from teaching himself Selk'nam, previous considered a dead language. It's not stopping two American linguists whose attempts to document endangered languages is the subject of a new movie. And it's not stopping Gullah-Geechee speakers from the southeastern United States from enlisting federal support in their bid to ensure the suvival of their language. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast4.mp3 Mon, 19 May 2008 14:00:00 EST no 21:47 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Selk'nam, Chile, movie, The Linguists, Gullah-Geechee http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast3.mp3 In this edition of The World in Words, linguist Derek Bickerton talks about his lifelong love of creoles and his attempt to create a new language on a desert island. Also former speechwriter Gregory Levey on how he nearly got an Israeli prime minister to channel Seinfeld. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast3.mp3 Mon, 12 May 2008 16:35:00 EST no 24:18 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Derek Bickerton, creole, Survivor, Gregory Levey, Seinfeld http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast2.mp3 In this edition of The World in Words: Russian. What names like Putin, Stalin and Medvedev mean. Also, outgoing President Putin likes to quote Russian poetry - as much as seems to enjoy coarse street language. We end with the confessions of a hopelessly unqualified Israeli government speechwriter. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast2.mp3 Mon, 5 May 2008 15:20:00 EST no 18:53 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Russian, Putin, Medvedev, Israel, Gregory Levey http://media.theworld.org/pod/language/WIWpodcast1.mp3 On the debut podcast of The World in Words, the power of language: Spain tries, and fails, to set words to its national anthem. South Africa's anthem has words but they're in so many different languages that very few people understand them. And the pseudo-language of Swedish home furnishings giant IKEA sounds harmless, unless you're Danish. http://64.71.145.108/pod/language/WIWpodcast1.mp3 Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST no 17:30 The World in Words, language, Patrick Cox, politics, international news, pri's the world, bbc, wgbh, public radio, pri, Spain, South Africa, national anthem, IKEA, Danish