America the Bilingual

For our tenth episode of America the Bilingual, we decided to do something different. Your favorite Recovering Monolingual (that would be Steve)has a conversation with podcast producer Fernando Air-nandez about the Joy of Spanish. Plus, a good friend of the show, Mario Bravo, adds some dicho-wisdom for your listening pleasure.

The America the Bilingual Podcast is part of the Lead with Languages campaign of ACTFL — The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

Check out our episode notes at Americathebilingual.com. Special thanks to Mario Bravo for his mastery of dichos (sayings) and his love of his native language.

This special edition episode was hosted by Steve Leveen and co-hosted and produced by Fernando Hernández, who also does sound design and mixing. Associate producer is Beckie Rankin. Editorial consultants are Mim Harrison and Maja Thomas. Graphic arts are created by Carlos Plaza Design Studio.

Music in this episode with a Creative Commons Attribution Share a like License by (in order of appearance):

Kevin Macleod - Quasi Motion

https://exit.sc/?url=http%3A%2F%2Ffreemusicarchive.org%2Fmusic%2FKevin_MacLeod%2FGlobal_Sampler%2FQuasi_Motion

Francisco Penilla - Chicle bombita

https://soundcloud.com/francisco-penilla/francisco-penilla-chicle-bombita

Lee Rosevere - More on that later

https://exit.sc/?url=http%3A%2F%2Ffreemusicarchive.org%2Fmusic%2FLee_Rosevere%2FMusic_for_Podcasts_4%2FLee_Rosevere_-_Music_for_Podcasts_4_-_08_More_On_That_Later

Art of Escapism - Little by little

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Artofescapism/Promise_of_Time_Upbeat_Themes/Little_by_Little

“Wow, it’s a good thing you’re studying Spanish,” a fellow told me the other day “because Spanish is taking over the country!”

It’s easy to see why it seems so. We see Spanish signs at Walmart and Home Depot, when we fly on JetBlue, and when we dial Bank of America and hear “marque dos para espanol.” But here’s a fact you don’t hear talked about much: 25% of Latinos don’t speak Spanish--because they can’t. And that percentage is growing.

The American the Bilingual podcast is part of the Lead with Languagescampaign of ACTFL — The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

A special thanks to the Pew Research Center for its uniquely valuable opinion polling on Hispanic trends in America.

This episode was written by Steve Leveen, and producer Fernando Hernández, who also does sound design and mixing. Associate producer is Beckie Rankin. Editorial consultants are Mim Harrison and Maja Thomas. Graphic arts are created by Carlos Plaza Design Studio.

Music in this episode with a Creative Commons Attribution Share a like License by (in order of appearance):

Lee Rosevere - Sad Marimba Planet

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/Music_for_Podcasts_4/Lee_Rosevere_-_Music_for_Podcasts_4_-_02_Sad_Marimba_Planet

Kevin MacLeod - Quasi Motion

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion

Francisco Penilla - Chicle bombita

https://soundcloud.com/francisco-penilla/francisco-penilla-chicle-bombita

Frederic Lardon feat Laura Palme

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Frederic_Lardon_feat_Laura_Palme/Jazz__la_cool_pour_les_vacances_sur_la_plage_ou__la_montagne_1678/Frederic_Lardon_feat_Laura_Palme_-_Jazz__la_cool_pour_les_vacances_sur_la_plage_ou__la_montagne_-_01_Dans_la_piscine_1244

Lee Rosevere - More on that later

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/Music_for_Podcasts_4/Lee_Rosevere_-_Music_for_Podcasts_4_-_08_More_On_That_Later

Lee Rosevere - Not alone

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/Music_for_Podcasts_4/Lee_Rosevere_-_Music_for_Podcasts_4_-_10_Not_Alone

Komiku - De l'herbe sous les pieds

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Komiku/Its_time_for_adventure_/Komiku_-_Its_time_for_adventure_-_09_De_lherbe_sous_les_pieds

Kevin MacLeod - Beach Party

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Beach_Party

Many of us dream of living abroad but few of us actually do.

Yet here’s the thing: I’ve interviewed hundreds of native English speakers who have become bilingual and nearly all of them, at some point, lived abroad. Often, it was in a study abroad program. Something that brothers Philip and Cyrus Roepers, true outliers, took advantage of.

Because of the critical role of study abroad in fueling American bilingualism, I set about trying to find whether there might be some organization that studies and promotes the activity. It didn’t take long to learn that there is.

Music in this episode with a Creative Commons Attribution License by:

Kevin Macleod - Quasi motion

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion

Francisco Penilla - Chicle bombita

https://soundcloud.com/francisco-penilla/francisco-penilla-chicle-bombita

Lloyd Rogers, with the Cartesian Reunion Memorial Orchestra -Draw me a sheep (Act I)

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lloyd_Rodgers/Cartesian_Reunion_Memorial_Orchestra_the_little_prince-a_ballet_in_two_acts/01-Draw_Me_A_Sheep

Lee Rosevere – More on that later

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/Music_for_Podcasts_4/Lee_Rosevere_-_Music_for_Podcasts_4_-_08_More_On_That_Later

Lee Rosevere - Not alone

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/Music_for_Podcasts_4/Lee_Rosevere_-_Music_for_Podcasts_4_-_10_Not_Alone

Lee Rosevere - What’s behind the door

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/Music_for_Podcasts_4/Lee_Rosevere_-_Music_for_Podcasts_4_-_13_Whats_Behind_the_Door

Lee Rosevere - Vaping in L.A.

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/Music_for_Podcasts_4/Lee_Rosevere_-_Music_for_Podcasts_4_-_12_Vaping_in_LA

Bettina Young had a remarkable young life--a fairy tale life by the standard of so many American girls who dream of being ballet dancers and models. But the path to living happily-ever-after took some sharp turns. The constant, through thick and thin, was Bettina’s boldness. Bettina’s story left me wondering whether living bilingually and living boldly have a natural relationship.

America the Bilingual is a storytelling podcast dedicated to all who are learning another language. We envision an America where it is just normal to be bilingual.

This episode was written by Steve Leveen, and producer Fernando Hernandez who also does sound design and mixing. Associate Producer is Beckie Rankin, editorial consultants are Mim Harrison and Maja Thomas. Graphic Arts are provided by Carlos Plaza Design Studio. Episode photo courtesy of Bettina Young.

Music in this episode, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License, by:

Kevin Macleod - Quasi motion

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion

Francisco Penilla - Chicle bombita

https://soundcloud.com/francisco-penilla/francisco-penilla-chicle-bombita

Lloyd Rogers, with the Cartesian Reunion Memorial Orchestra - Golden riddles, echoes and points (act II)

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lloyd_Rodgers/Cartesian_Reunion_Memorial_Orchestra_the_little_prince-a_ballet_in_two_acts/05-Golden_Riddles_Echoes_and_Points

Komiku - Fouler L'horizon

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Komiku/Its_time_for_adventure_/#

Lee Rosevere – New Day

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/Music_for_Podcasts_4/Lee_Rosevere_-_Music_for_Podcasts_4_-_04_New_Day

Lee Rosevere – Expectations

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/Music_for_Podcasts_4/Lee_Rosevere_-_Music_for_Podcasts_4_-_07_Expectations

Lee Rosevere – More on that later

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/Music_for_Podcasts_4/Lee_Rosevere_-_Music_for_Podcasts_4_-_08_More_On_That_Later

Lloyd Rogers, with the Cartesian Reunion Memorial Orchestra – Gifts of stars

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lloyd_Rodgers/Cartesian_Reunion_Memorial_Orchestra_the_little_prince-a_ballet_in_two_acts/09-Gift_of_Stars

How hard can it be to go up to the counter at McDonald’s and ask for ketchup? The answer might depend on how confident you are in English.

Michelle Bazargan was a little girl when bombs began exploding outside her home in Tehran. It was then that her mother decided it was too dangerous to remain. Thus begins the story of one Iranian family and their challenges of becoming American. Sometimes trauma can leave people irreversibly damaged. Other times, trauma can leave people irreversibly dedicated to helping others.

America the Bilingual is part of the Lead with Languages campaign of ACTFL — The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

This episode was written by me, Steve Leveen, and our producer Fernando Hernández who also does sound design and mixing. Our editorial consultants are Maja Thomas and Mim Harrison, research assistance from Associate Producer, Beckie Rankin.

Graphic Arts are created by Carlos Plaza Design Studio.

Music and sounds in this episode, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike License, by:

Kevin Macleod - Beach Party

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Beach_Party

Kevin Macleod - Quasi motion

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion

Francisco Penilla - Chicle bombita

https://soundcloud.com/francisco-penilla/francisco-penilla-chicle-bombita

Jorge Mario Zuleta - Falta seis

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jorge_Mario_Zuleta/Fauxette/Falta_Seis

Monplaisir - terror party

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Monplaisir/Cheap_Imitation/

Mystery Mammal - upright

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Mystery_Mammal/Risk_Society/Upright

Sounds and Fx

Yle Arkisto - Bombing, air raid alarm, mix

http://freesound.org/people/YleArkisto/sounds/242598/

Danielson III - Rumble bass

http://freesound.org/people/DanielsonIII/sounds/68396/

Paisagemsonoraunila - At the bus terminal near the bus with the engine running

http://freesound.org/people/paisagemsonoraunila/sounds/334658/

Dggrunzweig - Sound of bus

http://freesound.org/people/dggrunzweig/sounds/341550/

Stevious42 - Inside moving bus

http://freesound.org/people/Stevious42/sounds/259647/

Noise collector - Mcdonalds

http://freesound.org/people/NoiseCollector/sounds/80767/

Does the whole world speak English? It seems so when you travel to big cities and stay in major hotels. It seems so when you visit popular tourist destinations. But what about in corporate conference rooms? Like when you’re trying to sell something? That, as you’ll hear in this episode, can be a different story.

Lois Melbourne studied French in school but didn’t get all that far. In other words, she is a typical monolingual American. But Lois is not typical in other ways.

Andrew Simmons is the opposite of a typical monolingual American. He’s American for sure, but only a few people in the world speak more languages than he.

Listen to Episode 5 to hear what happened when these two Americans, a CEO and a polyglot, joined forces.

America the Bilingual is part of the Lead with Languages campaign of ACTFL--The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

This episode was written by Steve Leveen, and producer Fernando Hernández who also does sound design and mixing. Our editorial consultants are Maja Thomas and Mim Harrison, research assistance from Stanford undergraduate Alma Flores-Perez.

Graphic Arts are created by Carlos Plaza Design Studio.

Music in this episode by Kevin Macleod, Andy G. Cohen, Nuno Adelaida, and Captive Portal. All thanks to the Free Music Archive directed by WFMU. Additional music courtesy of Francisco Penilla.

Music in this episode, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike License, by:

Jason Shaw - Tennesee Hayride

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jason_Shaw/Audionautix_Acoustic/TENNESEE_HAYRIDE_____________2-33

Kevin Macleod - Beach party

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Beach_Party

Kevin Macleod - Quasi motion

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion

Josh Armistead - Bongo Man

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Armistead/Meadows/

Milton Arias - Poldoro

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Milton_Arias/64Antes_del_Fin/Poldoro

Andy G Cohen - Land Legs

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Andy_G_Cohen/MUL__DIV_1198/Andy_G_Cohen_-_MULDIV_-_02_-_Land_Legs

Jason Shaw - Mountain Sun

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jason_Shaw/Audionautix_Acoustic/MOUNTAIN_SUN_____________________2-33

We hear it before we are born. Before the first air rushes into our tiny lungs, before the first light refracts into our blinking, baby eyes, our mother tongue is already resident, dreamlike in our waiting minds.

In America, the mother tongue for most of us is English. But for millions of us baby Americans, those comforting vibrations our mothers pour over us have other names, like Spanish or Portuguese or Mandarin.

Bilingual mothers have a choice to make. Sometimes they chose their own mother tongue to speak to their babies. Other times they chose their adopted language. And sometimes, looking back, they wish they had done things differently. This is a story of one of those mothers.

A shout out to America’s language teachers. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (I love their acronym ACT-Full) and its Lead with Languages campaign encourages bilingualism for all.

This episode was written by Steve Leveen, and producer Fernando Hernández who also does sound design and mixing. Our editorial consultants are Maja Thomas and Mim Harrison, research assistance from Stanford undergraduate Alma Flores-Perez.

Music and sounds in this episode by:

Zulmira by Nuno Adelaida

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Nuno_Adelaida/none_given_1662/Nuno_Adelaida_10_Zulmira

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Feeling like a delicate cookie by Captive Portal

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Captive_Portal/Feeling_Like_A_Delicate_Cookie_Single/01_Feeling_Like_A_Delicate_Cookie

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Bumbler by Andy G. Cohen

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Andy_G_Cohen/Through_The_Lens/Andy_G_Cohen_-_Bumbler

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Beach Party by Kevin Macleod

freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_Ma…er/Beach_Party

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Changes include high pass EQ Filter.

Quasi Motion by Kevin Macleod

Released under a Creative Commons Attribution License

creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_Ma…r/Quasi_Motion

Chicle Bombita by Francisco Penilla

Courtesy by the author. Whose work can be found at @francisco-penilla

Sounds:

Kids Garden hose by klankbeeld

http://freesound.org/people/klankbeeld/sounds/211680/

This work is licensed under the Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Children City Payground by soundbyladyv

http://freesound.org/people/soundbyladyv/sounds/85249/

This work is Licensed under the sampling + License

Landing in Lisbon by mollymolata

http://freesound.org/people/mollymolata/sounds/190540/

This work is Licensed under the Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Linguists call it “shift.” The rest of us would call it “loss.” It’s what happens to the languages spoken by immigrants, and it happens fast. By the third generation, and sometimes even the second, the German or Hindi or Greek spoken in the home is gone. That’s why America, known for so many good things, is also known as the place “where languages go to die.”

But not always.

A big “Bravo!” to America’s language teachers. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages--their acronym ACTFL (pronounced ACT-Full) is fitting. Its Lead with Languages campaign encourages bilingualism for all.

This episode was written by me, Steve Leveen, and our producer Fernando Air-nandez, who also does sound design and mixing. Our editorial consultants are Maja Thomas and Mim Harrison, research assistance from Alma Flores-Perez.

Graphic Arts are created by Carlos Plaza Design Studio.

Special thanks to Rev. Dr. James Katinas for letting us record in the sound studio of the Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Thanks as well to Greek Language School Director, Dr. Stavroula Christodoulou, the teachers of the St. Demetrios Greek School, and to Anastasia Kastrenakes Merkel for sharing her recording of the Chants of the Fathers of the Holy Monastery of Gregoriou Mount Athos.

Additional music and sound in this episode:

Rast’e Tou Teke by Costa and Nero - Rast'e Tou Teke

Released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-Share alike 3.0 International License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Costa_and_Nero/On_A_Steady_Diet_of_Hash_Bread__Salt/soundeyet_-_ON_A_STEADY_DIET_OF_HASH_BREAD__SALT_-_03_Raste_Tou_Teke

Beach Party by Kevin Macleod

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Beach_Party

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Changes include high pass EQ Filter.

Quasi Motion by Kevin Macleod

Released under a Creative Commons Attribution License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion

Land Legs by Andy G. Cohen

Released under a Creative Commons Attribution International License

https://andyg.co/hen/

Seikilos Epitaph with the Lyre of Apollo by Lina Palera

Released under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 International License.

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lina_Palera_Lyre_20_Project_player/An_Appreciation/01_Seikilos_Epitaph_with_the_Lyre_of_Apollo

Bathed in fine dust by Andy G. Cohen

Released under a Creative Commons Attribution International License

https://andyg.co/hen/

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Andy_G_Cohen/MUL__DIV_1198/Andy_G_Cohen_-_MULDIV_-_07_-_Bathed_in_Fine_Dust

Aurea Carmina - Full mix by Kevin Macleod

Released under a Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Best_of_2014_1461/Aurea_Carmina

Chicle Bombita by Francisco Penilla

Courtesy by the author. Whose work can be found at https://soundcloud.com/francisco-penilla

Chants of the Fathers of the Holy Monestary of Gregoriou Mount Athos

Courtesy of Annastasia Kastrenakes Merkel’s personal recordings.

Sounds:

Drunk teenagers by Zabuhailo

Released under a Creative Commons Attribution license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

http://freesound.org/people/Zabuhailo/sounds/195721/

Crowd sounds by Sagetyrtle

http://freesound.org/people/sagetyrtle/sounds/102096/

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

“Forced” to go to Oxford? Why did this young American want so badly to attend a French business school that few Americans have heard of? Why was he willing to forgo his slot at Oxford to do so?

And why were a panel of French professors shooting him down in his interview?

Find out in Episode 2 of the America the Bilingual podcast. We’ll follow David Wolf’s journey, with its twists and turns through Paris and the Bordeaux region, learn of a love interest, and a friendship that would last a lifetime.

This episode was written by Steve Leveen and producer Fernando Hernandez, who also does sound design and mixing. Our editorial consultants are Maja Thomas and Mim Harrison, research assistance from Alma Flores-Perez.

Our graphic arts are created by Carlos Plaza Design Studio. Find out more at http://www.carlosplazadesignstudio.com/

Music in this episode by:

Kevin Macleod - Beach party

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Beach_Party

Kevin Macleod - Quasi motion

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion

Francisco Penilla - Chicle bombita

https://soundcloud.com/francisco-penilla/francisco-penilla-chicle-bombita

Marco Raaphorst - Au coin de la rue

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Marco_Raaphorst/KlankBeeld/Au_coin_de_la_rue

Fatal Injection - PSI Part III

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Fatal_Injection/PSI/Fatal_Injection_-_PSI_-_03_PSI_Part_III

Chris Zabriskie - I should have been more human

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Chris_Zabriskie/Music_from_Neptune_Flux/ChrisZabriskie-MusicfromNeptuneFlux-09

Kevin Macleod - Backed vibes clean

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Jazz_Sampler/Backed_Vibes_Clean_1973

Andy G. Cohen - A perceptible shift

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Andy_G_Cohen/MUL__DIV_1198/Andy_G_Cohen_-_MULDIV_-_04_-_A_Perceptible_Shift

Does the whole world speak English? Not quite, not even in France, if you really want to do business. Meet Ben Macklowe, a New York City kid, who grew up as a monolingual English speaker, until he messed up big time and then took matters into his own hands. Now he’s passing The Gift to his baby boys.

This episode was written by Steve Leveen, and producer Fernando Hernández, who also does sound design and mixing. Our editorial consultants are Maja Thomas and Mim Harrison, research assistance from Alma Flores-Perez.

Our graphic arts are created by Carlos Plaza and Ruth Kim.

Music in this episode by:

Kevin Macleod - Beach party

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Beach_Party

Kevin Macleod - Rite of passage

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Rite_of_Passage

Kevin Macleod - Quasi motion

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Quasi_Motion

Kevin MacLeod - I knew a guy

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Jazz_Samp

Kevin Macleod - Baltic levity

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Global_Sampler/Baltic_Levity

Jason Shaw- Jenny's theme

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jason_Shaw/Audionautix_Acoustic/JENNYS_THEME___________________-45