Canguro English

Canguro English episodes:

• 07.13.2021

  Accent and identity (with Erik Singer)

  If you know me and my work then you know that I talk a lot about identity, and especially how your accent is a big part of your identity: your accent tells the story of your life. But if you do...

  
• 06.13.2021

  The state of modern linguistics | The Story of Language | Bonus episode

  Welcome to The Story of Language: an original podcast series about language, linguistics, cognition, and culture. In this bonus episode we talk about the state of modern linguistics, including the effects of the replication crisis, scientific fraud, Anglocentrism, and how...

  
• 06.06.2021

  Embodied cognition | The Story of Language | Episode 12

  Welcome to The Story of Language: an original podcast series about language, linguistics, cognition, and culture. In this episode we discuss embodied cognition and the uncontroversial fact that the brain is an organ of the body, which then leads to...

  
• 05.30.2021

  Dark matter of the mind | The Story of Language | Episode 11

  Welcome to The Story of Language: an original podcast series about language, linguistics, cognition, and culture. In this episode we discuss the content of Dan’s book Dark Matter of the Mind, which lays out Dan’s theory of culture. The book...

  
• 05.16.2021

  The cognitive revolution | The Story of Language | Episode 10

  Welcome to The Story of Language: an original podcast series about language, linguistics, cognition, and culture. In this episode we talk about the cognitive revolution, and whether the revolution really exists at all. We discuss the beginnings and the state...

  
• 05.02.2021

  Endangered languages | The Story of Language | Episode 9

  Welcome to The Story of Language: an original podcast series about language, linguistics, cognition, and culture. In this episode we talk about endangered languages. I ask why languages are important, what is lost when a language disappears, the cultural and...

  
• 04.18.2021

  Language acquisition | The Story of Language | Episode 8

  Welcome to The Story of Language: an original podcast series about language, linguistics, cognition, and culture. In this episode we talk about the big questions in language acquisition. Is there a Language Acquisition Device? Is language learned or innate? How...

  
• 04.04.2021

  Metaphor in language | The Story of Language | Episode 7

  Welcome to The Story of Language: an original podcast series about language, linguistics, cognition, and culture. In this episode we talk about the fundamental role of metaphor in language, from its involvement in the creation and evolution of language to...

  
• 12.01.2020

  Learn English with a dictionary (with Peter Sokolowski)

  People are passionate about language, especially language change, and words matter. And nobody knows this better Peter Sokolowski, who is an editor at the Merriam-Webster dictionary, one of the most famous and most trusted dictionaries in the world. Peter has...

  
• 11.26.2020

  1 powerful mind trick to get fluency

  In this podcast you will learn how Pygmalion and the Wizard of Oz can teach you the secret to fluency in English that has been causing controversy for more than 50 years.

  
• 11.19.2020

  Destroying language myths (with Shana Poplack)

  It’s an unfortunate fact that many people don’t know the truth about how language works outside of their grammar books, in the real world, but recently I spoke to someone who is trying to change that. Shana Poplack and her...

  
• 11.10.2020

  Where words come from and how to remember them (with Mark Forsyth)

  There are few people in the world who know as much about where words come from as Mark Forsyth. His first book, The Etymologicon, was a journey through the origins of many common words and their connections, and he has...

  
• 11.07.2020

  Grammar based on the unfamiliar (with Robert Van Valin)

  It’s an unfortunate fact that most of linguistic theory is based on a few major European languages, especially English, which actually damages our understanding of how the thousands of languages in the world might work. But there is one man...

  
• 11.06.2020

  How to speak English faster

  In this podcast you will learn the connection between Pixar, red triangles, information, thought, and fluency. Enjoy!

  
• 11.05.2020

  The weight of expectation

  In this podcast I talk about the positive and negative effects of the weight of expectation, and how living the in past or the future might be stopping you from getting fluency in English.

  
• 10.30.2020

  Touch wood

  In this episode you'll learn why touching wood, throwing salt, and car accidents can help you to see the truth about learning a language.

  
• 10.29.2020

  How many holes does a straw have?

  In this episode you'll learn why culture connects London taxi drivers, donuts, smiling Japanese people, and Australian shop assistants.

  
• 10.26.2020

  Immersion is a state of mind

  In this episode you'll learn the hard lessons of my army father-in-law, who failed to learn a language after 14 years of 'immersion'.

  
• 10.22.2020

  Question everything to get fluency

  In this episode you will learn about the differences and similarities between humans and animals, and why you shouldn't take everything you know about language learning for granted.

  
• 10.21.2020

  Why you need to learn slowly to get fluency

  In this episode I talk about what mathematics really means, why Mathematicians asked schools to stop teaching calculus, and the parallels between maths and language. In this episode you might be surprised to learn that the secret to fluency is...

  
• 09.01.2020

  Construction grammar and language learning (with Remi van Trijp)

  Recently I had the pleasure of talking to Remi van Trijp, head of the Language Research Unit and the Sony Computer Science Laboratories in Paris, and one of the main developers of Fluid Construction Grammar. His team is trying to...

  
• 09.01.2020

  How Language Began | The Story of Language | Episode 6

  Welcome to The Story of Language: an original podcast series about language, linguistics, cognition, and culture. In this episode we talk about how language began, including language evolution vs language change, how animal and human communication are similar and different,...

  
• 07.14.2020

  How language works (with Ted Gibson)

  Recently I had the pleasure of talking to Ted Gibson from his eponymous TedLab at MIT which researches why human languages are the way they are, how people learn and process language, and the relationship between language and culture. In...

  
• 07.09.2020

  You are STUPID and LAZY (how to speak English PERFECTLY)

  Are you stupid and lazy? Do you want to speak English perfectly? Then this podcast is for you! We are going to take a journey through the light and dark of the human mind to discover why you are so...

  
• 07.01.2020

  How to study english well (with Paul Nation)

  There is no doubt that this is the best time in history to learn a language, especially English. We are surrounded by content in English, English language learning apps, English teachers, English courses, information. But one very important question remains:...

  
• 06.18.2020

  The theory and practice of field linguistics | The Story of Language | Episode 5

  Welcome to The Story of Language: an original podcast series about language, linguistics, cognition, and culture. In this episode we talk about the theory and the practice of field linguistics, including how to survive in the field, what to take,...

  
• 06.15.2020

  Should I learn British or American English? | How are they different?

  Students ask me all the time if they should learn British English or American English, and in this video you'll discover the real differences between UK and US English and how it's not about language rules, it's about culture. You...

  
• 06.11.2020

  How to write business English (with Ellen Jovin)

  When you think about improving your writing in English, especially business writing, you probably think about studying lots of rules, and memorising specific phrases, and complicated vocabulary. But recently I spoke to Ellen Jovin who’s been writing professionally and teaching...

  
• 06.05.2020

  Do you want to speak English like a native? (with Heather Hansen)

  It’s a sad fact that the English that millions of people learn in classrooms all over the world, often doesn’t match the reality of English outside the classroom. One person who knows the reality of English as a global language...

  
• 05.07.2020

  Linguistic Relativity | The Story of Language | Episode 4

  Welcome to The Story of Language: an original podcast series about language, linguistics, cognition, and culture. In this episode we talk about linguistic relativity: the idea that the language we speak can change the way we think.

  
• 04.21.2020

  How languages are learned (with Patsy Lightbown)

  In the world of language there are few people as experienced, or as respected, as Patsy Lightbown, Distinguished Professor Emerita at Concordia University in Canada. She has been working in the field of language teaching and language learning for more...

  
• 04.17.2020

  What is culture? | The Story of Language | Episode 3

  Welcome to The Story of Language: an original podcast series about language, linguistics, cognition, and culture. In this episode we talk about culture: we discuss exactly what it is, how it exists on a macro and micro level, how it...

  
• 01.06.2020

  Get fluent English in 2020 | 9 tips to help you learn English

  Do you want to really succeed at learning English in 2020? It doesn't matter if this is the first or the tenth time you have tried to get fluency in English, these 9 simple steps will help you to succeed...

  
• 12.18.2019

  The Piraha Language | The Story of Language | Episode 2

  Welcome to The Story of Language: an original podcast series about language, linguistics, cognition, and culture. In this episode we talk about the Piraha language, and what it tells us about the intersection of language and culture. We also talk...

  
• 12.03.2019

  Meet Dan Everett | The Story of Language | Episode 1

  Welcome to The Story of Language: an original podcast series about language, linguistics, cognition, and culture. My name is Christian Saunders and I am an English teacher, and throughout this series I will be in discussion with Dan Everett: linguist, anthropologist,...

  
• 11.27.2019

  Task-based English learning (with Geoff Jordan)

  In the world of English language teaching there are few people as controversial and divisive as Geoff Jordan. He is not afraid of promoting what he calls a radical approach to the problems in the ELT industry, how to fix...

  
• 11.06.2019

  Daily Digest 06/11/19 | The secret to fluency in English

  Today's daily digest answers a question I get asked every day: How can I get fluent in English? To answer this question we have to travel back in time to 1931, learn about chimpanzees and Klingons, and what that tells...

  
• 11.01.2019

  Plurilingualism and culture (with Angelica Galante)

  Recently I had the pleasure of talking to Angelica Galante from McGill University in Canada. Originally from Brazil, Angelica’s work focuses on social justice, inclusive education, and critical sociolinguistics. In this interview we talk about plurilingualism, language and culture, and...

  
• 10.24.2019

  Daily Digest 24/10/19 | Why can't I speak fluent English?

  Today's daily digest is a rant about why you might be part of the problem, and not the solution to good language learning (and teaching).

  
• 10.19.2019

  Improve your English IMMEDIATELY (with Pete from Aussie English)

  In this podcast I talk to Pete from Aussie English about how to improve your English IMMEDIATELY, without learning anything new. We also talk about our personal experiences learning languages, and the history and evolution of swearing. CONTAINS EXPLICIT LANGUAGE.

  
• 10.17.2019

  Daily Digest 17/10/19 | Speak English without fear

  Today's daily digest explains why you are afraid of speaking English, and having conversations, and how you can overcome your fear and use your English in public confidently. I use evidence from clinical psychology and computer science to show you...

  
• 10.10.2019

  Language and the brain (with Ev Fedorenko)

  Recently I had the pleasure of speaking to cognitive neuroscientist Ev Fedorenko. She is head of EvLab, her own language lab at MIT, and their mission is to discover how minds and brains create language. In this interview we speak about...

  
• 10.09.2019

  9/10/19 | The advantages of speaking bad English

  Today's daily digest shows why having a low level of English, and a foreign accent, and only knowing a few key concepts, are all advantages when you first start learning a language. I hope you feel super motivated to get...

  
• 10.07.2019

  Daily Digest 07/10/19 | Language is universal

  Today's daily digest shows what Hindustani music, cave drawings, and Japanese psychology can teach us about linguistic universals, learning a language from zero, and what it means to be human.

  
• 09.19.2019

  Daily Digest 19/9/19 | Language and sexism

  Today's daily digest talks about gendered languages, sexism, culture, and some common myths and misconceptions about the effect that language has on the way we think.

  
• 09.18.2019

  Input vs output in language learning (with Adele Goldberg)

  In the world of linguistics, there are very few people with a resume as impressive as Adele Goldberg. She has had a major influence on the way we understand and study language. In this very special interview we talk about...

  
• 09.17.2019

  Daily Digest 17/9/19 | Does language affect the way you think?

  Today's daily digest shows how your brain is only interested in content, not language, and why it's so important to have something to say. It also shows how your culture can affect the way you think, and why you need...

  
• 09.16.2019

  Daily Digest 16/9/19 | An alien language with no verbs

  Today's daily digest is a philosophical journey into the meaning of language, what it means to be human, how we could understand and speak alien languages, how we can talk to animals, and what all of that tells us about...

  
• 09.11.2019

  Practice and immersion (with Josh Hartshorne)

  I always talk about how important patience is when you’re learning a language, because it’s really hard, and it takes a really long time, and recently I spoke to someone who knows that better than anyone: cognitive scientist Josh Hartshorne....

  
• 09.04.2019

  The truth about non-native English teachers (with Marek Kiczkowiak)

  In the world of English language learning and teaching there is an obsession with the native speaker. Recently I spoke to someone who explains exactly why that has to end: Marek Kiczkowiak from TEFL Equity Advocates. This class is essential...