Speaking Tongues Podcast: Celebrating Voices, Stories, and Flavors From Around the Globe

Hello Language Lovers! Thank you for joining me for this episode of Speaking Tongues- the podcast in conversation with multilinguals. This week’s episode is the last new episode of 2021 and I’m so excited to share this conversation with Luna from Collina Italiana where we talk about the language, history and culture of Italian-Americans.

This conversation is an important one because we’ve had the opportunity to talk about a culture and a language here in the US that is often, at best, misunderstood and at worst, stereotyped. Luna talks to us about the history of Italian immigration to the U.S. and which regions of Italy came to influence the development of Italian spoken here. We talk about how the language is evolving over generations in the U.S. and some common factors between recent immigrant families and those families whose ancestors immigrated generations ago. We talk about harmful stereotypes that have perpetuated about the Italian-American community so stay tuned for that segment

And, because we love words around here, Luna talks to us about some words that she’s researched for her series “Cosa Dici” where she finds the origins of some commonly used Italian-American words.

Big thank you to Luna for having this conversation with us and giving us the history lesson we need to understand the Italian-American community better. This episode is just the latest in a handful of episodes where we’ve discussed languages spoken in the U.S so if you’re interested in learning more about indigenous, colonial or immigrant languages spoken here in the U.S. make sure you listen to Episode 70. Speaking Gullah Geechee with Sunn M’Cheaux, Episode 58. Speaking U.S. Spanish with Tertulia Podcast, 55. Speaking Hawaiian with Halau Olelo and Episode  49. Speaking North American French and Spanish with Multilingual Marissa.

If you enjoy this episode of Speaking Tongues, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review the Speaking Tongues Podcast on Apple Podcasts and like and subscribe on YouTube so that other language lovers like ourselves can find the show! And, If you’ve been a long time listener of the show or a recent listener, you can now support the show on Buy Me a Coffee dot com. Patreon extras are coming soon! Links to all platforms are in the show notes! 

Collina Italiana:

Website:https://collinaitaliana.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collinaitaliana/

Speaking Tongues Podcast:

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Hello Language Lovers! Thank you for joining me for this episode of Speaking Tongues- the podcast in conversation with multilinguals. I’m thrilled this week to talk with Jewells from All Things Iceland about the Icelandic language and culture.

In this episode, Jewells talks to us about the grammar of Icelandic (spoiler alert: It too, has cases) and how her journey has been with learning the grammar and cases. We talk about ways that experiencing setbacks in a language can lead to some teachable moments and she talks to us about what her experience has been like learning the language in the last 5 years of living in Iceland. Jewells gives us an incredible tip for picking up some of the casual vocab and phrases in a language and we even talk about an English/Icelandic hybrid that Icelanders sometimes use in conversation. We even take a quick diversion to learning about humor in Iceland and Jewells tells us some things that she’s loved about living in Iceland.

Big thank you to Jewells for this conversation and for sharing your experience and journey with Icelandic with us. If you enjoy this episode of Speaking Tongues, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review the Speaking Tongues Podcast on Apple Podcasts or like and subscribe on YouTube so that other language lovers like ourselves can find the show! And, If you’ve been a long time listener of the show or a recent listener, you can now support the show on Buy Me a Coffee dot com. Links to all platforms are in the show notes! Ok! let’s chat!

To Find All Things Iceland

Website: https://allthingsiceland.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AllThingsIceland

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/allthingsiceland/

Podcast: https://allthingsiceland.com/episodes/

Speaking Tongues Podcast:

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Hello Language Lovers! Thank you for joining me for this episode of Speaking Tongues- the podcast in conversation with multilinguals. This week we’re speaking about Croatian with Uncle Mike, Tony D and DJ Moe, the hosts of the Let’s Learn Croatian Podcast.

I’ve been listening to the Let’s Learn Croatian podcast for a while now and I’ve always loved the energy that these guys bring to their episodes. I’m so happy that we had a chance to talk about the Croatian language and culture. In this episode, we talk about grammar of the language including its cases and the diacritics that affect the sounds of the language. We talk about dialects in Croatian and how they change both throughout the country itself and in the Croatian diaspora in other parts of the world. Uncle Mike talks to us about things that he enjoys teaching Tony D about the language and Tony D and DJ Moe tell us how they are enjoying the process of learning the language. They tell us how they started their podcast and fun fact, we even learn about some connections to Croatian music to Mexican music.

I really encourage you all to listen to this show whether you’re learning Croatian or not because their content is just so much fun and they are great at taking a deep dive through the culture, language and history of Croatia. I’ve learned so much from them and I’m sure that you will too. If you enjoy this episode of Speaking Tongues, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review the Speaking Tongues Podcast on Apple Podcasts or like and subscribe on YouTube so that other language lovers like ourselves can find the show! And, If you’ve been a long time listener of the show or a recent listener, you can now support the show on Buy Me a Coffee dot com. Links to all platforms are in the show notes! Ok! let’s chat!

Listen to Let’s Learn Croatian wherever you get your podcasts

Website: https://www.letslearncroatian.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/llcpod/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/llcpod/?eid=ARB0_QBC_b5t32mjbZLY3o1z4YxWbk-EYGIf_F3x2k7GdgkDqONAr2tkwu82jyrZlepKcRSbkyemRi9u

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_T6a1XdNe00BTDfd7754tw

Speaking Tongues Podcast:

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Hello Language Lovers! Thank you for joining me for this episode of Speaking Tongues- the podcast in conversation with multilinguals. I’m so happy to have this conversation with my guest this week, Danielle , the host of Young, Gifted and Abroad podcast about her languages of French and Japanese.

In this episode, Danielle talks about how her interest in Japanese and French grew starting from the classroom through Anime theme songs and French language cartoons. She tells us how she went to college intending on having a study abroad experience and ended up at an immersive program in Japan one year and in another year at a summer internship in Paris. We talk about what the immersive language experience is like and how being in this situation can be both humbling and emboldening. Danielle talks to us about how she is able to maintain a connection with French and Japanese while here living in the US and we talk about being black language learners and how an Afro Japanese singer had an impact on her wanting to learn Japanese.

Big thank you to Danielle for sharing your language journey with us and if you’re interested in a study abroad experience, please be sure to listen to the Young, Gifted & Abroad podcast for inspiration! If you enjoy this episode of Speaking Tongues, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review the Speaking Tongues Podcast on Apple Podcasts or like and subscribe on YouTube so that other language lovers like ourselves can find the show! And, If you’ve been a long time listener of the show or a recent listener, you can now support the show on Buy Me a Coffee dot com. Links to all platforms are in the show notes! Ok! let’s chat!

To Listen to Young, Gifted & Abroad wherever you get your podcasts

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/younggiftedandabroad

Website: https://www.younggiftedandabroad.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/younggiftedandabroad/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/younggiftedandabroad/

Twitter:https://twitter.com/ygabroad

-----> Speaking Tongues listeners receive a special 10% off all languages with our friends at NaTakallam!  NaTakallam pairs displaced people with learners worldwide for online language learning & cultural exchange. With NaTakallam, you can support these individuals & their host communities by working with them as online tutors, teachers, translators, & cultural exchange partners – regardless of their location & status. Use the code SPEAKING10 at www.natakallam.com to redeem your discount. NaTakallam -- Learn a Language, Make a Friend, Change a Life.

Speaking Tongues Podcast:

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Hello Language Lovers! Thank you for joining me for this episode of Speaking Tongues- the podcast in conversation with multilinguals. My guest this week is Kevin who joined me to talk about two of his many languages:  Mandarin and Russian.

In this episode, Kevin talks about moving back to Shanghai as a kid and having to catch up to the language even as someone who regularly heard and spoke Mandarin at home. We talk about the languages and dialects of Mandarin and areas where they are spoken. Kevin talks about Shanghainese speakers and how this specific language is used and where we would most likely hear it in Shanghai. We talk about code switching between Mandarin and Shanghainese and some of the differences in tonality among Mandarin. We take a deep diversion into the Chinatown communities in NYC and talk about some of the Chinese languages you are likely to hear in each of them. Kevin tells us also about studying Russian and the experience of being immersed in Russian culture during his time abroad.

Big thank you to Kevin for sharing parts of your language journey with us. If you enjoy this episode of Speaking Tongues, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review the Speaking Tongues Podcast on Apple Podcasts or like and subscribe on YouTube so that other language lovers like ourselves can find the show! And, If you’ve been a long time listener of the show or a recent listener, you can now support the show on Buy Me a Coffee dot com. Links to all platforms are in the show notes! Ok! let’s chat!

Speaking Tongues Podcast:

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Subscribe on YouTube

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Hello Language Lovers! Thank you for joining me for this episode of Speaking Tongues- the podcast in conversation with multilinguals. This week, I’m so happy to be joined by Anita from Bhasha Kids to talk about South Indian languages including Malayalam and Tamil.

Anita talks to us about relearning Malayalam as an adult and learning Tamil with her husband and kids. She talks to us about the poignant subject of growing up in between two heritages which is something that many Indian-Americans feel growing up in the states as children of parents born in India. She tells us how her mission with Bhasha Kids is to help kids understand cultural differences and ensure that they embrace their culture with pride. We talk about the Dravidian languages of South India including Tamil & Telugu and why she felt it imperative to focus on these languages in the development of her business. Anita tells us why inclusivity played a big role in starting her company and about the methods she uses to ensure that she not only meets kids where they are but also makes the process simple for little learners.

For listeners of this episode who are interested in helping their children to learn South Indian languages, Bhasha Kids is offering a 15% discount using the code Speaking15. Make sure you listen to the episode where Anita explains how this code can be applied. 

Big Thank you to Anita for sharing your story and language and culture with us in this episode. If you enjoy this episode of Speaking Tongues, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review the Speaking Tongues Podcast on Apple Podcasts or like and subscribe on YouTube so that other language lovers like ourselves can find the show! And, If you’ve been a long time listener of the show or a recent listener, you can now support the show on Buy Me a Coffee dot com. Links to all platforms are in the show notes! Ok! let’s chat!

To Find Bhasha Kids:

Web: www.bhashakids.com

Instagram: @bhashakids

Bhasha Kids is offering a 15% discount for Speaking Tongues listeners by using the code SPEAKING15: Redeem this offer here

Multilingual Marissa's Heritage Language blog and class:

Links for Malayalam Learning Resources:

Sachin with Easy Malayalam Website

Sonia with Fluent in Mayalayam YouTube page

EliKutty's Learn Malayalam YouTube page

Speaking Tongues Podcast:

Follow on IG: @speakingtonguespod

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Hello Language Lovers! Thank you for joining me for this episode of Speaking Tongues- the podcast in conversation with multilinguals. I’m absolutely thrilled to bring you this episode. My guest today is Erick who joins me from Kampala to talk about the Luganda language.

Erick is a Luganda teacher and in this episode, he tells us about learning Luganda from his native Lusoga language. He tells is about the languages spoken all around Uganda including the languages in the north that share border with Sudan and in the east with Kenya and in the south and west with Rwanda and DRC. Erick breaks down Luganda for us from the word order to the tonality to the relaxed and stressed vowels. He helps us to understand naming traditions in certain clans in Uganda and we even find out why humming is an important part of communication in the language. Since Erick also knows Ugandan Sign Language, we talk about its usage, how the government supports schools for USL and how language education for the deaf is changing in Uganda. And of course, because you all know by now that we can’t NOT talk about culture, Erick talks to us about Ugandan culture including family structure traditions and women’s beauty standards.

Thank you so much to Erick for sharing your language and Ugandan culture with us. For anyone listening to this episode and wanting to learn more about Luganda or Ugandan Culture, Erick has offered a discount to listeners of this episode for lessons with him on italki. You can find a link to his Italki and to his Amphy lessons through the links in the show notes. If you enjoy this episode of Speaking Tongues, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review the Speaking Tongues Podcast on Apple Podcasts or like and subscribe on YouTube so that other language lovers like ourselves can find the show! And, If you’ve been a long time listener of the show or a recent listener, you can now support the show on Buy Me a Coffee dot com. Links to all platforms are in the show notes! Ok! let’s chat!

To Find Erick

Italki: https://www.italki.com/teachers/luganda?hl=en

Amphy: https://www.amphy.com/classes/language-and-culture/culture/ugandan-culture/607ed7cb-2412-4b58-8295-38d89a171c9c

Speaking Tongues Podcast:

Follow on IG: @speakingtonguespod

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Hello Language Lovers! Thank you for joining me for this episode of Speaking Tongues- the podcast in conversation with multilinguals. This week, I’m so happy to bring you this conversation with Dr. Timothy Douglas of Lancaster University where we talk about his languages of German, Dutch Russian & Polish but also about his background as a researcher and how languages have played a role in his scientific career.

Timothy talks to us about his journey through Slavic and Germanic languages and how a biomaterials conference that he attended in Poland was a turning point in realizing that languages could impact his field. He talks about appreciating the subtle differences in the Slavic languages and how he’s been able to keep from confusing them with one another. He tells us about the ways that languages can be used the in scientific community to build rapport and that there is value in learning a language even though it is often underrated as a soft skill. We talk about the trouble of collaborating in English as a native English speaker and the reasons why will most likely surprise you -- and we draw parallels between researching and language learning as well as knowing yourself as a researcher and as a language learner. Timothy gives us his opinion on how he thinks the scientific community can promote multilingualism.

Thank you to Dr. Douglas for this insightful and thought-provoking conversation weaving language with science. If you enjoy this episode of Speaking Tongues, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review the Speaking Tongues Podcast on Apple Podcasts or like and subscribe on YouTube so that other language lovers like ourselves can find the show! And, If you’ve been a long time listener of the show or a recent listener, you can now support the show on Buy Me a Coffee dot com. Links to all platforms are in the show notes! 

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LISTENER DEAL ALERT!! ---- > Speaking Tongues listeners receive a special 10% off all languages with our friends at NaTakallam!  NaTakallam pairs displaced people with learners worldwide for online language learning & cultural exchange. With NaTakallam, you can support these individuals & their host communities by working with them as online tutors, teachers, translators, & cultural exchange partners – regardless of their location & status. Languages offered include Arabic, Armenian, Persian, Kurdish, French, Spanish and English! Use my code 'SPEAKING10' through this link here: tiny.cc/speaking10

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Speaking Tongues Podcast:

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Hello Language Lovers! Thank you for joining me for this episode of Speaking Tongues- the podcast in conversation with multilinguals. This week, I’m so happy to bring you this conversation with Luz of Quechuata Rimay where we talked about Quechua language and culture.

In this episode, Luz talks about the way Quechua language was perceived by peers in school in her native Peru. She talked about some of the discrimination that Quechua speakers face that drove some speakers to to hide their knowledge of the language. We talked about what is was like speaking Spanish coming from her town in the Andes to the capital of Lima and even the way that Quechua speakers mix the two languages. Luz talks to us about dialects of Quechua that can be found throughout the Andes and we find out how many speakers there are across Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia and Ecuador as well.

One thing that I loved is talking about the culture among Quechua speakers and the principles and traditions that they uphold including three rules that come from the Inca Empire that are so very important to today. But I have to say, of all the things that Luz talks to us about my absolute favorite part of this episode is the song that Luz sings for us in Quechua.

Thank you to Luz and Quechuata Rimay for sharing parts of your language and culture with us.

If you enjoy this episode of Speaking Tongues, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review the Speaking Tongues Podcast on Apple Podcasts or like and subscribe on YouTube so that other language lovers like ourselves can find the show! And, If you’ve been a long time listener of the show or a recent listener, you can now support the show on Buy Me a Coffee dot com. Links to all platforms are in the show notes! Ok! let’s chat!

To Find Quechuata Rimay:

IG:@quechuatarimay

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Quechuata-Rimay-2158968251019379/

Speaking Tongues Listeners receive a discount with UTalk : https://utalk.com/plans/speakingtongues?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=speakingtonguespod

Speaking Tongues Podcast:

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Hello Language Lovers! Thank you for joining me for this episode of Speaking Tongues- the podcast in conversation with multilinguals.  My guest this week is Ernestine Lyons, a current councilwoman from Harper Woods, Michigan, host of Quick to Politic podcast and founder of Linglobal and we’re talking about her languages of Mandarin, Arabic and Russian 

In this episode, Ernestine tells us how she was attracted to learning languages that are sometimes considered challenging for English speakers. We talk about her travel experiences including her time studying abroad in China, South Africa and in Russia. She tells us about learning Arabic and specifically the Egyptian dialect of the language and what she enjoys about speaking and practicing Arabic. We talk about the concept of being a global citizen and how her languages have enabled her to make connections not just around the world but also in her diverse community here in the US. We also talk about the realities of traveling while black and turning racist encounters abroad into teachable moments and learning experiences. 

Ernestine is currently running for mayor of her town and I hope you’ll all join me in wishing her luck in her campaign. And let me remind you wherever you are to please vote in your local elections so that you can work to make a difference in your local community. If you enjoy this episode of Speaking Tongues, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review the Speaking Tongues Podcast on Apple Podcasts or like and subscribe on YouTube so that other language lovers like ourselves can find the show! And, If you’ve been a long time listener of the show or a recent listener, you can now support the show on Buy Me a Coffee dot com. Links to all platforms are in the show notes! Ok! let’s chat! 

To find Ernestine:

Ernestinelyons.com

Linglobal :https://www.linglobal.org/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Linglobal/videos

Quick to Politic :https://open.spotify.com/show/7iRsIdKL8ckXuxwYap5tzI

Visit our friends at NaTakallam to receive a 10% discount on all languages : https://natakallam.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=collab&utm_campaign=speakingtongues

Speaking Tongues Podcast:

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