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The World in Words focuses on language. We cover everything from bilingual education to the globalization of English to untranslatable foreign phrases. You’ll learn how to insult someone in Icelandic, among other things. Hosted by The World’s Patrick Cox.
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The World in Words
Podcast: Chinese Orphans Catch a Break
Carol and Patrick discuss five language stories in the news including: new naming protocols for Chinese orphans; a Spanish language movie that is barred from competing as a foreign language film at the Academy Awards; and the latest volume of the Dictionary of American Regional English.
Podcast: The Perfect Love Song
A love song comprised only of words from an international spelling alphabet.
The Voice of Iran in Spanish
The Chinese and Russian government-run TV companies have fast-growing foreign language services. Now, Iran has got in on the act. It has launched Hispan TV, a Spanish language service aimed at Latin America.
Inventing a Word for a Facebook Relationship
Podcast: Asking your Facebook friends to invent a tenuous Facebook relationship.
Fear of the Foreign, Hospital English, and Garifuna Music
Some US presidential candidates seem embarrassed by their ability to speak a foreign language. Also, a hospital trains foreign nurses in local idioms like “I want to spend a penny.” And, a musician sings famous English language songs in Garifuna.
Up Close With Language Super Learners
The latest World in Words podcast continues a conversation with Michael Erard about his new book, Babel No More: The Search for the World’s Most Extraordinary Language Learners.
The Road to Hyperpolyglottery with Michael Erard
A new book investigates language super-learners and their “will to plasticity”.
Bolt, Crook and Payne: What’s in A Name?
Usain Bolt bolts, Anna Smashnova was a tennis pro, Bob Flowerdew is a gardening expert. Coincidence?
Killing Off a Metaphor With a Fresh Coat of Paint
A paint job on Scotland’s Forth Bridge is declared complete, and so a metaphor loses out.
Retweeting Bad Grammar
Is it wise to correct other people’s typos, misspellings and grammatical errors when retweeting?
A Right Brain Religion Translated into a Left Brain Language
Do the Bible’s roots in Ancient Hebrew and Ancient Greek mean that it combines right and left brain thinking?
A Dubious Award for the Squeezed Middle
‘Squeezed middle’ beats out ‘occupy’, ‘Arab Spring’ and ‘tiger mother’ to win the OED’s word of the year
Podcast: Australia Through its Languages
In this week’s World in Words podcast, 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.
Oh My Lady Gaga, and Other Linguistic Exchanges
Hengeilivable! Nonsensical English words and phrases are all the rage among young Chinese.
Translators Past, Present and Future
Why human translators aren’t afraid of machine translators. Also, a history of translation, and a new novel that draws on The Iliad.
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