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
Hamas Puts Hebrew in the Curriculum
Hamas rejects Israel’s right to exist. So, it might come as a surprise to hear that Hamas-run schools in Gaza have started offering Hebrew language classes. Government-run schools in Gaza put the main language of the Jewish State on the curriculum at the start of the school year.
Is French Still Vulnerable in Quebec?
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.
What Beatboxing Tells Us About Language Acquisition
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.
Five Foreign Language Films You Might’ve Missed
Aaron Schachter talks with KCRW film critic Matt Holzman about some of his favorite foreign language films that didn’t make the cut to the Oscars this year.
Obama’s Simple Rhetoric, and Rubio’s Spanish Reply
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?
The Pope’s Big News Came in … Latin
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.
Lost in a Sea of People and Languages
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.
Is It Racist When a White Guy Mimics Jamaican Patois?
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.
Translating the Untranslatable: ‘Finnegans Wake’ in Chinese
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.
Quebec’s Separatists on Charm Offensive with Bilingual Song
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.
Comic Book Snacks that Talk Back in Two Languages
The World’s Patrick Cox reports on a bilingual iPad app that’s also a comic book. The characters are food snacks that speak English and Chinese, and get into kung fu fights. Dim Sum Warriors is being hailed as both a great comic book series and a great language-learning tool.
Language Life and Death in New York City
Linguist Mark Turin takes us on a whirlwind tour of New York City to explore a few of its 800 languages, and find out what happens to them over time.
New Roles for Old Languages in South Africa
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.
Mexican Teachers Adapt to Their American-Raised Students
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.
Bringing Back Nepal’s Minority Languages
Linguist Mark Turin returns to Nepal, where he learned and documented the Thangmi language. Spoken by 30,000 people, Thangmi has many unique expressions but it is imperiled. The Nepalese government is trying to protect minority languages by introducing them into schools, but it may be too late: the children of many Thangmi speakers are choosing to speak more mainstream languages.
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