9 episodes

Radiolingo investigates all the ways language shapes our world and how our world shapes language. Hosted by Ahmed Ali Akbar, an audio journalist and James Beard Award-winning writer, each episode introduces a new way of looking at the impact of language across our lives, our relationships, our culture and much more. Radiolingo is a Crooked Media and Duolingo production.

Radiolingo Crooked Media

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.6 • 447 Ratings

Radiolingo investigates all the ways language shapes our world and how our world shapes language. Hosted by Ahmed Ali Akbar, an audio journalist and James Beard Award-winning writer, each episode introduces a new way of looking at the impact of language across our lives, our relationships, our culture and much more. Radiolingo is a Crooked Media and Duolingo production.

    That’s Amoré

    That’s Amoré

    We say love is love is love is love. And that’s true! But it’s also รัก if you’re Thai. Yêu và quý if you’re Vietnamese. And a lot of hard work no matter where you’re from. In this episode of Radiolingo, the sweet sticky mess that is romance.

    • 23 min
    A Language Well Lived” (Language Lifecycle Part 2: Death)

    A Language Well Lived” (Language Lifecycle Part 2: Death)

    Welcome to Part 2 of our Language Lifecycle series: what causes languages to become endangered, or even die? We’ll discuss the role of colonization on language, and the efforts some communities are taking to revive their dying ways of speaking.

    • 29 min
    Congrats! It’s a Language.” (Language Lifecycle Part 1: Birth)

    Congrats! It’s a Language.” (Language Lifecycle Part 1: Birth)

    Constructed Languages and New Languages
    In the first of our two part series on the life cycle of languages, we address how language is born. We’ll dive into the creation of constructed languages – languages made for film or TV (or even just for fun) – and natural languages, and how the process behind both reveals why new languages come into existence.

    • 29 min
    Foul @#$%ing Language

    Foul @#$%ing Language

    What is the oldest swear word in English? Does swearing help manage pain? We bring you 6 fun lessons on swearing and cursing.

    • 24 min
    Speaking of Gender

    Speaking of Gender

    Gender and Language
    Language can reflect and reinforce gender expectations. Are there ways to make language more inclusive?

    • 22 min
    Lights! Camera! Translate!

    Lights! Camera! Translate!

    From "Seinfeld" to "Squid Game", thanks to streaming, audiences worldwide have access to more TV shows and movies from other countries than ever before, and that includes content in other languages. As such, the localization industry is booming, and the nature of subtitling, dubbing, and captioning is rapidly changing and expanding. We dive into the distinct processes and challenges regarding localization, and how they affect what we see on screen.

    • 27 min

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
447 Ratings

447 Ratings

Candixoxo ,

Complex concepts in easy to absorb pieces

UPDATE 2/2024 What happened? I have been looking forward to more of this show since it first came out and it just hasn't happened! Give us more Radiolingo!!!

I love this show. I can’t say with words how much I love it, which I guess seems ironic? But I love all things linguistic and this show makes it interesting and insightful as well as informative and educational. The mix of anecdotes and academics gives it a great balance and I wish it was more than one episode per week. Maybe in the future 😍

CA LCPC ,

Really interesting and fun to listen to

Informative and entertaining.

Aisha13130 ,

Amazing podcast

I’ve loved every episode of this podcast. As someone who studied language and linguistics in college, I remember my classes being pretty boring at times. This presents linguistics the way it should be- through human experiences. That’s the whole point of language! I really hope they start making new episodes again.

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