loading . . . Lingthusiasm - Lingthusiasm Episode 107: Urban Multilingualism Lingthusiasm Episode 107: Urban Multilingualism
When we try to represent languages on a map, itâs common to assign each language a zone or a point which represents some idea of where itâs used or where it comes from. But in reality, people move around, and many cities are host to hundreds of languages that donât show up on official records.
In this episode, your hosts Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne get enthusiastic about urban multilingualism! We talk about a recent book weâve been enjoying called Language City by Ross Perlin, about the over 700 languages spoken in New York City, as well as how weâve noticed urban multilingualism for ourselves in Melbourne, Montreal, and elsewhere. We also talk about organizations that work with communities interested in reclaiming space for their languages, what linguistic rights are, and how to tell if yours are being taken away from you.
Click here for a link to this episode in your podcast player of choice or read the transcript here.
Announcements:
In this monthâs bonus episode we get enthusiastic about linguistic landscapes! We talk about contrasts between the signs in the Chinatowns of Montreal and Melbourne, renaming streets from colonial names to names in First Nations languages, how signs can show the shifting demographics of tourism in an area, and how bi- and multilingual Lost Cat signs show what languages people think their neighbours understand. We also talk about our most absurd sign stories, including the Russell Family Apology Plaque, and creative imaginings of official signage, such as the Latin no-smoking sign in a modern-day British train station.
Join us on Patreon now to get access to this and 100+ other bonus episodes. Youâll also get access to the Lingthusiasm Discord server where you can chat with other language nerds.
Here are the links mentioned in the episode:
âLanguage City: The Fight to Preserve Endangered Mother Tongues in New Yorkâ by Ross Perlin on Bookshop and Amazon
Wikipedia entry for N'Ko script
Endangered Language Alliance
The Endangered Languages Project Mentor Program
Wikitongues
Living Tongues Language Sustainability Toolkit
Living Languages
The Global Coalition for Language Rights Global Language Advocacy Days
The GCLR Statement on Understanding and Defending Language Rights
How we Created the GCLRâs Statement on Understanding and Defending Language Rights
Say it with Respect: A Journalistsâ Guide to Reporting on Indigenous and Minoritized Languages
Living Dictionaries
Gretchenâs thread on Living Dictionaries
Lingthusiasm bonus episode âLinguistic Advice - Challenging grammar snobs, finding linguistics community, accents in singing, and moreâ
You can listen to this episode via Lingthusiasm.com, Soundcloud, RSS, Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also download an mp3 via the Soundcloud page for offline listening.
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Lingthusiasm is on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Mastodon, and Tumblr. Email us at contact [at] lingthusiasm [dot] com
Gretchen is on Bluesky as @GretchenMcC and blogs at All Things Linguistic.
Lauren is on Bluesky as @superlinguo and blogs at Superlinguo.
Lingthusiasm is created by Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne. Our senior producer is Claire Gawne, our production editor is Sarah Dopierala, our production assistant is Martha Tsutsui Billins, our editorial assistant is Jon Kruk, and our technical editor is Leah Velleman. Our music is âAncient Cityâ by The Triangles.
This episode of Lingthusiasm is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike license (CC 4.0 BY-NC-SA). https://lingthusiasm.com/post/792539190192635904/lingthusiasm-episode-107-urban-multilingualism
