logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2021
14m 46s

'I'm Willing To Fight For It': Learning ...

NPR
About this episode
Becoming fluent in a second language is difficult. But for adults, is it impossible? Short Wave hosts Maddie Sofia and Emily Kwong dissect the "critical period hypothesis," a theory which linguists have been debating for decades — with the help of Sarah Frances Phillips, a Ph.D. student in the linguistics department at New York University.

You can watch a related video about Emily learning Mandarin here. It's part of the Where We Come From series.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Today
The dormant viruses in all of us may help explain long COVID
Virtually every human on Earth has a slew of different types of dormant viruses in our bodies. They are remnants of past infections and are—generally—harmless. Unless they wake up, which can be triggered by extreme stress or something that severely compromises the immune system. ... Show More
14m 25s
Oct 21
Can planting more trees make allergies worse?
Trees provide shade and clean air in congested cities, so planting more of them seems like a straightforward solution. But trees also produce a natural pollutant— pollen. In this episode, producer Juan Diego Ramirez reports on the link between growing urban canopies and allergy e ... Show More
11m 40s
Oct 20
What are the odds we're not alone in the universe?
There are hundreds of billions of stars in the galaxy we live in. Many of them have their own exoplanets. So why haven’t we found proof of alien life yet? And what’s the probability of us contacting or being contacted anyway? That’s exactly what a famous math formula called the D ... Show More
14m 55s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2022
Intermediate | Goals For Studying Chinese
<p>With more and more “laowai” coming to the People’s Republic, more and more find themselves in conversations about the occasional frustration one finds at that point in Mandarin where you’re good enough to get by, but are far from fluent. In this podcast, Ken, Jenny and Aggie d ... Show More
16 m
Aug 2020
Tips for Language Learners (Episode 74)
<p>When learning and writing in a language other than your first, there are many challenges. Guest Amy Bakke and Claire discuss their experiences with learning secondary languages and tips for students learning and writing in English. </p><br><p>Relevant Resources:</p><ul><li><a ... Show More
12m 25s
Jun 2024
#365 - Can I Say Ni Hao Ma? | Mandarin and English podcast
Can you say 'ni hao ma' to a native Mandarin speaker? A contentious subject amoungst content creators. Ula has strong feelings about it. Also if you are going to learn Chinese, you have to put the effort and hours in. www.mandarinmonkey.com<hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75 ... Show More
37m 17s
Jun 2022
Learning English as an Adult Isn’t as Easy as A-B-C.
Learning a new language is easier said than done, and English in particular is a tricky one to master. It is a language that has absorbed influences from other languages and is still constantly evolving, with rules that seem like they’re never followed. On the internet, resources ... Show More
55m 46s
Jun 2022
Why can some people speak dozens of languages? with Ev Fedorenko, PhD
For those of us who speak only one language, the idea of learning twenty or thirty sounds impossible. But there are “hyperpolyglots” who have managed this remarkable feat. Evelina Fedorenko, PhD, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, discusses what sets polyglots apart an ... Show More
40m 39s
Jan 2022
BB (Special 8): 24 Life-Changing Lessons I Learned from 24 Teachers and Experts
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Have you been studying English for a long time but are still frustrated that you can't speak it naturally and fluently?</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Then today's episode is for you. We all know that speaking another language is not som ... Show More
23m 31s
May 2024
Intermediate | Language Power Struggle
<p>A battle of wills. Language domination. Do not relinquish your position. The only way to survive the language power struggle is to arm yourself with grammar and vocab. Only the fluent will survive. In this podcast, learn the Chinese to control the conversation when that inevit ... Show More
14m 34s
Jul 2015
029: Learning your partner's language
tail spinning
13m 17s