logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2023
26m 13s

Bringing dead languages back to life

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Australia used to be one of the most linguistically diverse places, with over 200 languages. Today, many of Australia’s indigenous languages are considered “highly endangered”.

Inspired by his native language, Hebrew, Ghil’ad Zuckermann is a linguistics professor who is on a mission to revive Australia’s dead and endangered languages, painstakingly piecing them back together from historical documents.

We speak to Ghil’ad and Shania Richards from the Barngarla community, whose language is being brought back from the brink.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter/producer: Josephine Casserly Producers: Claire Bates & Craig Langran Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Annie Gardiner Editor: Penny Murphy

Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk Image: Shania Richards from the Barngarla community

Up next
Today
Front Yard Floods
Frequent floods blight the poorest neighbourhoods of New Orleans but the residents are fighting back, one yard at a time. Physicist Helen Czerski joins the team behind the Front Yard Initiative as they strive to keep the Big Easy safe and dry, 20 years after the devastation of Hu ... Show More
24m 40s
Aug 19
A Washing Machine Solution
British Sikh engineer, Navjot Sawhney gave up his lucrative career to go and work in India, to use his skills to help solve problems for rural communities. While there, he became fascinated with the problems his neighbour, Divya, was facing while handwashing clothes, sometimes fo ... Show More
22m 59s
Aug 12
Speaking out
Communication is a human right - but what happens when someone can’t speak for themselves?Sean Allsop struggled to talk until he was eight years old, when he began to speak thanks to years of speech therapy. He explores the technologies and innovations helping people around the w ... Show More
22m 59s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2024
How to save a dying language
There are more than 7000 languages spoken around the world. However, nearly 40 percent of them are considered endangered and are at risk of dying out completely. It’s estimated that in the next one hundred years, at least half of the languages spoken today won’t be around anymore ... Show More
13m 19s
Apr 2024
Ross Perlin, "Language City: The Fight to Preserve Endangered Mother Tongues" (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2024)
Half of all 7,000-plus human languages may disappear over the next century and—because many have never been recorded—when they’re gone, it will be forever. Dr. Ross Perlin, a linguist and co-director of the Manhattan-based non-profit Endangered Language Alliance, is racing agains ... Show More
1h 4m
Aug 2020
A Coffee Break Conversation with Bec Howie from Irregular Endings
We're back with another episode of the Coffee Break Conversations podcast - a series in which we talk about life, learning and languages. This week, we're catching up with Bec Howie, the founder of Irregular Endings which sells beautiful printed goods for language lovers. Bec tel ... Show More
27m 5s
Aug 2021
A love for my language
Around the world, languages are disappearing. Kim Chakanetsa speaks to two women who are helping to keep their endangered languages alive – how has learning the words of their ancestors shaped their identities? Mshkogaabwid Kwe from Turtle Island, an indigenous name for Canada, l ... Show More
27m 26s
Oct 2023
Saving dead languages
Some Australian languages have been saved from extinction. We discuss Barngala's revival. 
6m 14s
Jan 2023
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.Shownotes: https://cherokeepreservat ... Show More
29m 42s
Sep 2019
Les autres, ces mauvaises langues
Le français est en péril, à ce qu’il paraît. Menacé par une apparente profusion de l’anglais, soi-disant envahi par des expressions arabes, le français serait un bastion à défendre. Contre qui ? Contre quoi ?Cette impression de voir sa langue se dégrader voire disparaître n’est n ... Show More
36m 15s
Sep 2020
Australie : adoptée par les Aborigènes de la Terre d'Arnhem, elle raconte
Retour de terrain, c’est le podcast du magazine GEO. Chaque mois, nos reporters posent leurs valises et vous racontent leurs aventures, leurs découvertes et les rencontres qui les ont marqués.Ce septième épisode de Retour de terrain vous propose un entretien un peu spécial avec u ... Show More
46m 6s
May 2024
How Can We Be More Effective With Language?
Have you ever wondered what’s up with double negation, the history of gender neutral pronouns, or why swearing is taboo? Then get ready for this week’s guest, linguist Anne Curzan! Anne and Jonathan talk about how the English language has evolved since the 1300s and how our words ... Show More
55m 20s
Jan 2022
Keith Kahn-Harris, "The Babel Message: A Love Letter to Language" (Icon Books, 2021)
A thrilling journey deep into the heart of language, from a rather unexpected starting point. Keith Kahn-Harris is a man obsessed with something seemingly trivial – the warning message found inside Kinder Surprise eggs:"WARNING, read and keep: Toy not suitable for children under ... Show More
49m 2s