As language professionals we hear a lot about the dangers of disappearing languages. But what about writing systems? What happens to a culture when new generations can't read its ancestral alphabet? Join us for a fascinating—and unscripted—conversation with Tim Brooks, founder of the Endangered Alphabet Project.
Oct 21
Your guide to selecting the right LLM
Ever find yourself wondering which AI model works best for different needs, whether it’s planning your next trip or boosting productivity at work? In this episode of the Globally Speaking Podcast, host Çetin Amirak sits down with Tomáš Burkert, Technical Lead, linguist, and AI ex ... Show More
27m 30s
Nov 2024
How to Learn Old English (feat. Colin Gorrie)
My guest today is someone who I believe, without exaggeration, will help transform the way people learn ancient languages for years to come. While our institutional academies crumble, a new academy is quietly emerging in independent organizations like the Ancient Language Institu ... Show More
36m 8s
Dec 2024
How The (English) Alphabet Became A Thing, Part Two: Each Letter Has A Story
How did the English alphabet -- a strange agglomeration of curved and straight-lined symbols -- become a thing? In the second part of this special two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max dive into the messy evolution of modern English, with a special shoutout to each letter of the cur ... Show More
48m 13s
Aug 2022
John McWhorter Describes Human Language's 20,000-Year Journey from Proto-Sumerian to Ebonics
Language not only defines humans as a species, placing us head and shoulders above even the most proficient animal communicators, but it also beguiles us with its endless mysteries. How did different languages come to be? Why isn't there just a single language? How does a languag ... Show More
54m 6s
Jul 2024
What role does English play in our multilingual world?
<p>Around the world, 2.3 billion people speak English, and for most of them it is an extra, rather than their first, language.</p>
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<p>In many countries, English is also used to teach most academic subjects at schools and universities – even where most of the populatio ... Show More
57m 48s
Dec 2024
How The (English) Alphabet Became A Thing, Part One: Writing Stuff Down Is A Bonkers Idea
Let's be honest: the concept of writing stuff down is both brilliant and insane. Right now, all around the world, countless people are scrawling or typing messages that may last long after the writer has passed from this mortal plane - in a way, reading your favorite dead authors ... Show More
32m 35s
Jul 2025
Yola: A History of Ireland’s Lost Language
When we think of Ireland’s past, we usually envisage an island shaped by two languages: Irish and English. But hidden in the history of South Wexford is Yola, a unique dialect that survived for centuries after the Norman invasion, only to vanish almost without a trace.In this epi ... Show More
20 m
Jun 2022
157. Why Do Countries Change Their Names? (English Vocabulary Lesson)
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Sometimes a country will change its name. In recent years, Swaziland became Eswatini, Cape Verde became Cabo Verde, and Turkey is now Türkiye! But why do countries change the ... Show More
18m 17s
Jan 2021
42. Which Country has the Most Languages? (English Vocabulary Lesson)
There are thousands of languages in the world. Some are spoken by billions of people, others by less than one hundred! Which country has the most languages? In this episode I’ll answer that question, look at some of the languages spoken in that country, and try to explain why the ... Show More
20m 57s