Sapir-What?!

Sapir-What?!

Author: Babbel USA March 19, 2019 Duration: 52:44
In the same ways language connects us, it can just as easily divide us. Producers Thomas Moore Devlin and David Doochin debate the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which is the idea that different languages create different worldviews. This episode also features insight from academic and linguist John McWhorter, who wrote the book “The Language Hoax”. Later on, the entire team joins for a round of What We Learned This Week to talk about origins of color words, how languages and history are intertwined in South Africa and the pseudoscience of using crystals for language learning.

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Special thanks to John McWhorter for taking the time to speak with us.

For more info about what we discussed in this episode, visit Babbel Magazine:
babbel.com/magazine/sapir-what

Ever wondered why some words feel impossible to translate, or how a single accent can tell a story of migration and history? Multilinguish, from the team at Babbel USA, digs into the curious, human side of how we communicate. This isn't a language lesson, but a deep dive into the ways language shapes identity, culture, and our everyday lives. Each episode feels like a conversation with experts, linguists, and everyday polyglots, unpacking topics from the hidden rules of slang to the neuroscience behind learning a new tongue as an adult. You'll hear about the fascinating origins of common phrases, the social power of dialects, and why certain sounds exist in some languages but not others. The Multilinguish podcast is for anyone who's ever been intrigued by a foreign film's subtitle, puzzled by a regional idiom, or simply wants to understand the invisible threads of connection speech weaves between people. It's an educational journey that proves you don't need to be fluent in five languages to appreciate how profoundly they color our world. Tune in to find your own place in the vast, buzzing conversation.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 33

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