The World in Words

The World in Words

A podcast about languages and the people who speak them.

Chinese sci-fi blockbuster The Wandering Earth is coming to Netflix.

The sci-fi of another language

In the West, we are used to sci-fi written by English-speakers who dream up English-speaking utopias and dystopias. Often in the final reel, humanity is saved by English-speaking heroes. So what should we expect from China's newly-thriving sci-fi scene?

The sci-fi of another language
Yes or No

When an American says 'sure' to a Brit, does it mean yes or no?

When an American says 'sure' to a Brit, does it mean yes or no?
Ira Lightman at a poetry reading in Manchester, UK, at an event organized by Poets and Players. Lightman moonlights as a poetry plagiarism detective. 

This poetry detective tracks down word thieves. But are they all plagiarists?

This poetry detective tracks down word thieves. But are they all plagiarists?
Scientist Joshua Miele demonstrates a virtual wireless Braille keyboard attached as an input device to an Android phone.

Will blind people use Braille in the future?

Will blind people use Braille in the future?
Fans watching the Germany-Mexico FIFA World Cup game at a fan fest in Saint Petersburg, Russia on June 17, 2018.

How soccer became multilingual

How soccer became multilingual
A picture of a Basque Shepherd

How the Basque language has survived

This week on the podcast we talk about Basque. How did this language survive the military dictatorship of Francisco Franco when speaking and writing and reading were illegal? With more than six dialects, how did Basque develop a language standard? And how has this minority language thrived and even grown in the years since Francisco Franco’s dictatorship ended?

How the Basque language has survived
A performance from the Netherlands-based comedy improv group Easy Laughs.

This is your brain on improv

Ever wondered about people who can improvise on stage? Neuroscientist Charles Limb and comedian Anthony Veneziale did. First came the bromance, then Veneziale found himself improvising inside an fMRI machine.

This is your brain on improv
a baby sitting on steps and a child on a cobblestone street

The hardest question for a third culture kid: Where is home?

Karolina lives in Boston but grew up in several countries and speaks a bunch of languages. Her English is perfect but she doesn’t feel completely at home in it, or in American culture. Welcome to the world of third culture kids, a fast-growing group of people who fit in everywhere and nowhere.

The hardest question for a third culture kid: Where is home?
Alina Simone's daughter Zoe teaches her Russian-speaking grandfather some basic Chinese.

Russian-speaking New Yorker would rather her daughter learn Chinese

Alina Simone was born in the Soviet Union to Russian-speaking parents. She has given up on passing the language on to her daughter.

Russian-speaking New Yorker would rather her daughter learn Chinese
A humpback whale surfacing from the water surrounded by seagulls

If you could talk to the animals

What's the meaning of all those howls and growls? Is it language? This week on the podcast, NOVA's Ari Daniel explores how three species communicate.

If you could talk to the animals
British band The xx performing at the Pabst Theater, Milwaukee.

Why we are so drawn to the letter 'X'

From X-rated to Gen X to Latinx, the meaning of "X" has shifted while retaining an edgy, transgressive quality.

Why we are so drawn to the letter 'X'
In 2007 Språk Magazine published an article about "hen" that raised the profile of the word. In 2012, the children's book, "Kivi & Monsterhund" was published sparking a nationwide debate about "hen"

The three-letter word that rocked a nation

In 2012, Sweden erupted in a national debate over the pronoun "hen." Traditionally, Swedish has gendered pronouns when referring to people. There is no gender-neutral pronoun for people. "Hen" was a new word meant to fill a gap in the language. This week on The World in Words podcast we explore how a little-known and little-used word went mainstream in Sweden.

The three-letter word that rocked a nation
Mx. is an honorific growing in popularity

A British 'Mx.' tape

Mx. is a gender-neutral title that's gaining popularity in the UK. Though the road to acceptance for this prefix has not been without a struggle. On The World in Words podcast, we delve into the fight over this two-letter word.

A British 'Mx.' tape
A poster of professional wrestler Hulk Hogan mugging for the camera.

The secretive language of professional wrestling

In 1984 professional wrestler Dr. "D" David Schultz smacked the TV journalist John Stoessel to the ground backstage at Madison Square Garden. Why? One word: kayfabe. This week on The World in Words we throw on some tights and get into the ring to explore this word you were never supposed to hear.

The secretive language of professional wrestling
Many silhouetted figures depicting the evolution of man

Where does language come from?

Humans are the only creatures on Earth that can choke on their own food. Yes, that’s right. Why would humans have evolved such potentially fatal architecture? Some experts say the reason is speech. This week on the podcast, we explore several theories about where language comes from.

Where does language come from?