Emily and Kyle take a break from Duolingo to talk about language learning with an expert on the subject: polyglot, journalist, and author of language books Babel and Lingo, Gaston Dorren.

Our hosts chat with their multilingual guest about his linguistic travels from his native Limburgish and Dutch, to other European languages, and beyond. Dorren talks about what makes learning languages challenging, as well as what makes it so interesting and rewarding. And the three speculate on what the future of language could look like.

Dorren also discusses how English is somewhat unique among global languages, and why so many Americans are monolingual. Turns out Kyle and Emily might have a leg up on becoming bilingual! Though, they still can’t get the hang of pronouncing Dorren’s book title…

Join us every week as we explore the fascinating origins and meanings of words, uncovering the hidden stories behind language and how it evolves over time, for language enthusiasts and etymology buffs alike.

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Produced by Seth Gliksman, Kyle Imperatore, and Emily Moyers

Main theme and accompanying themes by Kyle Imperatore