42: What makes a language “easy”? It’s a hard question

Lingthusiasm - A podcast that's enthusiastic about linguistics

Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne

Science

4.8 • 743 Ratings

🗓️ 19 March 2020

⏱️ 40 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Asking which language is the hardest to learn is like asking where the furthest place is – it all depends on where you start. And for babies, who start out not knowing any of them, all natural languages are eminently learnable – because otherwise they wouldn’t exist at all! In this episode of Lingthusiasm, your hosts Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne get enthusiastic about a common question: what are people really asking when they ask about “easy” or “hard” languages? It turns out that there are several things going on, including which languages you already know, whether you’re approaching a language as an adult or a child, and what sort of motivation and contexts to speak it you have. — This month’s bonus episode is about teaching linguistics, and how you can be your own best teacher even if you aren’t heading to university any time soon. We discuss ways to make learning about more than just terminology, how to get right into data from the beginning, and how to keep a clear picture of how linguistics is relevant to other things you’re studying or enjoying. Support Lingthusiasm on Patreon to gain access to the teaching linguistics episode and 36 previous bonus episodes, and to chat with fellow lingthusiasts in the Lingthusiasm patron Discord. New this month we’re also doing a couple listen-along chats in the Discord as well, so you can stream the episode at the same time as fellow lingthusiasts and chat with each other in the channel for that! https://patreon.com/lingthusiasm Lingthusiasm merch makes a great gift for yourself or other lingthusiasts! Check out IPA scarves, IPA socks, and more at lingthusiasm.redbubble.com — Have a great idea for a linguistics communication project, but need a bit of money to get it off the ground? Looking to support emerging lingcomm projects? The LingComm Grant is a $500 grant for communicating linguistics to broader audiences in 2020. If we reach 790 patrons by the 1st of May 2020, we’ll give out four grants instead of two. Applications close 1st of June 2020. Find out more and apply here. http://lingcomm.org/grant For links to everything mentioned in this episode, go to https://lingthusiasm.com/post/613058137097912320/lingthusiasm-episode-42-what-makes-a-language

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Lenthusiasm, a podcast that's enthusiastic about linguistics. I'm Lauren Gorn.
0:21.9	And I'm Gretchen McHellick. And today, we're getting enthusiastic about how there's no such thing as the easiest or hardest language.
0:28.5	But first, this is a reminder that we're giving out a grant for linguistics communication project.
0:34.6	So if you have an idea of something that you want to communicate about
0:37.8	linguistics and $500 would help you do it, you can go to lingcom.org, that's 2Ms as in
0:43.4	communication, to find out details about applying for that grant. Applications are due June 1st,
0:49.3	any time zone in the world. We're funding one grant, which is very exciting, but if we make our next Patreon goal
0:56.4	by the end of April, we will be able to give out three Lincom grants instead of one.
1:02.1	Plus, if you join Patreon by the end of April, you can get a sticker or a mug sent to you
1:07.8	at higher tiers. So there's an extra incentive for you and also help
1:11.8	this grant happen.
1:12.6	We're also very excited to be able to announce that we're giving out an additional sponsored
1:17.7	Lincom grant thanks to a research grant from Claire Bowen, which will be a grant specifically
1:23.8	related to minoritized languages and linguistics communication.
1:27.4	So if you have an idea for a linguistics communication project that's specifically related to minoritized languages and linguistics communication. So if you have an idea for a linguistics communication project that's specifically related to
1:31.3	minoritized languages, you have an extra incentive to apply.
1:34.3	The general LYNC grants are open to projects on any aspect of linguistics, including
1:39.3	minoritized languages, but this one is specifically directed to that.
1:42.3	So we need be giving out up to four
1:44.5	grants if we both hit our funding goal and with this new one. It's very exciting times.
1:49.0	I'm very excited to have more linguistics in my life correction.
1:52.0	I'm very excited to see all the hardest language I should be learning?
	...

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