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The World in Words

The language barrier that separates elderly immigrants in the US from their grandchildren.

A language special for you this week: Yowei Shaw gives herself a radio reporting assignment to try to have a meaningful conversation with her Mandarin-speaking grandparents. Let’s just say, it did not go as planned. Then, we’ll hear what a nineteenth century Scottish adventurer had to do with the birth of Spanglish, the English-Spanish hybrid language now common in parts of Southern California.

And, Alina Simone tells us the strange history of Siberians in Hawaii. Plus: Patrick Cox and Nina Porzucki highlight some of their favourite language stories of the year.

Image: Yowei Shaw and her grandfather. (Credit: Chris Shaw)

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27 minutes

Last on

Boxing Day 2015 19:32GMT

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  • Boxing Day 2015 05:32GMT
  • Boxing Day 2015 19:32GMT

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