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A Language I Love Is...

A Language I Love Is...

By: Danny Bate
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A show about language, linguistics and people who love both!


A Language I Love Is... (ALILI) broadcasts linguistic joy and shares expert insights into the languages of the world. It's a simple formula: one host, one guest, one language, and three key questions:


1) What is your story and connection to this language?

2) What do you love about this language?

3) What is something you want the audience to know about this language?


Through informative interviews and casual conversations, ALILI fulfills its mission: to share the linguistic love with all.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Danny Bate
Language Learning Science Social Sciences
Episodes
  • American Sign Language and Aidan Elliott-McCrea
    Oct 20 2025

    The ALILI podcast has reached forty episodes! As a fitting start to this fourth decade of language love, we have a first for the show: its first sign language. It was a privilege for me to talk to Aidan Elliott-McCrea, an expert linguist and online etymologist (through ⁠Word Family Friday⁠), about not just American Sign Language but sign languages in general. Our conversation begins with addressing misconceptions about sign languages (there isn't just one!), and moves on to the features of ASL that Aidan particularly likes.

    Support the language-loving mission by joining the ALILI Patreon here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/ALanguageILoveIs⁠⁠

    Aidan's etymological website: ⁠https://www.aidanem.com/pages/word-families-overview.html⁠

    Aidan's own Patreon: ⁠https://patreon.com/aidanem?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan&utm_content=join_link⁠

    Aidan's recommendations for reading:

    • Linguistics of American Sign Language: An Introduction by Clayton Valli
    • Sign Language and Linguistic Universals by Wendy Sandler and Diane Lillo-Martin
    • Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language by Nora Ellen Groce

    Host: Dr. Danny Bate

    Guest: Aidan Elliott-McCrea

    Audio Mixing and Mastering: Jeremiah McPadden

    Music: Acoustic Guitar by William King

    Artwork: William Marler

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    46 mins
  • Scottish Gaelic and David Adger
    Sep 10 2025

    Episode 39 is a return to Scotland! After Scots, way back at the start of the whole podcast, this next journey into Scottish speech explores Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig), the Insular Celtic language that's for centuries played a big part in the country's history, ever since it first arrived from Ireland. It was the choice of my guest, the linguist David Adger, who knows the language well and refers to it often in his research into the nature of word order. David and I discuss the medieval and modern story of Scottish Gaelic, as well as a globally unusual aspect of its syntax.

    Support the language-loving mission by joining the ALILI Patreon here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/ALanguageILoveIs⁠

    David's personal website: ⁠https://davidadger.org/⁠


    Clip of Rosemary speaking Scottish Gaelic taken from here: ⁠https://wikitongues.org/videos/rosemary_20150113_gla/⁠

    Website for the Sabhal Mòr Ostaig here: ⁠https://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/?lang=en⁠

    Host: Dr. Danny Bate

    Guest: Prof. David Adger

    Audio Mixing and Mastering: Jeremiah McPadden

    Music: Acoustic Guitar by William King

    Artwork: William Marler

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Old South Arabian and Imar Koutchoukali
    Aug 17 2025

    At last, dear language lovers, Episode 38 is here. To make up for my podcasting tardiness, this episode stars not just one language, but rather a whole group of them! Following Akkadian in Series 1 and Biblical Hebrew in Series 2, I'm glad to offer you another audio trip into ancient Semitic languages. Old (or Ancient or Epigraphic) South Arabian languages were the choice of Dr. Imar Koutchoukali, a scholar who has long been fascinated by the ancient history of Arabia. In our chat, Imar introduces this now-lost linguistic group – at one time vibrant and influential in the region. Included among them is the language of the Queen of Sheba herself!

    Support the language-loving mission by joining the ALILI Patreon here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/ALanguageILoveIs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Imar's academia.edu page: ⁠https://univie.academia.edu/ImarKoutchoukali⁠

    Host: Dr. Danny Bate

    Guest: Dr. Imar Koutchoukali

    Music: Acoustic Guitar by William King

    Artwork: William Marler

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    57 mins
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