The Hyperpolyglot Activist

Further resources: -Gaiser, Leonie Elisa and Matras, Yaron. "Using smartphones to document linguistic landscapes: the LinguaSnapp mobile app" Linguistics Vanguard, vol. 7, no. s1, 2021, pp. 20190012. https://doi.org/10.1515/lingvan-2019-0012 -Matras, Yaron. 2023. The city as multilingual utopia, Creating decolonial spaces for language in an urban setting. In: Levkovych, Natalya. ed. Diversity in contact. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter.

In this video, I show the latest contributions of Open AI's ChatGPT4, Microsoft's Translation Hub and Google's Bard to the revitalization of endangered languages, including Icelandic, Hawaiian, Yucatec Maya and Querétaro Otomi.

Full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62DR8REug0M

Whereas the polyglot community emphasises stress-free and enjoyment as part of language learning, pressure can also help us perform our best. In this video I am joined by polyglot Eisel Mazard, who shares the inspiring story of how he used real-life pressure to improve his Cambodian.

A short version of this presentation was delivered as part of the panel "Remembering Terror" at the 2023 MSA conference, Newcastle University, 3-7 July 2023.

The world's encyclopedia of writing systems and languages, by Simon Ager: https://omniglot.com

In this video I show my 3 favourite songs in Yiddish as learned within the context of my Yiddish studies at UCL and Oxford: Bulbes, Az der Rebbe Tanzt and Arum dem Fayer. I explain the cultural context and pedagogical use of these tracks and then play my favourite version, offering full lyrics in English and Yiddish.

-Bak TH, Long MR, Vega-Mendoza M, Sorace A. (2016) Novelty, Challenge, and Practice: The Impact of Intensive Language Learning on Attentional Functions. PLoS One. Published on-line 27 April 2016. -Bak TH, Nissan J, Allerhand M, Deary IJ (2014) Does Bilingualism Influence Cognitive Ageing? Annals of Neurology 75 (6): 959-63. Alladi S, Bak TH, Duggirala V, Surampudi B, Shailaja M, Shukla AK, Chaudhuri JD, Kaul S (2013). Bilingualism delays age at onset of dementia, independent of education and immigration status. Neurology 81 (22):1938-1944. -Bak TH, Chandran S (2012) What wires together, fires together: Verbs, Actions and Neurodegeneration in Motor Neuron Disease. Cortex, 48, 9367-944.

In this 10-minute explainer, I discuss the basics of Haketia (Western Judeo-Spanish), including its diachronic and diatopic evolution, language ideologies and current status. Thumbnail modified by Sefira Lightstone My memrise course to learn Haketia from Judezmo: https://app.memrise.com/course/6371999/haketia-djudezmo/ My Haketia course @ Ladino 21: https://www.ladino21.org Sources: -Bendayan de Bendelac, Alegría. 1995. Diccionario del judeoespañol de los sefardíes del norte de Marruecos. Caracas: Centro de Estudios Sefardíes de Caracas. -Benharroch, Isaac. 2004. Diccionario de Haquetía: guía esencial del dialecto de los judíos del norte de Marruecos. Caracas: Asociación Israelita de Venezuela. -Bentolila, Yaakov. 2003. Le processus d’hispanisation de la hakétia à la lumière de quelque sources litteraires. In Frank Álvarez-Péreyre & Jean Baumgarten (dirs.), Linguistique des langues juives et linguistique générale. Paris: CNRS, 247-266. -Bentolila, Yaakov. 2008. La lengua común (coiné) judeo-española entre el Este y el Oeste. In Tamar Alexander & Yaakov Bentolila (eds.), La cultura Judeo-Española del Norte de Marruecos [Special Issue]. El Prezente. Studies in Sephardic Culture 2, 159-176. -Bunis, David M. 1993. El idioma de los sefardíes: un panorama histórico. In Moreset Sefarad: El legado de Sefarad. Jerusalem: Magnes / Hebrew University of Jerusalem, vol. II, 414-437. -Bürki, Yvette. "Haketia in Morocco. Or, the story of the decline of an idiom" International Journal of the Sociology of Language, vol. 2016, no. 239, 2016, pp. 121-155. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijsl-2016-0007 -Garzón, Jacobo Israel. 2008. Los judíos hispano-marroquíes (1492-1973). Madrid: Hebraica Ediciones. -Hassán, Yacob M. 1968. De los restos dejados por el judeoespañol en el español de judíos del Norte de África. In Congreso Internacional de Lingüística y Filología Románica. Madrid: C.S.I.C / Patronato Menéndez y Pelayo, vol. IV, 2127-2140.

In this video I react to Prof. Alberto Bruzo's ' article "Can Language Be Commodified? Toward a Marxist theory of language commodification, focusing on what a Marxist theory and practice of language commodification should feature as its core aspects. -Bruzos, A., 2022. Can language be commodified? Toward a Marxist theory of language commodification. Critical Inquiry in Language Studies, pp.1-29.

In this video, I react to Prof. Alberto Bruzo´s ‘Language hackers’: YouTube polyglots as representative figures of language learning in late capitalism, focusing on the tension between the polyglot community and post 1970s processes of language commodification and industrialization. -Bruzos, Albert. 2021. ‘Language hackers’: YouTube polyglots as representative figures of language learning in late capitalism. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13670050.2021.1955498

In this video I analyze ChatGPT's critical thinking skills on polyglossia through ten questions: 1. Do native speakers exist 2. Are they better? (nativespeakerism) 3. Who has an accent? (accentism) 4. Are there foreign languages? 5. Can languages be counted? 6. Can people mix languages? (standard language ideology vs. translanguaging) 7. Does the world look different in every language? (Neowhorfianism) 8. Do flags represent languages? 9. Are the more monolinguals than multilinguals? 10. Are polyglots more tolerant? ChatGPT mixes coherent answers with paradoxical and baffling ones in a just-ok performance that is highly reflective of the advantages but also the limitations of AI apropos critical thinking and polyglossia.

In Summer 2021 HYPIA research was founded to bring together critical thinking skills and polyglot community-building. Our initial set-up was to hold research meetings, organise a conference and write a conference proceedings book. After 16 research meetings and a promising journal article under consideration for publication, HYPIA Research is pivoting in 2023 towards free research consultations and a basic list of academic resources on polyglossia. As the Director of HYPIA Research, in this video I explain the behind-the-scenes reasoning behind this critical transition. Watch all 16 HYPIA Research Episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF7iHW6ZVWA&list=PLu5vyTX-rPFcNB3NYjRBBjSIcTtiON4ox Join HYPIA Research Here: https://www.thehyperpolyglotactivist.com/community Book your free consultation here: https://www.thehyperpolyglotactivist.com/service-page/free-10-min-consultation-hypia-only?category=5ddec0c2-b741-44a6-a834-370809bffbf7&referral=service_list_widget

In this video I deconstruct the common misconception that you need to move to a country where your target language is primarily spoken for you to actually learn that language. I argue that this assumption is premised on a number of misunderstandings concerning how language acquisition works, such as neglecting comprehensible input, committing to the language ideology of nativespeakerism and adopting a pre-internet mindset. Whereupon I tackle the issue of whether moving abroad might at least be helpful (if not necessary), and answer in the positive, with one caveat: setting time aside to practise and study alone while abroad. Finally, I illustrate my points by drawing upon my own experience learning English in Spain vs learning it in England. Sources: -Lewis, Benny. N. d. "Why moving to a country may not lead to learning the language & what learners & expats CAN do" https://www.fluentin3months.com/move-country/ -Migranting Miss. N.d. "Can You Really Learn a Language by Moving Abroad?" https://www.migratingmiss.com/can-really-learn-language-moving-abroad/