The World in Words

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)