#103 Simon Ager on Creating an Encyclopedia of Languages

Linguistics expert and language enthusiast, Simon Ager, talks
with Benny and Elizabeth about creating one of the internet’s
biggest (and first) encyclopedias of languages and writing
systems.


On his website, omniglot.com, Simon has cataloged over 340
writing systems and collated information about more than 1,600
languages. Simon has studied a wide range of languages including
Chinese, Japanese, French, German, and he has a particular
interest in Celtic languages.


Mentioned in this Episode


Simon’s Website

Simon’s Twitter

Radio Omniglot

Omniglot on Facebook

Duolingo

Memrise



Patreon Extended Episode


Enjoy the podcast? Subscribe to our Patreon to get access to
extended episodes and loads more content. Here’s what you’ll hear
in the long-form episode:


Comparing learning music and languages

Singing as pronunciation practice

Metaskills: The skill of learning a new skill

Benny and Elizabeth’s best languages



Learn more and access this bonus content on Patreon.


Episode Overview


Some of the topics brought up during the interview are:


Making the most of immersion experiences

Simon’s favourite resources, including Duolingo and Memrise

A typical day of language learning

First steps for using Omniglot.com

Using your languages to aid research on Wikipedia

Getting a Masters in Linguistics, and where it can take you

Celtic languages and their revival

Responding to “why bother?” criticism

Integrating the four pillars of language into daily life

People-watching in your target language



Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy