The Ink Well

Dear podcast listeners, Today, I am happy to introduce you to a hyper-polyglot from India, Mahendra Acharya. Mahendra speaks 13 different languages with varying fluency. Having mastered Kannada, Tulu, Hindi, Farsi, Russian, German, and English, and having reached an adequate level in Spanish, Lithuanian, and Greek, Mahendra is currently trying his hand at Arabic and Hungarian. If you are curious to hear about Mahendra's learning techniques, experiences with different languages, and ideas regarding language migration and development, stick around to hear more! If you enjoyed what you heard, consider subscribing and leaving a comment. Your support not only boosts the algorithm but also helps us reach other polyglots and language lovers just like you. Timeline: 00:00 - Intro 01:23 - Does it get confusing being a polyglot? 03:59 - Learning Lithuanian 11:07 - How to learn different languages effectively? 19:17 - Sanskrit, Dravidian languages, and the Indian education system 30:57 - Should English be mandatory in India? 32:50 - Is Sanskrit a dead language like Latin? 37:07 - Is Russian closer to Sanskrit than Hindi? 43:37 - Sanskrit, Lithuanian, Persian and Russian cognates (mutual intelligibility) 48:42 - The Proto-Indo-European language theory and controversy 1:00:51 - Estonian and Basque 1:05:12 - What can linguistics teach us about history? 1:14:26 - The Native American and African languages 1:18:29 - How to maintain the languages that you have already learnt? 1:27:15 - Mahendra's tips for language learners and future polyglots 1:38:27 - Possible topics for the next podcast 🌐 Get in touch with the host: https://linktr.ee/pauliusjuodis

Dear listeners, I am happy to introduce to you Nicole Vignola. Nicole is a neuroscientist who studies learning, attention and ways we can change our thoughts, habits and behaviours. Her new book: 'Rewire: Break the Cycle, Alter Your Thoughts and Create Lasting Change (Your Neurotoolkit for Everyday Life)' is going to be out next month so don't miss the release! Connect with Nicole: https://www.instagram.com/nicolesneuroscience/ Timeline: 00:00 - Intro 01:28 - What is neuroscience? 03:57 - Do we only use only 10% of our brain? 06:09 - Split personality 09:56 - The pineal gland 14:06 - Nicole's book 15:56 - Is 25 the age of decline? 21:11 - Psychedelic research 28:55 - How does language learning affect our brains? 31:29 - Do children and adults use different parts of the brain while learning? 35:44 - How does our mindset change our physiology? 38:07 - How important is rest and recovery for memory and growth? 45:03 - Is learning 2 languages at once a good idea? 49:25 - Cognitive processing, energy limits and meditation 🌐 Get in touch with the host: https://linktr.ee/pauliusjuodis

Dear listeners of The Ink Well podcast, Today, I am glad to introduce you to Gerardo Castillo. Gerardo is a Venezuelan English teacher living and working in Brazil. Having majored in English, he has been teaching it all around South America. In this conversation, we have spoken about the struggles that language learners encounter and how to solve them. Also, we compared Venezuelan and Brazilian cultures, their mindsets when it comes to learning, and, of course, we talked about the similarities and differences of the Spanish and Portuguese languages. If you are a teacher, a language learner, or an admirer of cultures, I think you are going to love today’s conversation. If you find our talk interesting, let us know by following the show or reviewing it with a 5-star rating. ✍️ Gerardo's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerardo-rumbos-professor/ 🌐 Get in touch with the host: https://linktr.ee/pauliusjuodis

Dear listeners. Today you are listening to the 29th episode of the Ink Well, a podcast where I interview various linguists, teachers, polyglots and other interesting multilinguals. Our today’s guest is Urmi Hossain. Urmi grew up in Italy but she is not a regular Italian. As she says herself, she is Italian by birth yet Bengali by blood. More than a decade ago she relocated to Quebec and she has been living and working there ever since. If you are curious to know more about the Bengali language, the cultural difference between the Italian and Canadian ways of life or the reasons behind some of the tensions that are still plaguing India and Pakistan today – I think you are going to enjoy our today’s show. Also, if you haven’t yet subscribed to the podcast, be sure to do so. It helps to keep the project growing. Let’s get started. ✍️ Urmi's contacts: https://linktr.ee/urmihossain 🎧 Listen to the audio only: http://tinyurl.com/4f4yjr5u 🌐 Get in touch with the host: https://linktr.ee/pauliusjuodis

Dear listeners, Today you are listening to the 28th episode of The Ink Well podcast. Our today‘s guest is Philip Charter. Philip is a writing coach. His main professional task is to help multilingual writers such as I to achieve their writing authority and future-proof their careers. Philip also runs a writers‘ community, offers various courses online and works with clients in private. Today we have discussed some key topics such as what is writing authority and what are the main mistakes that multilingual writers make when they communicate in English. If you are interested in writing and want to write better, I am certain that you will enjoy this episode. Thus, without further ado, let‘s jump into it. ✍️ Connect with Philip: https://linktr.ee/englishwritingcoach 🌐 Want to get in touch? https://linktr.ee/pauliusjuodis

Dear listeners, Hello and welcome to the 27th episode of ‘The Ink Well’ podcast. Our today’s guest is a historian, polyglot and freelance writer, Artemii Migavchik. As a historian, Artemi wrote a thesis about Stalinist repressions in the Soviet Union. As a polyglot, he speaks Ukrainian, Russian, German, and Dutch and now he is also learning Lithuanian. As a writer, he writes about the contemporary realities in Russia, Ukraine and the EU. Join our today’s conversation and listen to our discussion about the Ukrainian language, Kievan Rus’ and the reasons behind the Russo-Ukrainian war from both the Western and Russian points of view. If you found our conversation interesting, please support the podcast by subscribing to it on your favourite podcast-listening platform or leaving a short comment or a review. This helps the project greatly, as it influences the algorithms to put the content out in front of more people. Thank you. ▶️ Video version on YouTube: http://tinyurl.com/bdf9fhp7 🌐 My contacts: https://linktr.ee/pauliusjuodis

Welcome to 'The Ink Well' – a podcast for those who love languages, cultures, and writing. Our today’s guest is Fabio Cerpelloni, the author of “Any Language You Want: 18 Conflicting Lessons for a New Kind of Language Learner.” In this episode, I and Fabio have discussed what it means to learn a foreign language efficiently. We also talked about how language learning is changing, how to be an independent learner, and why some non-native English teachers are still being discriminated against in the workplace. I hope that you will find our conversation enjoyable. If you do, don’t forget to leave a comment and subscribe for future episodes. 🎧 Listen to the audio version: http://tinyurl.com/ek42ryub 📕 Check out Fabio's book: https://fabiocerpelloni.com/any-language-you-want/ 🌐 Want to get in touch with me? https://linktr.ee/pauliusjuodis

Alexander Victor Semenyuk is a bestselling Ukrainian-American author with a keen eye on society, history, psychology and religion. He has published over 20 books in various genres ranging from medieval fantasy to horror and romance. In our today's conversation, we sat down to talk about his latest work, Substack, Christianity, Ukrainian language and Soviet history. 🔗 First conversation: http://tinyurl.com/s94k9k67 📧 Alex's newsletter: https://alexandersemenyuk.substack.com/ 🌐 Want to get in touch? https://linktr.ee/pauliusjuodis

Dovilė Gudzinevičiūtė is a Lithuanian language teacher who specializes in teaching Lithuanian as a foreign language. She has graduated from Lithuanian and Spanish Philology and has been working as a teacher for over 8 years. Paulius Juodis is a Lithuanian and English language teacher who specializes in teaching online.   In today's episode, I and Dovilė have answered some of the common questions that Lithuanian students often have. We have talked about learning grammar, the mindset of an independent learner, study material and online tools that can help you learn more quickly and easily.   Connect with: Dovilė: https://www.instagram.com/lithuanian_with_dovile/ Paulius: https://linktr.ee/pauliusjuodis   Student books: Student book "Sėkmės" - https://www.vu.lt/leidyba/knygos/sekmes   Online tools: Conjugations and declensions: https://morfologija.lietuviuzodynas.lt/ Kirčiuoklis: https://kalbu.vdu.lt/mokymosi-priemones/kirciuoklis/ Rememberry: http://tinyurl.com/2juvpu4d Language reactor: https://www.languagereactor.com/   Audio-video: "Gimę ne Lieuvoje" - https://www.delfi.lt/video/laidu-archyvas/gime-ne-lietuvoje   Reading: My blog: https://pauliusjuodis.com/blog-lt   Timeline: 00:00 - Intro 01:08 - How long does it take to learn Lithuanian? 03:55 - How to learn Lithuanian while not living there? 10:03 - How much can you learn in a year? 14:14 - Why do Lithuanians have a tough time learning Estonian? 17:15 - Learning the Lithuanian case system (linksniavimas) 28:57 - What is the best student book to start learning Lithuanian? 32:22 - Learning prepositions (prielinksniai) 40:18 - Stresses, pronunciation and accents (kirčiavimas, tarimas ir tarmės) 1:03:15 - Verbs and conjugation (veiksmažodžiai ir asmenavimas) 1:09:31 - Free online material and student books 1:13:28 - Paulius' and Dovilė's advice for speaking with Lithuanians   If you have enjoyed our conversation, be sure to leave a comment, like and subscribe. Doing so will support the channel and keep the project going.   Want to get in touch? Connect via: https://linktr.ee/pauliusjuodis

Mantas Jakelaitis is an East-Asian Studies graduate from Vytautas Magnus University, with a focus on Japan, its culture and history.   Currently employed in a Japanese company and having studied the Japanese language for over a decade, Mantas is excited to share insights on how to learn this complex language effectively.   In the podcast, Mantas also talked about his experience of living and working in Japan via the JET (The Japan Exchange and Teaching) program. Together, we have touched upon the Japanese perspective regarding foreigners and addressed the myth that 'Japan is an extremely expensive country.'   If you want to connect with Mantas, you can do so via Messenger: https://www.facebook.com/mjakelaitis   Timeline: 00:00 - Intro 01:39 - How I met Mantas 03:10 - Japanese & Korean 05:11 - Japanese & Chinese 07:05 - Japanese written system 12:00 - What is fluency? 14:53 - Confucianism and its effects on the Japanese language 19:26 - Having the verb at the end (Chinese & Japanese) 23:23 - Working as a translator 25:59 - Japanese as a puzzle 28:32 - The JET (The Japan Exchange and Teaching) program 32:40 - Life in Hachijō-jima 36:07 - Japan's geography and climate 41:53 - Fitting in and integrating in Japan 51:04 - Japan: reality vs imagination 55:50 - Mantas' advice for Japanese language learners 1:04:05 - Learning Japanese at university vs living in Japan 1:10:36 - Learning with podcasts 1:14:04 - Plug-ins for Google Chrome 1:17:16 - Subtitles or no subtitles? 1:18:32 - Japanese work ethics and hierarchy 1:25:16 - Cost of living in Japan (post-covid inflation) 1:35:20 - Mantas' plans for the future   If you have enjoyed our conversation, be sure to leave a comment, like and subscribe. Doing so will support the channel and keep the project running. Want to get in touch? Contact me via a letter or my socials: https://linktr.ee/pauliusjuodis

Hermione Lee is a 19-year-old author from Taiwan. Having started to write at the age of 10, Hermione released her first book 'In the Name of the Otherworld' at the age of 16. After releasing her first book and getting encouraged by positive feedback, the young author has released 14 more books. Loving the craft, Hermione does not plan to stop. She has many unpublished stories and hundreds of ideas in her backlog which will keep her readers entertained and wondering for many years to come. Check out Hermione's books on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/yzxnh5ut Connect with the author via Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/y5x9bf4n   Timeline: 00:00 - Intro 02:45 - Hermione's writing routine 06:58 - The editing process 08:47 - Creating cover art 10:34 - Should a writer write for an audience? 11:58 - Why has Hermione started to write? 17:58 - Where do the author's ideas come from? 21:44 - Why do many Taiwanese struggle with English? 28:18 - Why has Hermione decided to leave school? 35:46 - The languages of Taiwan (Mandarin, Hokkien & Hakka) 42:50 - Lithuanians, Samogitians and the Baltic tribes 45:19 - Do the Taiwanese fear a war with China? 50:19 - How should one approach learning Mandarin and Hakka? 59:09 - Hermione's future books 1:05:19 - The order for reading Hermione's book 1:06:44 - Hermione's most enjoyable and difficult books 1:10:26 - Inspiration for characters 1:13:44 - Deadlines, schedules & reviews 1:16:17 - Hermione's contacts 1:17:02 - Hermione's advice for beginner writers If you have enjoyed our conversation, be sure to rate and follow the podcast. Want to get in touch? Contact me via a letter or my socials: https://linktr.ee/pauliusjuodis

Sylvia Branded-Puls is a German-Peruvian mother of two with a background in fitness economics and education. For the past 7 years, she has been a stay-at-home mom and has been continuously helping her children to learn life's ropes without attending a traditional school setting. Today I and Sylvia sat down to speak about education, homeschooling and the public opinion of children who don't attend school. We also talked about Sylvia's project in Madeira which is expected to launch sometime in 2024. Sylvia is creating a live-in community for unschooling families who foster freedom, connection and self-fulfillment. You can read more about the project here: https://www.aplacetobe.me/ Timeline: 00:00 - Intro 01:32 - Why has Sylvia decided to homeschool her kids? 12:05 - Public opinion on homeschooling 19:40 - Conditioning and deconditioning of the mind 23:29 - Are 'unschooling' and 'homeschooling' the same thing? 26:56 - The drawbacks of unschooling 33:19 - Might being homeschooled deny access to higher education? 37:24 - Myths about children's motivation 39:09 - The drawbacks of attending school in a traditional setting 41:57 - Sylvia's project (an unschooling community in Madeira) 48:14 - Can authorities take away your children if they don't attend school? 54:19 - Homeschooling in Germany, Portugal, the UK, and the US. 57:45 - Website and ways to connect If you have enjoyed our conversation, be sure to leave a comment, like and subscribe. Doing so you will support the channel and keep the project going. Want to get in touch? Contact me via a letter or my socials: https://linktr.ee/pauliusjuodis

Dovilė Gudzinevičiūtė is a Lithuanian language teacher who specializes in teaching Lithuanian as a second language for foreigners. She has graduated Lithuanian and Spanish Philology and has been working as a teacher for over 8 years.   In our todays podcast, I and Dovilė sat down to talk about the Lithuanian language and how we as teachers can help our students to learn it. We also talked about how Old Lithuanian differs from its modern counterpart, what we expect will happen with the language in the future, the state of the Lithuanian education system and much more.    Connect with Dovilė here: https://www.instagram.com/lithuanian_with_dovile/ Want to learn Lithuanian with me? Book a lesson via Italki: https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/3882151   Timeline: 00:00 - Intro 04:38 - Is Lithuanian truly a difficult language? 07:40 - What should a beginner Lithuanian student focus on? 10:16 - Should one focus on grammar or vocabulary? 13:58 - Studying Lithuanian at university vs at school 17:12 - Deconstructing the Lithuanian-Sanskrit connection and the Proto-Indo-European language 18:52 - Old Lithuanian vs Modern Lithuanian 22:08 - How was Lithuanian standardized? 24:02 - The Samogitian language/dialect 25:58 - The dialect of Suvalkija (Suvalkiečių kalba) 28:51 - Standard Lithuanian versus the Suvalkija dialect 33:20 - Dovilė's favorite Lithuanian words 37:24 - Literary Lithuanian vs the modern-spoken one 42:02 - What is happening with the Lithuanian education system and why are teachers on strike? 49:47 - The perks and drawbacks of distance learning 54:18 - Dovilė's and Paulius's plans for the future 59:29 - Are there any apps and additional material to learn Lithuanian? 1:03:48 - The language of the Grand Dutchy of Lithuania (Ruthenian) 1:06:13 - Why is the Lithuanian language so conservative? 1:09:47 - Why do people decide to learn Lithuanian? 1:11:38 - The Future of Lithuanian language. Will it disappear?   If you have enjoyed our conversation, be sure to leave a comment, like and subscribe. Doing so you will support the channel and keep the project going.   Want to get in touch? Contact me via a letter or my socials: https://linktr.ee/pauliusjuodis

Tesal Sangma is a certified ESOL and EAP Instructor and an English teacher from India. For the past 8 years, he has been working at the Woodstock International School, creating engaging learning experiences and tailoring high-quality materials for his students.   In today's show, I and Tesal sat down to talk about the Indian languages, India as a country and the role that the English language has within it. We have also gone in depth to explore the Indian education system as well as some general tendencies of where education might be heading worldwide.   Timeline: 00:00 - Introduction 01:32 - The Meaning of the word 'Himalaya' 02:18 - The Garo people and language 04:51 - In what languages do the people of India communicate? 07:50 - Hindi, Sanskrit and Tamil 11:25 - The role of the English language in India 15:40 - The complexities of objectivity history and ethnography 20:40 - India's political framework 22:13 - Teaching and the education system of India 24:26 - The differences between traditional and modern ways of teaching 33:29 - Is it best to work in a public, private or international school? 40:26 - Where is the Indian education system heading? 42:33 - Tesal's plans for the future 45:36 - What does it really mean to be an educated person? 47:45 - What is the difference between being educated, smart and wise? 51:00 - Should everyone aim at being wise? 55:17 -  The task of true teachers   If you have enjoyed our conversation, be sure to leave a review and follow the channel! Want to get in touch? Contact me via a letter or my socials: https://linktr.ee/pauliusjuodis

Bogdan Danchuk is a seasoned finance consultant and digital entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience living a location-independent lifestyle in over 35 countries. His company, UnTaxed.com, is committed to assisting individuals in securing residency and reducing taxes in Portugal. Bogdan is also the founder of the digital nomad community of Madeira and a speaker of Modern Hebrew, English and Russian. Today we will discuss why many famous companies and entrepreneurs have decided to relocate to Portugal, how to live a tax-free lifestyle for over 10 years before becoming its residence and the intricacies of the Modern Hebrew, Yiddish and Ladino languages. Timeline: 00:00 - Introduction 01:33 - Why has Bogdan chosen to settle in Madeira? 07:14 - Taxes & Portugal 12:25 - How similar is Israel to Portugal? 15:02 - Ladino, Yiddish and Modern Hebrew languages 17:59 - Modern and Ancient languages 20:31 - How important is language to the Jewish communities? 23:48 - A deep dive into Yiddish and Modern Hebrew 28:15 - Cultural differences between Jewish communities 33:50 - Is Portugal the perfect balance? 34:57 - Madeirans, their mentality and the Portuguese language 43:34 - Connecting with the local people 46:53 - Is English widely used in Portugal? 51:52 - How is Madeira changing and what is its future? 58:09 - Will the Azores islands become a second Madeira? 1:02:13 - Bogdan's contacts and services 1:04:14 - Bogdan's plans for the future If you have enjoyed our conversation, be sure to leave a review and follow the channel! Want to get in touch? Contact me via a letter or my socials: https://linktr.ee/pauliusjuodis

Zakaria Belmehdi is an International Politics graduate from Morocco who has been living in Lithuania since 2013. Having graduated both from Vytautas Magnus University and Vilnius University Zakaria has reached a high level of fluency in the Lithuanian languages. Also, he is a native speaker of Darija (a Moroccan dialect of the Arabic language) and a speaker of French and English.  In today's podcast I and Zakaria discussed the way of life in Morocco, Lithuania, the Arabic and Lithuanian languages, the complexities of Islam, the differences between Sunni and Shia faiths, differing regional values, attitudes towards friendships, problems with fundamentalism and much more.   Timeline: 00:00 - Intro 01:47 - Why has Zakaria chosen to live in Lithuania? 05:18 - What languages does he speak? 10:06 - Why does Zakaria think that Lithuanian is easy? 17:24 - The Arabic language 23:49 - Standard Arabic vs the Arabic dialects 28:52 - Can you use Standard Arabic to communicate throughout the Arab world? 35:49 - Was it easy for Zakaria to adapt to life in Lithuania? 41:20 - Lithuanian values and friendships 47:23 - Moroccan values and friendships 53:04 - 3 types of friends (according to Aristotle) 57:25 - Social complexities and the rise of fundamentalism in Morocco. 1:04:55 - Why are there conflicts between Sunni and Shia Muslims? 1:10:32- Are Judaism, Islam and Christianity compatible? 1:15:36 - Liberal Islam and Eclecticism 1:19:40 - Zakaria's plans for the future If you liked the episode, be sure to follow the podcast, rate and review. Want to get in touch? Contact me via a letter or my socials: https://linktr.ee/pauliusjuodis

Kotaro Hisada is a polyglot from Osaka, Japan. When Kotaro was 16 years old he went for an exchange year in Wroclaw, Poland. After that, he fell in love with Slavic and Baltic languages. While learning Polish he has started learning Ukrainian. Along the way, he has picked up Lithuanian, Russian and continued to improve his English. In his spare time, he also makes YouTube videos about himself, Lithuania and Japan in the Lithuanian language. Kotaro's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@UCU0SThSWs2eNP41u3zlGNGw Timeline: 00:00 - Intro 01:19 - Kotaro's first steps in language learning 02:25 - Life in Poland11:36 - Learning Lithuanian without a tutor 16:24 - Kotaro's first visit to Lithuania 20:40 - Learning Lithuanian 28:34 - Kotaro's advice for those who want to learn Japanese 31:40 - Writing and reading in Japanese 37:45 - Japanese people and their mentality 43:41 - Tips for integrating into the Japanese culture 47:10 - Kotaro's experiences as an expat 51:35 - Kotaro's plans for the future Want to get in touch? Contact me via a letter or my socials: https://linktr.ee/pauliusjuodis

Malika Shamshiden is a native Kazakh and Russian speaker that also speaks Japanese, Korean, English and Turkish. She is also a language teacher on Italki and currently resides in Istanbul, Türkiye. After completing her secondary education, Malika pursued a bachelor in Interpretation with an emphasis on English. Later, she earned a bachelor's degree in Oriental Studies from Eurasian National University, specializing in Japan. During her junior year, her interest turned to Korea, prompting her to embark on a journey to learn the Korean language. Subsequently, she studied in Seoul for one term, immersing herself in Korean society. In our today's podcast you will hear a lot about Malika and her experience both as a language learner and a language student. You will learn about Kazakhstan, Turkey Korea, Japan, Kazakh-Russian relationships, Farsi and Arabic languages, and much more. Study with Malika on Italki: https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/3258392 Timeline: 00:00 - Intro 01:52 - Malika's first steps in language learning 03:50 - Is English difficult to learn? 07:25 - How different are Kazakh and Russian? 09:23 - High and Low Contextual Languages 12:55 - Who are the Kazakhs and how are they related to the Turks? 17:35 - Can knowing Kazakh help to learn Turkish? 21:08 - The ups and down of living in Turkey 23:40 - Smoking and fake female liberation campaigns in the USSR 28:20 - Did Kazakhstan join the USSR willingly? 34:06 - Why do more people speak Russian than Kazakh in contemporary Kazakhstan? 43:38 - The culture of the pre-USSR Kazakhs 47:17 - Minerals, natural gas and oil 49:24 - Is Kazakhstan changing its script from Cyrillic to Latin? 55:26 - How difficult is Japanese? 1:01:12 - Does knowing Japanese help to understand Korean? 1:04:45 - Why has Mailka chosen Spanish as her next language? 1:06:08 - Persian and the Arabic alphabet 1:09:14 - The 3 types of polyglots 1:11:30 - Malika's tips for language learners 1:15:18 - Language apps: Duolingo vs LingQ 1:17:59 - How I and Malika met 1:19:31 - Is it wise to learn 2 languages at once? 1:22:59 - What is the minimum that you should do daily to get a better at a foreign language? 1:25:45 - Write to learn better 1:27:24 - Disciplined vs sporadic learning 1:29:57 - Korean, Japanese and Chinese people 1:34:32 - Future language goals If you liked the episode, be sure to rate, review and follow the podcast for future episodes. Want to get in touch? Contact me via a letter or my socials: https://linktr.ee/pauliusjuodis

Dorjpagma Batsaikhan is a cultural anthropologist from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Having graduated from the Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary, Dorjpagma has dedicated her academic career to researching and trying to understand Mongolia and Mongolian identity In today's podcast, Dono and I discuss various topics including Mongolian, Chinese, and Russian relationships; ancient and modern history; Mongolian identity; the Inner Mongolia autonomous region; the coexistence of various ethnicities, languages, and religions in Mongolia; and the political reforms it has undergone. 📧 If you'd like to contact Dono, here is her LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorjpagma/ 🎧 Dorjpagma's podcast 'Modern Mongolia': https://open.spotify.com/show/0O782fZfmwBJMtiJvO49Os Timeline: 00:00 - Intro 02:14 - Dorjpagma's background and research 07:31 - Mongolian demographics and diaspora 09:52 - Nomads and city dwellers 12:37 - Mongolian history in a nutshell 16:33 - Chinese and Russian influence 19:33 - Mongolian traditional script vs the Cyrillic alphabet 25:34 - Relationship with the Russian Federation 28:30 - Mongolian religions, culture and the Soviet oppression 33:41 - How do Mongolians navigate their surroundings? 35:06 - Mongolia and Inner Mongolia: What's the difference? 43:43 - Dorjpagma's podcast "Modern Mongolia" 46:55 - Mongolian ethnicities and the Buryats 49:38 - How do Mongolians perceive Russian expansionist politics? 52:02 - The Mongols and the Kazakhs: similar or different? 57:28 - Dono's plans for the future Want to get in touch? Contact me via a letter or my socials. https://linktr.ee/pauliusjuodis

Bahador Alast is a full-time engineer, a cultural and linguistic aficionado, and the founder of the YouTube channel 'Bahador Alast' where Bahador brings speakers of different languages in an attempt to unveil their commonalities. Starting small the channel has recently reached 300.000 subscribers and now is one of the leading channels for language enthusiasts. As stated by Bahador: 'In a divided world, people come closer together through what they have in common linguistically and culturally. We are all unique in our own ways, but as humans, we all have something in common. A simple cultural exchange can go a long way and have a lasting impact on the global community.' This is Bahador. Today I invite you to listen to our conversation about the Indo-European languages, Iran and Iranian culture, the Middle East, Zoroastrianism, Canada, the Persian language and so much more. Bahador's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BahadorAlast... Bahador's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bahadoralast Timeline: 00:00 - Intro 01:21 - Who is Bahador Alast? 03:07 - The story behind Bahador's YouTube channel 08:43 - Bahador's fondest memories of his life in Iran 11:34 - Iran and its ethnic groups 13:02 - Zoroastrianism, its followers and its cultural influence 18:01 - What is Avesta? 20:11 - Was there a time when Indo-European was a single language? 22:59 - How much has Arabic culture affected the Persian language? 27:39 - In which countries do people speak Persian? 36:28 - Does understanding linguistics help to learn languages? 42:07 - The importance of digging deep and remaining critical 47:49 - Who is Bahador looking for to participate in his YouTube project? 49:35 - Indigenous languages of the United States and Canada 54:30 - Lithuanian - Sanskrit - Old Persian connection 57:26 - Why do so many people confuse Iranian and Arab people? 1:00:41 - What are the most pervasive stereotypes about Iranian people? 1:04:41 - How did the cotemporary Iranian regime come into power? 1:14:21 - What are Bahador's hopes regarding the future? Want to get in touch? Contact me via a letter or my socials. https://linktr.ee/pauliusjuodis