A new video podcast exploring multilingualism and linguistic diversity across the globe has launched, as part of Manchester City of Literature’s International Mother Language Day 2023 celebrations.

The podcast is hosted by Lecturer in Linguistics at The University of Manchester and current lead of the Linguistic Diversity Collective, Dr Serge Sagna. Dr Sagna has been active in contributing to, initiating and spearheading language revitalisation activities by using audio-visual media and producing literacy materials. He has previously organised and hosted a radio show in endangered language Eegimaa, and now brings his media skills to the ‘Multilingual World’ series.

‘Multilingual World’ features Dr Sagna in conversation with leading academics, and in future, multilingual speakers living in Manchester will also be invited to discuss their relationship with their languages, their sense of identity and their experience learning, transmitting, and using languages in their life in the city of Manchester.

On why he started the podcast, Dr Sagna says: “We all have one or more languages, spoken or signed, and everyone has an opinion about language. There is no education without language; no socio-economic development without language; no meaningful political stability without good language management.”

Two episodes are currently available:

Episode 1 – Multilingualism in Manchester, with Dr Leonie Gaiser Episode 2 – Indigenous languages and revitalization, with Prof Gabriela Peréz Baéz (including a discussion on International Mother Language Day)

Please visit and subscribe to the Multilingual World YouTube channel.