Tag Archives: linguistics

Podcast Exemplar: The Allusionist #95

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https://www.theallusionist.org/

The Allusionist is a linguistics podcast hosted by Helen Zaltzman. In episode 95, Helen Zaltzman interviews David Peterson, a language creator and writer, who talks about his work making the Dothraki and Valerian languages for HBO series Game of Thrones. I really am excited that I stumbled upon this podcast because I’m interested in linguistics and I am a big Game of Thrones fan. This episode is a pleasure to listen to for me since it combines these two subjects.

Helen Zaltzman’s voice is clear and authoritative, bringing attention to her questions and informative statements during the interview as she guides David Peterson’s passionate delve into language creation for Game of Thrones and in general. Zaltzman did well in gently shaping the conversation with Peterson in a manner that allowed him to go on as much as his passion needed him to. I learned how extensive language creation is and how involved it can be, even more so if there is a written system for the new language.

I think that fans of the epic fantasy television show would enjoy this podcast interview because of the insight given to the Dothraki and Valerian languages creation and development. A part of the interview that I like but also may be on the longer side is Peterson talking about the word “Khaleesi” and the issue of its pronunciation. He goes into depth about his mistake with the word “Khaleesi” and how its current pronunciation isn’t right according to how he constructed the Dothraki language, although it honors George R.R. Martin’s spelling of it in the novels.

A Recommendation from a Podcast Not-thusiast

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I’m not a really a fan of podcasts so finding a new podcast was both very difficult and ridiculously easily. There were many podcasts that I had never heard of, but there weren’t any that I wanted to listen to. Normally, the extent of my podcast listening is NPR’s tidbits from one of their serializations. Even then, I can’t really say that I enjoy them so much as they give me something to think about while I’m commuting.

So the journey to finding a podcast began with the simple question of “what will make me listen to it for more than two minutes?” It would have to be something I could relate to, something that I wanted to hear or needed to know.

I tried to search for podcasts on specific topics that I might enjoy, hoping that if I was seeking information that I could only find in one location, it would make me appreciate the podcast more. I looked at several topically focused podcasts but I can’t say that I liked any of them because the format was off putting. I couldn’t finish a single one.

The difficulty I have with podcasting is that it comes out in documentary or interview style. If you’re not interested in that, then it’s difficult to get into a podcast. Because there is no visual feature, it’s a little bit like reading a play with stage directions.

After searching for a while, I did find one I could listen to in its entirety. The Allusionist is a short (10-20 minutes), biweekly program that explores interesting ways we use language. With small interview snippets and references to current events, the show really drives home the dynamic nature of language production.

What made this podcast successful were the little things:

First, it’s fairly short. I can pay attention for a 10-15 minute segments and the topic is different and interesting each time. The information is efficiently and concisely delivered.

Second, the 1-minute beginning section is a good way to focus my attention. It’s a short segment on the history of a word. Funnily enough, this segment is sometimes sponsored by a company but the way the host links it in doesn’t make it irritating.

Third, the music is well integrated and blends well with the progression of the show. The entire production is top-notch so that each element feels vital but not overwhelming. Even the interview style is handled so well that the conversation flows naturally.

And of course, the host is instrumental to the success of a podcast. Helen Zaltzman is witty and dry, which makes me pay more attention to catch her bits of humor.

I don’t know that this is a podcast that I would eagerly await. I’m not that sort of person to begin with. But, if I had some free time, I’d rather listen to this podcast than do something else. I’d definitely listen to this to learn something new or just tune in to catch the first segment of each episode.