Learning Sinhala at Columbia, with Emma Kaneira
Said & Done
Emma Kaneira, a 2025 graduate of Barnard College, shares her experience learning Sinhala at Columbia through the Shared Course Initiative, which brings this language to Columbia from Cornell University. She reflects on her progression through the language sequence, how her studies inspired her to apply for and receive a Fulbright award, and how she envisions her knowledge of Sinhala shaping her future career in the legal profession. Learn more about the Shared Course Initiative: Listen & Subscribe to Said & Done on Your Favorite Podcast App: 👉 https://linktr.ee/saidanddone 📌...
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Centering the Climate Humanities in Language Education, with Francisca AguilĂł Mora
Said & Done
Francisca AguilĂł Mora is Senior Lecturer of Spanish in Columbia University's Department of Latin American and Iberian Cultures and co-director of the Spanish Language Program. In this conversation, she discusses how the Climate Humanities can take a central position in the L2 classroom, and how she has begun to put this into practice in her own teaching. We also discuss a recent article, "Climate Humanities in the L2 Classroom: Radical Hope for an Uncertain Future," which she co-authored with Almudena Marin Cobos in the journal Radical Teacher as part of a volume dedicated to critical DEI....
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Learning First Year Chinese, with Ling Yan and Yike Li
Said & Done
Video version here: https://youtu.be/trl-j5ulOLw?feature=shared Ever struggled with Mandarin pronunciation or stroke order? In our latest podcast episode, Ling Yan and Yike Li, both Mandarin Chinese instructors at Columbia, reveal how they tackle these common learning hurdles. They’ve developed a dedicated First Year Chinese Learning Hub that helps new students build confidence in pronunciation, tones, character writing, and more. Curious to hear their insights and teaching strategies? Tune in and discover how their innovative approach can boost your (or your students’) Chinese...
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TESOL vs. World Language Teaching, with Kim Edmunds
Said & Done
Kim Edmunds is the Educational Technologist at the Columbia University Language Resource Center. She is also a TESOL teacher trainer at The New School and an ESL instructor. In this conversation, Kim reflects on the similarities and differences between TESOL/ESL and world language teaching. We discuss key areas of focus, including pronunciation, cultural perspectives, motivation in language learning, and the role of technology in the classroom.
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How to be Polite in Javanese, with Maria Dewi Rosari and Gading Aulia
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Maria Dewi Rosari (Rosi) is a Fulbight Language Teaching Assistant at Columbia in the 2024-25 academic year. She is also an English language lecturer in Indonesia. Gading Auliya is currently a masters student at Teachers College in Adult Learning and Leadership, and is also a facilitator for youth empowerment in Indonesia. In this conversation, Rosi and Gading explore the Javanese language, focusing on its unique system of speech levels. They highlight the differences between Ngoko (informal) and Krama (formal/polite), along with other registers that help speakers express politeness and...
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Beyond the Language Classroom, with Benjamin Williams
Said & Done
Benjamin Williams, a junior at Columbia University in 2024-2025, is double-majoring in French and Francophone Studies, as well as German Literature and Cultural History. In this episode, Ben talks about his passion for languages and shares his experiences learning German, French, Italian, and Ancient Greek. He also reflects on his work in an advanced French course, where he collaborated with Francophone asylum seekers in New York City. He then discusses his volunteer efforts at Afrikana, an organization dedicated to supporting Black, Arab, and Muslim newcomers facing challenges in accessing...
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Translating Past and Present, with Michael F. Moore
Said & Done
Michael F. Moore is a translator and interpreter who has translated numerous works, including The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni, The Drowned and the Saved by Primo Levi, Live Bait by Fabio Genovesi, and Agostino by Alberto Moravia. His most recently translated Spatriati by Mario Desiati, which in 2022 won the Premio Strega, Italy's highest literary award. In addition to his translation work, he serves as an interpreter to the permanent mission of Italy to the UN. In this conversation, Michael recounts his path to learning Italian and becoming a translator and interpreter. He discusses the...
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Haitian Creole (Kreyòl): A Revolutionary Language
Said & Done
Wynnie Lamour-Quansah is a lecturer of Haitian Creole at NYU, the founder and managing director of the Haitian Creole Language Institute of New York, and the co-founder of Jaden Timoun, a Haitian Creole language immersion program for children. Wynnie talks about her own experience with growing up and speaking Haitian Creole. She discusses the origins and revolutionary history of the language, its status today in Haiti, and the relationship between language, politics, and power. Haitian Creole Language Institute of New York: https://haitiancreoleinstitute.com/ Jaden Timoun:...
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Heritage Language Learning, with Nelleke Van Deusen-Scholl
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Nelleke Van Deusen-Scholl, a sociolinguist and former director of the Yale Center for Language Study, speaks about heritage language learning, a topic on which she has published extensively. She then discusses other ways in which language learning has a transformative effect on people's lives, from migrant farm workers in florida, to university students, to any person who decides that they want to study a new language. The power of language learning is also the topic of her blog, Discover the World through Language, available at
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Cognitive Linguistics and the Language Classroom, with Reyes Llopis-GarcĂa
Said & Done
Reyes Llopis-GarcĂa is a Senior Lecturer in Spanish in the Department of Latin American and Iberian Cultures at Columbia, a cognitive linguist, and a teacher trainer. In this conversation, we talk about cognitive linguistics and some ways in which concepts from this field of study can be applied in the language classroom. We also discuss a book that she recently published, Applied Cognitive Linguistics and L2 Instruction in the Cambridge Elements series. You can find more information about the book here: In this conversation, we refer to several diagrams from her book. To see these...
info_outlineNelleke Van Deusen-Scholl, a sociolinguist and former director of the Yale Center for Language Study, speaks about heritage language learning, a topic on which she has published extensively. She then discusses other ways in which language learning has a transformative effect on people's lives, from migrant farm workers in florida, to university students, to any person who decides that they want to study a new language. The power of language learning is also the topic of her blog, Discover the World through Language, available at https://discovertheworldthroughlanguage.org/