Speaking Tongues is a podcast dedicated to celebrating language and culture from around the world. We’re in our 4th year of conversations and this present season has been nothing short of magical.
A few years ago… well, maybe more like 15 years ago or so, here in New York City, one could not get on the train or wait at the bus without seeing posters and advertisements encouraging daily straphangers to visit Iceland. To this day, I don’t know how that campaign started and what it was about Iceland in those 1-3 years that we were all being urged to visit but I can tell you that 1. those ads must have cost the Icelandic tourism board a fortune, and 2. the prospect of experiencing Icelandic culture entered my mind and never left.
Unfortunately, in the years since, I’ve not made it to the land of fire and ice but many people in my life have made the trip, even my mum and dad! I have no excuse for not visiting Iceland when it’s a quick flight from NYC and fares on Icelandair remain relatively affordable all year long. Around the time that those ads were all over the city, a friend of mine at the time expressed a mutual desire to visit Reykjavik. Alas, like the many plans of twenty-something friends toiling away at their newly acquired, post-graduation, entry level positions, and navigating a new young-adult normal, those plans never came to fruition.
I’ve yet to visit Iceland. I can assure you that it’s not due to allegiance to this erstwhile friendship. It’s on my list but since travel has drastically slowed down for me in the last 6 years or so, it remains one of the many places that I just haven’t gotten around to planning to visit. For me, in this podcasting world that I now navigate, one of the next best things to getting on that flight is having the opportunity to sit down one-on-one with someone who can give me the skinny on the language and culture of a place I haven’t laid my eyes on.
Episode Recap
We kicked off this season of Speaking Tongues with Episode 145 speaking with Óskar Bragi , Icelandic teacher and founder of Speak Viking. Óskar came recommended to me through a listener of the show who is learning Icelandic. Luckily he was receptive to coming on the podcast and we had a truly engaging conversation.
One thing I love about making Speaking Tongues is the ability to have conversations about a particular language with more than one person. After all, no one is theee definitive voice for a language, a culture, its people, or its learners. Being able to have multiple perspectives on a language is crucial as we’re navigating conversations that could very easily go in the wrong direction of stereotyping people or marginalizing a demographic. This episode was our second conversation on Icelandic so I truly urge you to listen to both of them as both of my guests stories with the Icelandic language are vastly different.
So back to this season’s romp through Icelandic culture. Óskar is truly a gem and speaking with him about his culture was very special. As he has been teaching Icelandic for over a decade his passion for the language is evident all through our conversation with dry wit and wisdom.
Óskar shares his insights on the unique construction of the Icelandic language, which has strong ties to Old Norse. He explains how Icelandic has maintained its purity over the centuries, unlike its Scandinavian counterparts, which have evolved more rapidly due to their proximity to each other and to other languages. This linguistic preservation is a source of national pride for Icelanders and is deeply embedded in their cultural identity.
For those of you learning the language or yearning to learn the language, one intriguing aspect you will love in this episode hearing Óskar discuss the challenges and motivations of learning Icelandic. He shares his methods for keeping students inspired and engaged, noting that while pronunciation and grammar can be difficult, the biggest hurdle for learners is often self-sabotage. Óskar highlights the importance of having fun with the language and integrating it into daily life through small hacks, like using Icelandic filler words to make conversations feel more natural. In this episode and on his social media, he gives us a run down of some useful filler words that will help your conversations flow smoothly.
Óskar also talks with us about the cultural significance of Icelandic music and how it plays a role in language learning. He highlights the vibrant Icelandic hip-hop scene showcasing its linguistic creativity and preserving the language in a modern context. It’s always so much fun for me to learn about a hip-hop scene outside of the U.S. and in a language other than English. If you’re learning Icelandic, or just curious like I am about the music, Oskar tells us some of his favorite artists and breaks down some of their clever lyrics and wordplay.
For those interested in Icelandic culture, Óskar provides a glimpse into the country’s culinary delights, including the famous Icelandic hot dog made from lamb and the country’s obsession with ice cream. We also talk about the importance of public pool culture in Iceland, where people gather to relax and socialize in geothermal-heated pools and hot tubs. According to Óskar, this is the best time to truly talk up a storm with your fellow Icelanders!
Whether you’re a language enthusiast, a lover of Icelandic culture, or simply curious about the Icelandic language, this episode is a must-listen. Tune in via the link below to hear Episode 145. Speaking Icelandic and hear stories of this unique country, its historical roots, and the vibrant culture that surrounds it.
A Little Note from Me:
As of writing this, I’ve got two weeks of Italian lessons under my belt. I talked a bit about this in the last two posts but I was so nervous to begin lessons after a six month hiatus. As it turns out, I had nothing to worry about because as soon as I heard my teacher’s voice, I was activated like a sleeper cell in the movies, ready to take on Italian language again. I was making mistakes, of course and there were a few things I didn’t understand but I truly felt my confidence growing by the minute. By the time the hour lesson was over, I was on cloud 9.
I had to have a good long talk with myself after that. I wonder why is it that I alway jump to fear and anxiety when I’m taking on something new. Of course, I was excited to re-start my lessons but the fear of not understanding was creeping in. In my good long talk with myself, I was able to tell myself that Italian has been the language of my heart and my “go-to” language for nearly 25 years. It’s somehow ingrained in my mind at this point so that no matter how far away I go from it, it is never far away from me. I also have worked to hard to get to this point and I’ve EARNED what I know. So no more being nervous or scared. I’ve got this.
Tell me, have you ever given yourself a pep talk when you need to get through your languages? What were some of the things you were able to say to make it easier on yourself. Let me know in the comments.
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