Becoming fluent in a second language is difficult. But for adults, is it impossible? Science says no. In this encore episode, Short Wave host Emily Kwong dissects the "critical period hypothesis," a theory which linguists have been debating for decades — with the help of Sarah Frances Phillips, a Ph.D. student in the linguistics department at New York University. Together, Emily and former Short Wave host Maddie Sofia explore where the theory comes from, how it applies to second-language acquisition and what it means for Emily's efforts to learn Mandarin Chinese as an adult.Have a linguistics or neuroscience question? Email us at [email protected] — we'd love to hear from you!Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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On the Code Switch podcast, 40 years ago, the Philadelphia Police Department carried out a bombing that destroyed a Black neighborhood on live TV. And yet the deadly events of that day have been largely forgotten.
There is now a historic marker because a group of middle school children were assigned to look at police brutality in their community. Listen to the Code Switch podcast from the NPR Network.
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So, Maddie, you and I have known each other for a while now, and I think we're ready to take it to the next level. Oh, my God.
Are we going whitewater rafting?
No. Are we doing it? No. Not today. But I have brought you something just as invigorating and just as vulnerable, a Kwong family home movie. What?
Yes, I think there's more eggs.
Do you need more eggs? My baby Kwong.
So I'm two years old, and we're on an Easter egg hunt. I got my floral Easter dress. I got my grandparents, Huey and Edgar Kwong, and they are all about this right now.
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