The podcast “Ma vie, ma langue” is back for a second series

How can learning a language change the course of a person’s life? What do people who are learning a foreign language dream of? Guided by these questions, journalist Marjorie Bertin takes listeners on a cultural and linguistic journey in this podcast to meet those who are breaking new ground. Whether moving, funny, unexpected or deeply affecting, the unique stories of students, PhD candidates and lecturers at Inalco prove that openness and the study of a language and culture can affirm one’s identity and transform a life.

Episode 6 – Victor: Ukrainian, the language of resistance

For Victor, Ukrainian was his grandfather’s mother tongue. A language he did not speak fluently, despite the memory of a few words firmly lodged in his mind. But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 was to change everything. Stunned and powerless, Victor decided to learn the language of his ancestors at Inalco. He commits to speaking it fluently before the end of the war. Ukrainian then becomes his means of transmission, of resistance, and his cultural weapon against disinformation. But it is also through books and song that Victor strives to pass on this culture that fascinates him so much, far removed from the prism of war. 

Episode 7 - Sarah: Pashto, the language of brotherhood

In France, Sarah volunteered to teach French to young refugees. It was in this context that she first encountered the Pashto language. At the time a sound engineer specialising in classical music, she decided to explore this language and culture by travelling alone to Afghanistan. Having become an interpreter for the Red Cross, she worked in particular on repatriating the bodies of Afghan soldiers killed in action. Back in France, having just opened Paris’s first Afghan cultural centre, she continues to make this language her profession through the classes she teaches at Inalco and her work as a translator.

Episode 8 – Augustin: Khmer, a language against oblivion

His mother, a survivor of the Cambodian royal family, refused to teach him Khmer after the genocide. By learning this language, Augustin – a foreign-language enthusiast and now a PhD student – is, for the first time, embracing the language of his ancestors. Little by little, Khmer is enabling him to piece together a fragmented family history and to understand the circumstances surrounding his grandmother’s murder by the Khmer Rouge in 1975.

Episode 9 – Avelyne: Yoruba, the language to conquer Nollywood

Avelyne’s parents are originally from Benin and speak Fon. In 2022, Avelyne and her family travelled to Benin, then to Nigeria, to trace the origins of their surname. They discovered that one of their ancestors was a prominent aristocrat from the Yoruba ethnic group. The young girl then threw herself into learning the language and discovering this culture she knew little about. Passionate about cinema, she now dreams of joining Nollywood, the Nigerian film industry, and is learning the language to pursue her ambition.

Episode 10 – Fleur: Greek, the language of love

Fleur is fascinated by ancient Greece and its mythology. Ever since she was a little girl, she has dreamt of becoming an archaeologist. Today, the young Frenchwoman, who is also passionate about Mediterranean cuisine, could well see herself working as a bookseller in Greece. It is a country she adores, yet whose splendours and language she knew nothing about before meeting her partner and his family. For his sake, and to understand his family who do not speak French, she is learning Greek. For Fleur, this language has become the language of emotions and intimacy, and the vehicle for a wonderful life project that she hopes to realise.