The Weekend Listener is a monthly list of noteworthy podcasts and radio recordings, old and new, curated for your listening pleasure. For more listening tips please search the website for previous instalments.
LANGUAGE
Language Carries More Than Words
This episode of the On Being radio series is a wonderful interview with the writer David Treuer. Raised on a reservation in Minnesota, Treuer eloquently speaks about the Ojibwe language, identity, and the need for protecting and preserving tribal languages. [Duration: 51’16’’]
LEARNING ENGLISH
In this episode of the Ask a Teacher segment of the VOA Learning English podcast, you will learn about the difference between count and noncount nouns (that’s countable and uncountable nouns, if you’re more familiar with that terminology) and why the noncount ones don’t have plural forms. [Duration: 5’06’’]
LITERATURE
Born on 22 May 1859, Arthur Conan Doyle is best known as the creator of Sherlock Holmes. But he was much more than that: a passionate athlete, social activist and, more controversially, a convinced spiritualist and a believer in fairies. Listen to this episode of Great Lives from the BBC Radio 4 to learn more about Arthur Conan Doyle’s life. [Duration: 28’48’’]
HISTORY
Ancient and mysterious, megaliths and megalithic complexes continue to fascinate, thousands of years after they were first erected. In spite of archeological discoveries, so much is still unknown about them and the people who built them. Were they temples, burial sites or astronomical observatories? Find out more in this episode of In Our Time. [Duration: 50’26’’]
CULTURE & SOCIETY
The American Transcendentalist writer Henry David Thoreau is nowadays best known for his book Walden; or, Life in the Woods—a book written in praise of simple, minimalist living. What lessons can we learn from Thoreau about meaningful work and making a living? John Kaag, a professor of philosophy, explains in this episode of The Art of Manliness podcast. [Duration: 42’32’’]
RELIGION & SPIRITUALITY
Spirituality and Mental Health
This episode of Ask the Expert is an interview with Dr. Sidney Hankerson, a specialist in faith-based mental health services. Dr. Hankerson talks about the connection of spirituality and mental health and the role of faith leaders in counselling, among other important and insightful things. [Duration: 23’14’’]
Is there a podcast episode you’d like to recommend on these or related topics? You’re very welcome to share it in the comments section below!
P.S. Cover image credit: Ross Sneddon via Unsplash
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