With a more globalized and interconnected world, it’s no surprise that the number of people moving abroad has increased. In this episode we dive into this choice and the lifestyle that comes with it, hearing from two very special guests, Zaher in Spain and Patti in Thailand. They give us their insights into the motivation for moving abroad, challenges they faced with culture, language, and making friends, and how it has shaped them. Plus, they give some advice to those moving abroad for the first time or those who have recently moved abroad.

In Language News, we take a look at the very sad news of Koko, the gorilla who knew over 1,000 signs, who died in her sleep at the age of 46 at the Gorilla Foundation’s preserve in California on June 19th. For over 40 years researchers studied her linguistic and cognitive development, changing the way in which other species, especially gorillas and other great apes, are viewed by the scientific community. Here is the article we mentioned, and here is a more in depth interview about her. Finally, here’s the clip of her interacting with her trainer Penny, which we reference in the episode. She really was remarkable.

For our Lost in Translation story, we hear from Nia about a time when she had a simple request and ended up embarrassed from the way that miming and body language let her down! Thanks to Nia, we loved hearing this relatable story! To send us your own Lost in Translation moment, send it to our contact section where you can record yourself, or send a voice memo to: languagenerdsdoearth@gmail.com. We would love to hear them!

Zaher has a podcast of his own about expat living in Madrid, called Tweedle Z and Tweedle Dom. Give it a listen  here!

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