Language and Culture with Dr. J

In this special, uncensored episode, we step inside the world of the German National Youth Ballet, the BJB, an extraordinary ensemble comprised of nine professional dancers between the ages of 18 and 23, trained in both classical ballet and modern techniques. One of the very special features of the BJB is that they perform not only on professional stages, but everywhere dance can forge a connectio...

An intimate chat with the woman who has paved the road for Third Culture Kid research and has influenced our views about multiculturalism and global mobility over the past 4 decades. It is with immense pleasure that I bring you this very personal interview that allows you to get to know the person behind the admired researcher and writer. cultureum.com      cultureumdrj Just a quick note – this is...

Die Geigerin, Orchesterleiterin, Autorin und Pädagogin Gesine Mielitz spricht mit mir über die Zusammenhänge zwischen Sprache und Musik, über das Spektrum, in dem sich Musik und Sprache bewegen, über die interessante Übersetzung, die beim Wechsel zwischen verschiedenen Kunstformen stattfindet, über die Auswirkung der Nationalkultur auf den Stil von Autoren und Musikern, sowie über die Doppelrolle...

This is an interview with one of the leading experts on Shakespeare, Felicia Londré, who also happens to be a personal friend of Fernando Arrabal. In the interview, we tackle questions such as: Why do Shakespeare's plays still appeal to audiences today? Who actually wrote the plays? How has theater developed since Shakespeare? What are some of the problems with contemporary productions? What is th...

In this episode, I let you in on some of my favorite language learning exercises and talk to you about the most important considerations you should make in your effort to learn or maintain a language. The advice I provide in this episode can also be applied to improving speaking skills in your mother tongue and to public speaking in general. cultureum.com       @cultureumdrj Just a quick note: In...

Do you know what the difference is between Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and Cross Cultural Kids (CCKs)? How about the difference between flux culture and core culture, or ethnocentric and ethno-relevant views? Do you know where to draw the line between acting as a cultural ambassador and being guilty of cultural appropriation? Do you know what these terms refer to: passport culture, code switching, h...

Der deutsche Defensivspieler Thomas Ostendorf spricht mit mir über seine Fußballmannschaft und erzählt über die Initiativen des Vereins zur Förderung von Multikulturalität und Inklusion sowie über die Bemühungen des Vereins, für Gerechtigkeit und Gleichheit in der Welt zu kämpfen. hamburg-hurricanes.com     @hamburghurricanes cultureum.com     @cultureumdrj

Do you know these gentlemen in pink who play football every Sunday in Hamburg’s Central Park? Would you like to meet them? In this episode, three Hurricane players, George Balakrishna, Thomas Ostendorf, and Oussama Bensat, talk to us about the international character of this awesome grassroots football club, about their own cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and about the teams’ creative initiatives...

Juliette Blanquart, étudiante en journalisme et médias, partage avec nous son journal intime qu'elle a tenu pendant un an pour documenter la progression des travaux et des émotions autour des Jeux Olympiques 2024 à Paris. Une vue de derrière les coulisses des sportifs, des organisateurs, et du public !

Get an intimate impression of how the city of Paris changed and reacted to the Olympic Games. This is an honest and emotional account of the work and excitement that went into hosting the 2024 Olympics, as seen from the point of view of a student of journalism who served as a volunteer at the actual event. Juliette has also written 6 further articles about the various sport disciplines. Thank you,...

An episode that ends with Matteo Fusella declaring, “When it comes to culture, I am Italian and German. When it comes to patriotism, I am European,” this  episode takes you on Matteo’s train journey from Italy to Germany and back, informing you along the way about the German - Italian connection that is everywhere to find. Matteo talks about his train rides and walks through various cities in orde...

In this episode, the German - Italian student, Matteo Fusella, not only informs us about the Camino de Santiago, but also lets us in on his personal journey and experiences. An informative and intimate episode first in English, then from minute 15:47 in German, and finally, from minute 29:20 in Italian. Please have a look at the actual articles as well. They include many pictures from Matteo’s tra...

This episode welcomes the clarinetist Kymia Kermani, who is also the founder and artistic director of the Ensemble Sinn-Phonietta and a member of the Duo Kermani Gentili. Kymia takes us backstage and gives us a peak into the life of an ensemble – How do they communicate – with each other, with the music, with the audience? – What are the practical considerations that we no longer see when we atten...

Daniel Fehrens reflects on being nearly ¼ of a century old: what he has learned up until now, what he has learned to focus on, coping mechanism he has developed, and most importantly how he is setting out to approach the next phase of his life. Daniel shares his thoughts first in English, and then from minute 12:30 in Czech. cultureum.com     @cultureumdrj

In this episode, a young French student speaks about studying abroad and about her passion for sports. She first introduces herself in English and from minute 7:25 in French. Her articles can be found as a pdf on cultureum.com. Juliette will contribute further articles and readings in the weeks to come. cultureum.com         @cultureumdrj

An intimate chat with two brilliant musicians about the meaning and the development of contemporary music. Filled with personal anecdotes and examples, this episode brings you into the world of a composer and that of a conductor, and allows you to hear how they approach the art of communicating through music.  

This episode is a little bit different from previous ones. A young Czech student, Daniel Fehrens, reads you his article entitled, “Back to the Roots.” You can follow along by reading the PDF of the article on cultureum.com. Daniel’s article offers you interesting insight into the life of a Czech-German student and into his views and discoveries about culture, specifically biculturality, languages,...

Magyar szülők egyetlen fia, Zoárd Dániában született, Spanyolországban járt iskolába, most pedig Ausztráliában nő fel. És Zoárd egy nagyon tehetséges úszó reménység. Ezek a nézetei a nyelvről, az utazásról és a kulturális identitásról.

These are the views of a 14-year-old Hungarian-Australian-Danish-Spanish young man, who happens to also be an Olympic hopeful in swimming.

Associate Professor at Georgetown University, Myriam Vukovic, helps me recap the episode originally recorded in German with the French Consul General to Northern Germany, Valérie Lübken, the fashion influencer, Britta Ahrens (@mrsmoin_hamburg) and the chef and restaurant owner, Sebastian Junge from the restaurant Wolfs Junge. This episode connects fashion, cuisine and diplomacy historically and in...

Wie ging Ludwig XIV. mit Mode, Küche und Diplomatie um? Inwiefern ist Chanel mehr als eine Luxusmodemarke? Was haben das Modeatelier MadeaufVeddel und das Restaurant Wolfs Junge gemeinsam? Findet heraus, wie die französische Generalkonsulin zu Norddeutschland, Valérie Lübken, diese und weitere Fragen beantwortet. Hört, wie sich die Diskussion entwickelt, wenn die Mode-Influencerin Britta Ahrens (@...

The students from a private Catholic school in Hamburg, Germany speak about the role of culture in their every-day lives - from the food they eat to the languages they speak. Each stemming from a different cultural background, the students offer insight into what it means to be mono, bi, or multicultural. cultureum.com @cultureumdrj sophie-barat-schule.de  

Recorded before a live audience at the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, this episode kicks off Season 5 of the podcast and starts a discussion about the many sociocultural aspects of multiculturalism. In this episode, I speak with Kyle Akins, the son of a US-American diplomat and a Japanese mother. Kyle has already lived in 8 countries around the world, although he is only 19 years old. The...

Dr. Mario Navarro is an Argentinian linguist and rugby player, but he calls Hamburg, Germany home, which is where he lives with his wife and children, coaches rugby for FC St. Pauli, and works at the University of Hamburg. This episode wraps up my season on Latin America through Mario’s observations about the Spanish language and how it is spoken in the different parts of the world, through person...

Reflecting back on her home country of Brazil, my guest this week, Veronica Ricansrud, tackles the questions of what divides and what unites Brazilian society. The conclusion she reaches is that politics, religion, and soccer tend to polarize, while music (especially samba), food and partying, or spending time together, unite. A fun and informative episode with an energetic and genuinely cheerful...