Rephonic
Artwork for The Secret Life of Language
Italian Cinema
Generative AI
Minority Languages
Italian Language Cinemas
Filmmaking
Community
Translation Studies
Machine Translation
Language Learning
Indigenous Languages
Italian Migration
Cultural Nostalgia
Migration
Cinemas
The Castle
Machine Learning
AI Ethics
Cultural Preservation
SBS
Australian Film Industry

The Secret Life of Language dives into the cultures, arts, and histories that underpin and inform the diverse languages we speak. From the studios of the University of Melbourne’s School of Languages and Linguistics.

PublishesInfrequentlyEpisodes27Founded7 years ago
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Society & CultureEducation

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Artwork for The Secret Life of Language

Latest Episodes

In this evocative episode of Matt’s Chitchats, Matt reunites with former colleagues Kerstin Pilz and Amanda Burns to delve into the enduring allure of Italy and the transformative power of storytelling.

In this series, Matt's Chitchats, part of The ... more

YouTube

Matt’s Chitchats – Uncomfortable words and the vocabulary of desire – A Conversation with Marco Scarcelli

Words create worlds, and in the digital age, they also create and constrain how we love. In this extended second instalment, Matt is back with ... more

YouTube

In this episode, Vera Gheno, noted Italian sociolinguist and public intellectual best known for her work on language and gender joins our host Matt Absalom to have a wide-ranging discussion that starts with Italian music and ends with the "death of a... more

YouTube

In this bonus episode of Choc-tops and Cassata, Elisabetta and Mark call on their co-host Santo to justify his bold claim from part 3 of Choc-tops that The Castle – the much-loved classic Australian comedy which he co-wrote – is, in fact, an ‘Italian... more

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Conversations
ConversationsABC Australia

Recent Guests

Amanda Burns
Author of An Italian Affair
Affirm Press
Episode: Matt's Chitchats - Italiana nel cuore: Writing, Healing, and the Journey Beyond Academia
Kerstin Pilz
Author of Loving My Lying, Dying, Cheating Husband
Affirm Press
Episode: Matt's Chitchats - Italiana nel cuore: Writing, Healing, and the Journey Beyond Academia
Cosimo Marcon Scarcelli
Sociologist of communication and culture, University of Padova
University of Padova
Episode: Matt’s Chitchats – Uncomfortable words and the vocabulary of desire – A Conversation with Marco Scarcelli
Vera Gheno
Noted Italian sociolinguist, public intellectual, and prolific writer known for her work on language and gender.
Episode: Matt's Chitchats - Music, technology and the anxiety of Italian Identity – A Conversation with Vera Gheno
Antonio Zeccola
Founder of Palace Cinemas and the Italian Film Festival in Melbourne
Palace Cinemas
Episode: Choc-tops and Cassata - Part 4: From vision to legacy: Antonio Zeccola and Italian cinema in Australia
Jan Vittorio Sardi
Oscar and BAFTA nominee, writer and director
Episode: Choc-tops and Cassata - Part 3: Jan Sardi on Italian cinema and Australian screenwriting
Carlo Zeccola
Ran the Metropolitan cinema in Brunswick, Sydney
Episode: Choc-tops and Cassata - Part 2: Saturday Nights at the Metropolitan: Melbourne’s Italian Cinema Experience
Giovanni Zeccola
Brother of Carlo Zeccola, worked at the Metropolitan cinema
Episode: Choc-tops and Cassata - Part 2: Saturday Nights at the Metropolitan: Melbourne’s Italian Cinema Experience
Gus Berger
Filmmaker and operator of the Thornbury Picture House
Thornbury Picture House
Episode: Choc-tops and Cassata - Part 1: How multicultural movies saved the Melbourne cinema scene

Hosts

Matt Absalom
Host of a linguistics/history-focused podcast, affiliated with The University of Melbourne, School of Languages and Linguistics; often discusses language, identity, and culture with guests.
Elisabetta Ferrari
Lecturer in Italian Studies; frequent contributor to discussions on language, culture, and Italian cinema in academic and public contexts.
Santo Cilauro
Writer and filmmaker with a focus on Italian-Australian cinema and cultural commentary.
Mark Nicholls
Researcher and teacher in film, with ties to the University of Melbourne; contributes film history and industry insights.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 17 ratings
  • Fascinating podcast

    I hope that the School of L&L will put out a few more episodes into the future!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    John O.
    Australia4 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Great guests with insightful takes on Italian cinema and migration.
Thoughtful, research-informed conversations that stay engaging and approachable.
High-quality discussions that blend academia with personal storytelling.
Fascinating podcast—great for listeners who love language and culture.
Would welcome more episodes exploring language in everyday life.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#87
Russia/Society & Culture

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Choc-tops and Cassata - Part 3: Jan Sardi on Italian cinema and Australian screenwriting
Q: Did you have to do a lot of research for this film?
Sardi notes that much of his research for "Love's Brother" was culturally biographical and transformative, stemming from personal experiences.
Choc-tops and Cassata - Part 3: Jan Sardi on Italian cinema and Australian screenwriting
Q: Is there a reason why the film was all in English?
Jan Sardi explains that shooting in Italian wasn't financially viable, which influenced the language choice for "Love's Brother."
Universities and the rise of AI - Part 2: A peek into large language models
Q: How reliable are the AI detection scores or percentages from software like TURNIT IN?
They are not particularly reliable, often resulting in false negatives and false positives, especially problematic for non-native speakers.
Universities and the rise of AI - Part 2: A peek into large language models
Q: What are tokens?
Tokens are the individual components processed by the neural networks, often inclusive of parts of words that help the models manage and analyze language data.
Universities and the rise of AI - Part 2: A peek into large language models
Q: Can you give us your take on why we've seen this huge surge with the arrival of ChatGPT and similar products?
The surge can be attributed to three main factors: greatly increased computing power, a vast increase in available data for training, and the development of accessible user interfaces for these models.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Secret Life of Language

What is The Secret Life of Language about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful blend of language, culture, and media history explored through conversations with linguists, writers, and film enthusiasts. Across episodes, listeners hear about multilingual identity, the healing power of writing, Italian language and culture, and the role of cinema in migrant communities. Noteworthy is how personal storytelling, scholarship, and regional cinema histories intersect to illuminate language as identity and community builder, often weaving together memoir, literary discussion, and cultural nostalgia. The show appears to attract academically inclined listeners who enjoy deep dives into language, migration, and Italian cinema, with guests ranging from university researchers to cinema historians and authors.

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Which podcasts are similar to The Secret Life of Language?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Secret Life of Language:

1. Conversations
2. The Rest Is History

How many episodes of The Secret Life of Language are there?

The Secret Life of Language launched 7 years ago and published 27 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Secret Life of Language?

Recent guests on The Secret Life of Language include:

1. Amanda Burns
2. Kerstin Pilz
3. Cosimo Marcon Scarcelli
4. Vera Gheno
5. Antonio Zeccola
6. Jan Vittorio Sardi
7. Carlo Zeccola
8. Giovanni Zeccola

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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