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World Service,16 Mar 2026,26 mins

How mother tongue moulds us

The Conversation

Available for over a year

Datshiane Navanayagam speaks to two women who research what happens to our thoughts, feelings and behaviours when we speak many languages. To what extent do we have a 鈥渕other tongue鈥 鈥 and what happens if we stop using it? Dr Aneta Pavlenko is a Ukrainian-American linguist who looks at the emotional impact of moving between languages. Professor N煤ria Sebasti谩n Gall茅s is a Spanish cognitive psychologist who studies bilingual toddlers and young babies. Produced by Rebecca Moore and Hannah Sander (Image: (L) Aneta Pavlenko, courtesy Aneta Pavlenko. (R) N煤ria Sebasti谩n Gall茅s, courtesy N煤ria Sebasti谩n Gall茅s.)

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