Ep207: Wandering Polyglot - Dr Alexander Arguelles 2

In this episode I am once again joined by Dr Alexander Arguelles, linguist, world-renowned polyglot, and scholar of comparative religion.

Dr Arguelles continues the biographical thread taken up in his previous episode, recalling, after his years of intense language study in Korea, accepting a Professorship in Lebanon to immerse in Arabic and later fleeing the country with his family as war erupted there. Dr Arguelles recalls teaching positions in California, Singapore, Dubai, and the language immersions that those posting facilitated.

Dr Arguelles also critiques current trends in the American university system, compares it to the past, proposes alternative structures and reformations, and offers his thoughts on the future of academia.

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https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep...

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

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Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro
02:54 - Accepting a professorship in Lebanon to immerse in Arabic
05:26 - Reflecting on learning Arabic
08:19 - Mental technique to turn off the English mind
09:18 - Fleeing Lebanon when war broke out
15:01 - Teaching at the New College of California
19:27 - :Early activity on ‘How To Learn A Language’ forum
21:47 - How would Professor Arguelles reform education in America today?
26:11 - Learning 4 languages at once
32:30 - Teaching in Singapore as a Language Specialist
35:14 - Collaboration with linguist Paul Nation
38:34 - Teaching adults vs university students
42:42 - Accepting a professorship in Dubai and more Arabic immersion
40:03 - Being studied as a polyglot and learning Hebrew
51:08 - The rich story tradition of Arabic
53:47 - Death of Prof Arguelles’ brother
56:07 - Homeschooling his sons in multiple languages
58:51 - Mixed experiences at the Concorida Language Villages in Minnesota
01:08:59 - Professor Arguelles Academy
01:12:23 - Criticisms of academia and today’s University system
01:21:29 - Predicting the future of Universities in the USA
01:23:30 - Language learning as meditation

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Previous episode with Dr Alexander Arguelles:
https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep...

To find our more about Dr Alexander Arguelles and his Academy, visit:
https://www.alexanderarguelles.com/ac...

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
https://www.guruviking.com


Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James