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 Secret Life of Language , our host Matt Absalom will talk to all sorts of different people about all sorts of different things relating to languages. From the hallowed halls of the University of Melbourne to the shores of Lake Garda and the tropics o...
Apr 30, 2026•48 min•Ep. 23
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 sociologist Marco Scarcelli to decode the language of modern intimacy. We often think of "sex" as a biological act, but as Marco explains, it’s a linguistic minefield shaped by society and culture. From the power of euphemisms to the new terminology o...
Feb 12, 2026•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 22
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 alphabetical order" in the digital age. In this series, Matt's Chitchats , part of The Secret Life of Language, our host Matt Absalom will talk to all sorts of different people about all sorts of different things relating to languages. In this inaugur...
Dec 01, 2025•37 min•Ep. 21
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 film’. In this series, Choc-tops and Cassata , part of The Secret Life of Language , hosts Elisabetta Ferrari (Italian Studies Program) and Mark Nicholls (Screen and Cultural Studies) are joined by comedian, writer and producer Santo Cilauro to dig...
Sep 16, 2025•57 min
Antonio Zeccola, founder and owner of Australia’s largest independent cinema chain, Palace Cinemas, joins Santo, Elisabetta and Mark to talk about the early days of running Italian language cinemas in Melbourne. He sheds light on the sourcing, exhibition and distribution of Italian films for suburban cinemas and explores how Melbourne’s cultural landscape was transformed along the way. In this series, Choc-tops and Cassata , part of The Secret Life of Language , hosts Elisabetta Ferrari (Italian...
Aug 27, 2025•37 min•Ep. 20
Acclaimed Italo-Australian screenwriter and director Jan Sardi joins the Choc-tops and Cassata team to reflect on how Melbourne’s Italian social and cultural landscape has shaped his work in cinema. In this series, Choc-tops and Cassata , part of The Secret Life of Language , hosts Elisabetta Ferrari (Italian Studies Program) and Mark Nicholls (Screen and Cultural Studies) are joined by comedian, writer and producer Santo Cilauro to dig into the ways Italian language films shaped the cultural li...
Aug 13, 2025•43 min•Ep. 19
Melbourne cinemas provided an invaluable opportunity for the Italian community to gather and speak and hear their language, in a time when very little non-English media was available. When SBS and video came along, everything changed. In this series, Choc-tops and Cassata , part of The Secret Life of Language , hosts Elisabetta Ferrari (Italian Studies Program) and Mark Nicholls (Screen and Cultural Studies) are joined by comedian, writer and producer Santo Cilauro to dig into the ways Italian l...
Jul 30, 2025•24 min•Ep. 18
Italian film nights in 1950's -1970's Melbourne were an excuse for a multigenerational night out. Movie screenings brought places, faces and voices from the old country to a hungry audience. But they also helped save some of Melbourne’s favourite suburban cinemas from demolition. In this series, Choc-tops and Cassata , part of The Secret Life of Language, hosts Elisabetta Ferrari (Italian Studies Program) and Mark Nicholls (Screen and Cultural Studies) are joined by comedian, writer and producer...
Jul 15, 2025•20 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Santo Cilauro joins University of Melbourne Italian and Screen Studies scholars Elisabetta Ferrari and Mark Nicholls to explore the role Italian migrants played in keeping Melbourne’s cinema culture alive. Featuring prominent guests who helped to shape the scene, join us for a fun filled journey back to the golden era of cinema in Melbourne. Choc Tops and Cassata a new series, part of The Secret Life of Language Podcast . Coming mid-July 2025! The Secret Life of Language is a podcast series from...
Jun 26, 2025•1 min
Is generative AI a disruptive force or an opportunity for those who work with languages? As genAI and machine learning technologies remake the translation industry, what does it mean for the career prospects of professional translators? And can AI be harnessed to preserve and revitalize the world's linguistic diversity? In this episode of The Secret Life of Language , we look at the impact of genAI in a domain close to our hearts: languages and linguistics. First up, hosts Prof John Hajek and Dr...
Dec 17, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 16
What might we lose or gain as AI reshapes academia? Can AI be leveraged ethically to foster learning, or does it fundamentally undermine academic integrity? And how do we ensure authentic learning in an AI-augmented world? Join us as we ponder the shifting roles of educators and students, and consider whether the future of assessments lies in oral exams, digital literacy, or something entirely different. In this episode of The Secret Life of Language , hosts Prof John Hajek and Dr Yu Hao examine...
Nov 13, 2024•57 min•Ep. 15
Generative AI tools are making waves in universities, but what exactly powers these systems? In this second of a series of episodes that examines the impact of generative AI on university education and research, we pull back the curtain on the technology that's rapidly changing how we live, work, and interact with the world. The Secret Life of Language hosts John Hajek and Yu Hao are joined by experts in the field to explore the mechanics of genAI, going beyond the captivating interfaces of tool...
Oct 21, 2024•44 min•Ep. 14
In this first of a limited series of episodes of The Secret Life of Language , we delve into the rapidly evolving world of generative AI (genAI) and its profound impact on university education. As tools like ChatGPT and other AI-driven technologies transform how students learn, work, and even cheat, what challenges and opportunities do they present for academia? How should universities adapt their teaching, assessment methods, and ethical standards in response to these technologies? The Secret L...
Oct 08, 2024•50 min•Ep. 13
Mystical messages infuse the batá drumming of Nigeria’s Yoruba people. Emerging in the 6th Century royal courts of the Oyo Empire, the artform was transplanted to Cuba during the trans-Atlantic slave trade, where it became critical to the survival of African ethnic identity under Spanish colonial rule, and subsequently became embedded in Cuban culture more broadly. This episode unveils the meanings and messages of batá drumming by bringing together the insights of three people uniquely connected...
Jun 04, 2024•43 min•Ep. 12
“It takes courage … to switch a language.” In this bonus episode, we delve deeper into the topic of language shift in present-day Ukraine. Through the lens of two young Ukrainians, Amina and Volodymyr, who found themselves relocating to Australia after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we gain firsthand insights into language practices and views among Ukrainian youth. In conversation with Olga Maxwell, Amina and Volodymyr share their personal experiences of growing up with two languages –...
Apr 15, 2024•21 min
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, many Ukrainians who grew up speaking Russian are now making the shift to Ukrainian. But what’s motivating this shift? How does language feature more largely in Russia’s war against Ukraine? And what’s been the impact of centuries of Russification, and the suppression of the Ukrainian language and identity, on present-day Ukraine? In this episode of The Secret Life of Language , we delve into these questions with the insights of historian Dr Iryna Sk...
Feb 19, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 11
First Nation knowledge surrounding sustainable food systems has largely been ignored in Australia. In this episode we consider how all of us can acknowledge and learn from the historical denial of this ancient wisdom to build common ground for the future. Host Adrian Hearn and co-host Lara Anderson are joined by Zena Cumpston, a Barkandji Woman from Western New South Wales and Research Fellow in Urban Environments, and Chris Williams, a board member at the Collingwood Children's Farm with a pass...
Nov 08, 2021•23 min•Ep. 10
Keywords - Nothing In this episode of The Secret Life of Language, we explore a keyword, nothing. A keyword is a word or concept of great significance. Our Keywords project follows ever-changing words for an ever-changing world. In this episode of The Secret Life of Language, we explore the word nothing, it's history and its relevance today. Our guests talk about the etymology of nothing, its meaning and importance for their own work. Will we discover that nothing actually means something and ca...
Oct 10, 2021•26 min•Ep. 9
Keywords - Nothing In this episode of The Secret Life of Language, we explore a keyword, nothing. A keyword is a word or concept of great significance. Our Keywords project follows ever-changing words for an ever-changing world. In this episode of The Secret Life of Language, we explore the word nothing, it's history and its relevance today. Our guests talk about the etymology of nothing, its meaning and importance for their own work. Will we discover that nothing actually means something and ca...
Aug 25, 2021•35 min•Ep. 8
Living in a foreign land can be challenging enough, but often made worse by not having access to the traditional foods and family dishes of your formative years. In this episode of The Secret Life of Language, we explore the growing role of food in empowering refugees and recent migrants. Our guests talk about the different food businesses and initiatives that help recent migrants and refugees to not only learn from, but to also teach the local and broader community, with the aim of making refug...
Nov 02, 2020•28 min•Ep. 7
Insect eating has the potential to alleviate food insecurity in many countries. However, public health nutritionists argue that large-scale entomophagy in Western culture faces many barriers. Listen to University of Melbourne experts on the history of insect eating in Latin America and Australia and the need to mitigate the very real disgust factor when it comes to insect eating if it is to become more mainstream and a truly viable solution to food insecurity. A podcast from the University of Me...
Jun 25, 2020•26 min•Ep. 6
While many Australian indigenous languages are running out of speakers, the Murrinhpatha language is not only being actively passed on to subsequent generations, but is also gaining new speakers. Linguists Dr Barb Kelly and Dr John Mansfield take us on a journey into the society and culture of Murrinhpatha people through their language. Presented by Charlotte Mackay and Peter Hurst. A podcast from the University of Melbourne's School of Languages and Linguistics. Produced by Kelvin Param and Eri...
May 26, 2020•27 min•Ep. 5
The world speaks some 6,700 languages, and 4,000 of them are spoken by indigenous peoples, who make up less than 6% of the global population. In this episode, we speak with researchers who venture into the world's remotest corners in their quest to document languages, to help revive or reinforce community tongues, or to discover what even a single, little-known language may have to teach us about the way humans communicate. Linguist Assoc Prof Nick Thieberger and cultural anthropologist Dr Debra...
Feb 19, 2020•30 min•Ep. 4
In the second of a two-part conversation, we look back at life as it really was for ordinary people "behind the Iron Curtain" in the now defunct German Democratic Republic. German studies researchers Alison Lewis and Claudia Sandberg join host Leo Kretzenbacher to examine East German pop culture and film, uses of language and humour, and notions of identity either side of the Berlin Wall. A podcast from the University of Melbourne's School of Languages and Linguistics. Produced by Eric van Bemme...
Jan 15, 2020•34 min•Ep. 3
Three decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent demise of the German Democratic Republic, how should we remember life in the famously authoritarian state? German studies researchers Alison Lewis and Claudia Sandberg join host Leo Kretzenbacher to look back at how ordinary East Germans negotiated their lives and livelihoods in the self-proclaimed "most egalitarian society in Europe". First of a two-part conversation. A podcast from the University of Melbourne's School of Langua...
Dec 15, 2019•34 min•Ep. 2
In stories adapted from the declassified files of the Stasi, East Germany's secret police, we examine the roles of informer and victim in which so many ordinary East Germans found themselves over the four decades before the fall of the Berlin Wall. German studies researcher Alison Lewis also helps us decode the broader impact of the Stasi's tentacles and its lasting legacy. Presented by Leo Kretzenbacher. A podcast from the University of Melbourne's School of Languages and Linguistics. Produced ...
Dec 04, 2019•31 min•Ep. 1
This is a teaser for The Secret Life of Language, a podcast from the University of Melbourne's School of Languages and Linguistics. Watch this space for upcoming episodes.
Nov 27, 2019•2 min
