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PODCAST

Language Therapy with Dr. K

USC Institute of Armenian Studies

Language Therapy with Dr. K explores language in the Armenian context. Discover the quirky nuances, fun, and frustrations of language, as Dr. Shushan Karapetian delves into conversations about immigration, diaspora, shame, bilingualism, culture, heritage, and so much more. A USC Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies podcast.

education language learning

All Episodes

59:01

Beside the Golden Door: Jazz, Homeland, and the...

Language Therapy with Dr. K ·

2025/12/01

What happens when your first American "language" isn't English, but jazz? How does a voice shaped in the uncertainty and upheaval of 1990s Armenia find its way onto New York's storied jazz stages while still carrying the timbre of folk songs and candlelit nights? In this episode, Dr. K sits down with jazz vocalist Lucy Yeghiazaryan, born in Armenia during a period of profound transition before immigrating at twelve—not to an Armenian enclave, but to rural New Jersey. Together they trace Lucy's

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01:12:18

Writing the Speeches that Shaped History with Ken...

Language Therapy with Dr. K ·

2025/11/05

What does it mean to write the words that shape history? How does language become a tool of power, persuasion, and memory? In this live episode, Dr. K sits down with Ken Khachigian—author of Behind Closed Doors: In the Room with Reagan and Nixon and one of America's most influential presidential speechwriters—to trace his journey from a farm boy in California's San Joaquin Valley to the heart of political power. An Armenian-American whose heritage shaped his sense of resourcefulness and agility,

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58:04

Armenian in the Indo-European Family — with Dr. Hrach...

Language Therapy with Dr. K ·

2025/10/09

What does it mean to call Armenian an Indo-European language? And how do linguists actually prove such family ties? In this episode, Dr. K and historical-comparative linguist Dr. Hrach Martirosyan trace Armenian’s journey from its Indo-European roots to modern dialects, weighing evidence from cognates, systematic sound changes, and centuries of contact. They focus on the label “Indo-European,” unpacking it as a scholarly convention that has often led to confusion about geography and identity

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01:11:34

From Komitas to Capital Cities: Sebu Simonian Between...

Language Therapy with Dr. K ·

2025/09/05

What does it mean to live and create between languages? How can code-switching become a form of artistry? In this episode of Language Therapy with Dr. K, Armenian American singer, songwriter, and one-half of the chart-topping duo Capital Cities, Sebu Simonian, takes listeners behind the scenes of his creative process and reveals the central role of language. From growing up a heritage speaker of Western Armenian to performing in Eastern Armenian, from writing global pop hits in English to

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01:11:34

From Komitas to Capital Cities: Sebu Simonian Between...

Language Therapy with Dr. K ·

2025/09/05

What does it mean to live and create between languages? How can code-switching become a form of artistry? In this episode of Language Therapy with Dr. K, Armenian American singer, songwriter, and one-half of the chart-topping duo Capital Cities, Sebu Simonian, takes listeners behind the scenes of his creative process and reveals the central role of language. From growing up a heritage speaker of Western Armenian to performing in Eastern Armenian, from writing global pop hits in English to

en

01:15:26

Echoes, Dialects, Selves: Performing Belonging with...

Language Therapy with Dr. K ·

2025/08/07

What happens when language is more than a tool—when it becomes a performance, a personality, a portal to the past? In this richly layered conversation, artist and filmmaker Arman Nshanian joins Dr. K to trace the story of his life through the languages and dialects he's spoken, sung, embodied, and directed—from Egyptian-Armenian roots to Vienna opera halls, Yerevan film sets, and now to the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles with his latest project, Echoes of Our Ancestors. Together, they explore

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01:15:06

Echoes, Dialects, Selves: Performing Belonging with...

Language Therapy with Dr. K ·

2025/08/07

What happens when language is more than a tool—when it becomes a performance, a personality, a portal to the past? In this richly layered conversation, artist and filmmaker Arman Nshanian joins Dr. K to trace the story of his life through the languages and dialects he's spoken, sung, embodied, and directed—from Egyptian-Armenian roots to Vienna opera halls, Yerevan film sets, and now to the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles with his latest project, Echoes of Our Ancestors. Together, they explore

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01:11:20

The Architecture of Belonging: Education and the...

Language Therapy with Dr. K ·

2025/06/30

What happens when the language you speak has been disconnected from its homeland for over a century? How does dialect shape identity, belonging, and memory? In this episode, Dr. K sits down with David Ghoogasian—educator and head of AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School—who grew up speaking the now-rare Armenian dialect of Artvin, passed down to him by his grandparents. Together, they explore the emotional and cultural power of dialect, the experience of linguistic shame, and the formative role of

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57:55

The Language of Luck: Cultivating Serendipity with...

Language Therapy with Dr. K ·

2025/06/02

How do we talk about luck? Can a shift in language alter our experience of chance and unpredictability? What happens when we stop waiting for fortune to strike and begin cultivating the conditions for serendipity? In this episode, Dr. K is joined by Dr. Christian Busch—author of The Serendipity Mindset and professor at USC’s Marshall School of Business—for a wide-ranging conversation on the intersection of language, luck, and meaning-making. Together, they explore how the stories we tell about

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58:15

The Language of Luck: Cultivating Serendipity with...

Language Therapy with Dr. K ·

2025/06/02

How do we talk about luck? Can a shift in language alter our experience of chance and unpredictability? What happens when we stop waiting for fortune to strike and begin cultivating the conditions for serendipity? In this episode, Dr. K is joined by Dr. Christian Busch—author of The Serendipity Mindset and professor at USC’s Marshall School of Business—for a wide-ranging conversation on the intersection of language, luck, and meaning-making. Together, they explore how the stories we tell about

en

01:30:28

Mapping Language and Identity: Dr. Hratch...

Language Therapy with Dr. K ·

2025/05/07

What does it mean to live a multilingual life shaped by displacement, theology, and research? How can language serve both as a utilitarian tool and a site of philosophical reflection? And what can large-scale data reveal about Armenian identity across continents? Join Dr. K and Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian—sociologist, scholar of religion, and director of the Armenian Diaspora Survey—as they trace his personal and intellectual journey across Beirut, Jerusalem, New York, and Oxford, using language as

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01:30:08

Mapping Language and Identity: Dr. Hratch...

Language Therapy with Dr. K ·

2025/05/07

What does it mean to live a multilingual life shaped by displacement, theology, and research? How can language serve both as a utilitarian tool and a site of philosophical reflection? And what can large-scale data reveal about Armenian identity across continents? Join Dr. K and Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian—sociologist, scholar of religion, and director of the Armenian Diaspora Survey—as they trace his personal and intellectual journey across Beirut, Jerusalem, New York, and Oxford, using language as

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01:04:05

Rearranging Armenian: Authenticity, Listening, and...

Language Therapy with Dr. K ·

2025/03/31

How does active listening shape a conversation? And what happens when we bring colloquial language into public discourse? In this episode, Dr. K sits down with Narek Amirkhanyan, host of Rearrange, Armenia’s most popular podcast, to explore the power of authenticity in language and media. They dive into the origins of Rearrange, its impact on the Armenian media landscape, and what it means to have smart, unfiltered conversations in everyday Armenian. Together, they unpack the cultural, personal, and

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01:03:46

Rearranging Armenian: Authenticity, Listening, and...

Language Therapy with Dr. K ·

2025/03/31

How does active listening shape a conversation? And what happens when we bring colloquial language into public discourse? In this episode, Dr. K sits down with Narek Amirkhanyan, host of Rearrange, Armenia’s most popular podcast, to explore the power of authenticity in language and media. They dive into the origins of Rearrange, its impact on the Armenian media landscape, and what it means to have smart, unfiltered conversations in everyday Armenian. Together, they unpack the cultural, personal, and

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39:18

Multilingualism on and off the Screen: Anora's Karren...

Language Therapy with Dr. K ·

2025/03/05

How can a film seamlessly play with languages? What is it like to move through multiple languages in a single sentence on screen? And what is the impact of giving linguistic freedom and agency to an actor? Join Dr. K and Karren Karagulian, Armenian American actor most well known for his role as Toros in the five-time Oscar winning film, Anora, as they discuss his unique position as the film’s unofficial language consultant for Armenian, the trust necessary between actor and director to capture

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39:37

Multilingualism on and off the Screen: Anora's Karren...

Language Therapy with Dr. K ·

2025/03/05

How can a film seamlessly play with languages? What is it like to move through multiple languages in a single sentence on screen? And what is the impact of giving linguistic freedom and agency to an actor? Join Dr. K and Karren Karagulian, Armenian American actor most well known for his role as Toros in the five-time Oscar winning film, Anora, as they discuss his unique position as the film’s unofficial language consultant for Armenian, the trust necessary between actor and director to capture

en

01:57:26

Classical Armenian as Linguistic Archeology

Language Therapy with Dr. K ·

2025/02/02

How can an ancient language be used as a vital tool of contemporary research? Can it serve as a form of time travel? What is the value of studying Classical Armenian - the oldest attested form of the Armenian language? Join Professor Peter Cowe, Narekatsi Professor of Armenian Studies at UCLA, and Dr. K as they reflect on learning, teaching, and living in multiple classical and modern languages. Listen as they locate Armenian in the larger Indo-European language family, dispel prevalent

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01:09:15

Uncovering the Linguistic World of Iranian Armenian

Language Therapy with Dr. K ·

2024/11/18

Why are certain dialects stigmatized? Which factors are pivotal in transforming societal attitudes and validating the legitimacy of a dialect? How can rigorous academic studies and scholarly attention alter perceptions of a language variety? What processes and methodologies are involved in constructing a grammar? Join Dr. K and Hossep Dolatian, linguist and author of the first published grammar of Persian Armenian, as they unpack the linguistic variations of this important dialect of the Armenian

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01:17:09

Dialects of Dispossession

Language Therapy with Dr. K ·

2024/10/03

How can a dialect be given new life after the loss of its homeland? Do dialects always need to compete with standard languages? What does it feel like to be a refugee in a shared homeland that is not one’s home? Join Dr. K and Lika Zakaryan, journalist and author of 44 Days: Diary from an Invisible War, a book later adapted into a movie, that documented Lika’s experience as an Artsakh native during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War. She is currently the host of the Muklimandil Podcast, recorded in

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01:03:43

Lavash and Language

Language Therapy with Dr. K ·

2024/08/30

What is the connection between food and language? Can they be separated or do they always live in each other’s orbits? And how do Armenians benefit from the culinary and linguistic diversity present in the culture? Dr. K is joined by Ara Zada, chef and co-author of the cookbook Lavash, who shares his journey through the gastronomical landscapes of Armenia. Dr. K and Ara take us on his journey to discover dishes made and consumed by people in Armenia and the linguistic encounters that punctuate the

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53 results

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