What began as a simple endeavor to provide comprehensible input for language learners quickly transformed into a YouTube phenomenon. My channel now centers on challenges that explore the mutual intelligibility among language families. Numerous viewers have expressed their amazement at how much of related languages they can understand without any prior knowledge. Before long, Ecolinguist grew into a vibrant community of language enthusiasts from all around the globe. I am honored to offer a platform where individuals from diverse nations can connect, immerse themselves in each other’s languages, learn, share experiences, and also shed light on lesser-known and minority languages. Many episodes spotlight minority or endangered languages that seldom receive representation in mainstream media, especially for international audiences.
Originally from Poland and being a native Polish speaker, my journey commenced with the exploration of ties between Slavic languages. After refining the channel's format, I began integrating speakers from other language families, including Romance, Germanic, Balto-Slavic, Finno-Ugric, Celtic, and I have plans to incorporate even more.
Moreover, we occasionally delve into ancient or extinct languages, spoken by only a handful of experts today, such as Old English, Old Norse, Gaulish, and Latin. Viewers relish the opportunity to explore their linguistic roots in a format that's interactive and engaging, rather than being confined to dense academic essays which might appeal only to a select few.
At its core, the shows I present on my channel emphasize the profound human connections made possible through languages. The concept of mutual intelligibility is not novel; it's been a point of fascination for ages and experienced by countless individuals during travels or interactions with speakers of different languages. While this phenomenon has been academically studied, I'm proud to have been the first to translate it into a YouTube show format, allowing everyone to partake and enjoy. Now, even those who can't travel frequently can experience this linguistic adventure from the comfort of their homes.
The heart and soul of the show are the volunteers who participate in the videos. They are integral to the success of Ecolinguist. I manage all the intricacies, ensure a coherent format, edit the content, and strive to maintain a safe online space for everyone involved
