Malwina Gudowska
@malwinagudowska.bsky.social
Author & Linguist. MOTHER TONGUE TIED: On Language, Motherhood & Multilingualism (Footnote Press, 2024); PhD researcher: emotions of mothers raising multilingual children; language & emotion. Motherlingual on Substack & Instagram. malwinagudowska.com
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Excerpt: Mother Tongue Tied by Malwina Gudowska
Linguist Malwina Gudowska, herself trilingual, sheds light on the ways in which we navigate language, its power to shape and reshape lives, and the ripple effects felt far beyond any one home or an…
footnotepress.com
My publisher, Footnote Press just shared a few excerpts from Mother Tongue Tied. Here is one mostly about motherhood with a nod to the work of Rachel Cusk: footnotepress.com/2024/11/27/e...
Reposted by Malwina Gudowska
This is a really interesting article about a horrifying distortion of sign language happening in the UK, and which its creators are now trying to export to other countries and their sign languages
Learn actual sign languages from Deaf people, not from hearing people making their own weird versions!
Learn actual sign languages from Deaf people, not from hearing people making their own weird versions!
I will not fight with people on Threads about Makaton. I will not fight with people on Threads about Makaton. I will not thebaffler.com/outbursts/si...
Signed Away | Sara Nović
The hearing world continues to pillage and caricature the deaf community—most recently with the proprietary, sign-based system Makaton.
thebaffler.com
November 19, 2025 at 9:18 PM
This is a really interesting article about a horrifying distortion of sign language happening in the UK, and which its creators are now trying to export to other countries and their sign languages
Learn actual sign languages from Deaf people, not from hearing people making their own weird versions!
Learn actual sign languages from Deaf people, not from hearing people making their own weird versions!
From this strange in-between time: How to navigate heritage languages over the holidays with family who only use the majority language. Also, more on the season finale of Pluribus & those poignant scenes between Carol, Manousos & the phone translation app
malwinagudowska.substack.com/p/the-in-bet...
malwinagudowska.substack.com/p/the-in-bet...
The In Between
The holi-daze and heritage languages, the meanings in between & translation brilliance in the season finale of Pluribus
malwinagudowska.substack.com
December 29, 2025 at 1:39 PM
From this strange in-between time: How to navigate heritage languages over the holidays with family who only use the majority language. Also, more on the season finale of Pluribus & those poignant scenes between Carol, Manousos & the phone translation app
malwinagudowska.substack.com/p/the-in-bet...
malwinagudowska.substack.com/p/the-in-bet...
Paperback news for Mother Tongue Tied!
MTT is getting a refresh with a new colour combo for the paperback edition out February 26, 2026. Best of all, the PB is the perfect travel companion. Thank you @bonnierbooks.bsky.social & Footnote Press. Pre-order wherever you get your books.
MTT is getting a refresh with a new colour combo for the paperback edition out February 26, 2026. Best of all, the PB is the perfect travel companion. Thank you @bonnierbooks.bsky.social & Footnote Press. Pre-order wherever you get your books.
October 25, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Paperback news for Mother Tongue Tied!
MTT is getting a refresh with a new colour combo for the paperback edition out February 26, 2026. Best of all, the PB is the perfect travel companion. Thank you @bonnierbooks.bsky.social & Footnote Press. Pre-order wherever you get your books.
MTT is getting a refresh with a new colour combo for the paperback edition out February 26, 2026. Best of all, the PB is the perfect travel companion. Thank you @bonnierbooks.bsky.social & Footnote Press. Pre-order wherever you get your books.
Can't stop thinking about The Genesis Exhibition: Do Ho Suh: Walk the House @tatemodern.bsky.social esp. in context of immigration, multilingualism & homes we create through language. When does a building become a home? What spaces do we carry with us? Where do space and memory begin and end?
October 8, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Can't stop thinking about The Genesis Exhibition: Do Ho Suh: Walk the House @tatemodern.bsky.social esp. in context of immigration, multilingualism & homes we create through language. When does a building become a home? What spaces do we carry with us? Where do space and memory begin and end?
This week on Motherlingual: Thoughts on the new AirPods & their real-time translation feature. Who really benefits? Plus, Bad Bunny, @slowhorsesappletv.bsky.social, Philly slang in #Task and getting detention for using (meaningless) slang.
malwinagudowska.substack.com/p/found-in-e...
malwinagudowska.substack.com/p/found-in-e...
Found in (Earbud) Translation
On the new real-time translation feature, Philly slang, Bad Bunny & language detention!
malwinagudowska.substack.com
October 1, 2025 at 1:00 PM
This week on Motherlingual: Thoughts on the new AirPods & their real-time translation feature. Who really benefits? Plus, Bad Bunny, @slowhorsesappletv.bsky.social, Philly slang in #Task and getting detention for using (meaningless) slang.
malwinagudowska.substack.com/p/found-in-e...
malwinagudowska.substack.com/p/found-in-e...
Reposted by Malwina Gudowska
Hey. The fragmentation of the social media landscape has been hard on indie #scicomm 🧪 projects
So if you'd like to follow a podcast that's enthusiastic about #linguistics, could you check out @lingthusiasm.bsky.social?
And if you think your followers might like to, could you give this a repost?
So if you'd like to follow a podcast that's enthusiastic about #linguistics, could you check out @lingthusiasm.bsky.social?
And if you think your followers might like to, could you give this a repost?
September 27, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Hey. The fragmentation of the social media landscape has been hard on indie #scicomm 🧪 projects
So if you'd like to follow a podcast that's enthusiastic about #linguistics, could you check out @lingthusiasm.bsky.social?
And if you think your followers might like to, could you give this a repost?
So if you'd like to follow a podcast that's enthusiastic about #linguistics, could you check out @lingthusiasm.bsky.social?
And if you think your followers might like to, could you give this a repost?
Reposted by Malwina Gudowska
Polish and NATO jets scrambled, Warsaw airport closes after Ukrainian reports of Russian drones over Poland.
Polish and NATO jets scrambled, Warsaw airport shut after Ukrainian reports of Russian drones over Poland | CNN
Polish authorities have closed Warsaw International Airport and Polish and NATO aircraft have been scrambled as reports have surfaced of Russian drones over the country.
www.cnn.com
September 10, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Polish and NATO jets scrambled, Warsaw airport closes after Ukrainian reports of Russian drones over Poland.
Reposted by Malwina Gudowska
Claire's was once a place where tween girls went to be tween girls. Now it's in trouble, @elcush.bsky.social writes: https://theatln.tc/8D1ts6RS
August 23, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Claire's was once a place where tween girls went to be tween girls. Now it's in trouble, @elcush.bsky.social writes: https://theatln.tc/8D1ts6RS
In this week’s Motherlingual, riveting content about Emma Thompson, loos & much more language-related stuff including algospeak & tradwives
That time I ran into Emma Thompson in the "loo"
And other fun language-related things: mugs vs. cups, accent myths, football names, "algospeak" & "tradwives"
malwinagudowska.substack.com
August 21, 2025 at 12:42 PM
In this week’s Motherlingual, riveting content about Emma Thompson, loos & much more language-related stuff including algospeak & tradwives
I know it is August but if you are a planner and interested in hearing me speak about my book and about navigating multilingual parenthood, please save the morning of Sunday, January 25th, 2026! Details & tickets at the link below. I am looking forward to meeting you!
www.ticketsource.co.uk
August 19, 2025 at 4:02 PM
I know it is August but if you are a planner and interested in hearing me speak about my book and about navigating multilingual parenthood, please save the morning of Sunday, January 25th, 2026! Details & tickets at the link below. I am looking forward to meeting you!
What goes around comes around, especially in journalism! This week, two stories in @nytimes.com caught my eye b/c I wrote about both topics nearly 20 years ago for Canadian mags @avenuemagazine.bsky.social & Swerve - @calgaryherald.com: One about Trisomy 18 & the other about the allure of smoking.
August 9, 2025 at 10:32 AM
What goes around comes around, especially in journalism! This week, two stories in @nytimes.com caught my eye b/c I wrote about both topics nearly 20 years ago for Canadian mags @avenuemagazine.bsky.social & Swerve - @calgaryherald.com: One about Trisomy 18 & the other about the allure of smoking.
Some thoughts on August, time, space, narratives, perception, connection and more, with a nod to the fascinating book "Gesture: A Slim Guide" by Lauren Gawne @superlinguo.bsky.social of the wonderful @lingthusiasm.bsky.social over at Motherlingual.
open.substack.com/pub/malwinag...
open.substack.com/pub/malwinag...
The Shape of the Moment
On Leo season, spatio-temporal metaphors, gesture, perception & connection
open.substack.com
August 5, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Some thoughts on August, time, space, narratives, perception, connection and more, with a nod to the fascinating book "Gesture: A Slim Guide" by Lauren Gawne @superlinguo.bsky.social of the wonderful @lingthusiasm.bsky.social over at Motherlingual.
open.substack.com/pub/malwinag...
open.substack.com/pub/malwinag...
Reposted by Malwina Gudowska
Post-holiday thoughts how travelling shapes & changes my family's multilingualism & my favourite British-English & American-English lost-in-translation moments from Lena Dunham's new series, Too Much over at Motherlingual on Substack. Plus, Churchillian fashion!
open.substack.com/pub/malwinag...
open.substack.com/pub/malwinag...
Have Language, Will Travel
Spanish! Catalan! Worrying about children's multilingualism (always) & a recap of language-related gems in Too Much & AJLT. Plus, Winston Churchill's rompers!
open.substack.com
July 24, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Post-holiday thoughts how travelling shapes & changes my family's multilingualism & my favourite British-English & American-English lost-in-translation moments from Lena Dunham's new series, Too Much over at Motherlingual on Substack. Plus, Churchillian fashion!
open.substack.com/pub/malwinag...
open.substack.com/pub/malwinag...
This week in the newsletter, Motherlingual:
Jenny Saville at the National Portrait Gallery &
Expressions of the Skin open.substack.com/pub/malwinag...
Jenny Saville at the National Portrait Gallery &
Expressions of the Skin open.substack.com/pub/malwinag...
Expressions of the Skin
On the language of the body, messages from the flesh & one year of Mother Tongue Tied!
open.substack.com
July 1, 2025 at 8:58 AM
This week in the newsletter, Motherlingual:
Jenny Saville at the National Portrait Gallery &
Expressions of the Skin open.substack.com/pub/malwinag...
Jenny Saville at the National Portrait Gallery &
Expressions of the Skin open.substack.com/pub/malwinag...
Today is the one-year anniversary of my book, Mother Tongue Tied. Thank you a million times to everyone who sent me a photo, bought a copy, recommended it, reviewed it, read it, told me it meant something to you & supported me & my work. Paperback news coming very soon with something new!
June 20, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Today is the one-year anniversary of my book, Mother Tongue Tied. Thank you a million times to everyone who sent me a photo, bought a copy, recommended it, reviewed it, read it, told me it meant something to you & supported me & my work. Paperback news coming very soon with something new!
Wrote about Trent Alexander-Arnold's @lfcr.bsky.social Spanish skills from last week's #RealMadrid conference & what it means to be "nearly-fluent" or "not wholly bilingual":
malwinagudowska.substack.com/p/nearly-flu... @plnews.bsky.social
malwinagudowska.substack.com/p/nearly-flu... @plnews.bsky.social
"Nearly-Fluent" & "Not Wholly Bilingual"
From Scouse to Spanish with footballer Trent Alexander-Arnold, measuring bilingualism & on who is praised for being multilingual & who is criticised
malwinagudowska.substack.com
June 18, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Wrote about Trent Alexander-Arnold's @lfcr.bsky.social Spanish skills from last week's #RealMadrid conference & what it means to be "nearly-fluent" or "not wholly bilingual":
malwinagudowska.substack.com/p/nearly-flu... @plnews.bsky.social
malwinagudowska.substack.com/p/nearly-flu... @plnews.bsky.social
Reposted by Malwina Gudowska
The difference is that the Jan. 6 rioters were mostly fascist white people fighting to illegally overturn a democratic presidential election and the LA protestors are mostly Black and Brown people fighting to protect their communities from this fascism
June 12, 2025 at 8:07 AM
The difference is that the Jan. 6 rioters were mostly fascist white people fighting to illegally overturn a democratic presidential election and the LA protestors are mostly Black and Brown people fighting to protect their communities from this fascism
Meet your language where it is & a few more fun language-related things (SATC's NY) in today's newsletter. Plus, what I thought I would never say to my children about our multilingualism, but unfortunately recently did:
malwinagudowska.substack.com/p/meet-your-...
malwinagudowska.substack.com/p/meet-your-...
Meet Your Language Where It Is
On learning languages, (iconic) T-shirt logos & what I swore I would never say to my children and...did
malwinagudowska.substack.com
June 11, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Meet your language where it is & a few more fun language-related things (SATC's NY) in today's newsletter. Plus, what I thought I would never say to my children about our multilingualism, but unfortunately recently did:
malwinagudowska.substack.com/p/meet-your-...
malwinagudowska.substack.com/p/meet-your-...
"banality is responsible for so many of our collective actions, because institutions are always the path of least resistance. It’s simply easier to mold ourselves to social structures, in same way that it’s easier to go with the flow of the crowd instead of against it" @etymologynerd.bsky.social
June 7, 2025 at 10:33 AM
"banality is responsible for so many of our collective actions, because institutions are always the path of least resistance. It’s simply easier to mold ourselves to social structures, in same way that it’s easier to go with the flow of the crowd instead of against it" @etymologynerd.bsky.social
Reposted by Malwina Gudowska
Here's a warm and friendly video that @malwinagudowska.bsky.social made before our event together in London the other week: malwinagudowska.substack.com/p/on-the-nar...
On the Narratives of First & Last Words
Join me for an author event at Backstory in Balham, May 22 at 7 p.m.
malwinagudowska.substack.com
June 5, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Here's a warm and friendly video that @malwinagudowska.bsky.social made before our event together in London the other week: malwinagudowska.substack.com/p/on-the-nar...
On the language of peonies but also, so much more today in my Motherlingual newsletter:
open.substack.com/pub/malwinag...
open.substack.com/pub/malwinag...
The Language of Peonies
On a short season of flowers and perhaps, of everything
open.substack.com
June 4, 2025 at 11:34 AM
On the language of peonies but also, so much more today in my Motherlingual newsletter:
open.substack.com/pub/malwinag...
open.substack.com/pub/malwinag...