She's Learning a Language That Was Banned for Almost 100 Years - In Conversation with Malia Yoshioka

Malia Yoshioka shares her unique language journey from growing up in Hawaii as a forth generation Japanese American with its complex cultural and linguistic layers to living 10 years in Turkey, where she learned Turkish through her passion for food. She discusses the history and revitalization of the Hawaiian language (ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi), her experiences learning Japanese, Turkish and French, and how immersion and personal interests shaped her approach to language learning. Malia also reflects on the importance of respecting local cultures and languages wherever you are. In this interview: ✅ How Malia learned Turkish through her passion for food (not a single textbook) ✅ The real history of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi and its revitalization today ✅ The "bilingual greeter" job that taught her absolutely nothing ✅ The one phrase that unlocks conversation in any language ✅ Why your personal passion is your most powerful language learning tool Follow Malia on her website: https://shoyusugar.com/ Subscriber to Malia's newsletter: https://shoyusugar.com/newsletter --- **GET STARTED FOR FREE** 🎁 Free Video Training - How to Finally Learn That Language: https://lindsaydoeslanguages.com/freevideo --- **WORK WITH LINDSAY** 💛 Language Life - Speak fearlessly, trust your language gut & master your process: https://lindsaydoeslanguages.com/ll 💬 Speak 28x28 Challenge - 4 weeks to speaking confidence. Any language, any level: https://lindsaydoeslanguages.com/speak 🎲 Promptly - Get fun prompts & challenges to keep practicing daily: https://lindsaydoeslanguages.com/prompts 📺 Watch & Learn - Master language study through my bingeable video course: https://lindsaydoeslanguages.com/watch 📒 Learner Planner - Plan & track your language goals like a pro: https://lindsaydoeslanguages.com/learnerplanner 🎶 Music Maestro - Learn languages with music & lyrics: https://lindsaydoeslanguages.com/music 🔡 Vibrant Vocab - Finally build a vocabulary that sticks: https://lindsaydoeslanguages.com/vocab 🎨 100 Creative Ideas for Language Learners - Beat boredom & stay consistent: https://lindsaydoeslanguages.com/100creativeideas 🥳 Successful Self-Study - Build habits that make language learning last: https://lindsaydoeslanguages.com/sss --- **TIMESTAMPS** 00:00 Intro and overview 01:00 Malia’s background and travels 03:00 Hawaiian language and identity 06:00 Hawaiian Pidgin English and language influences 08:00 School language experiences and Hawaiian immersion 12:00 Learning French and Japanese in high school 20:00 Living in Turkey and learning Turkish through food 24:00 Returning to Hawaiian language as an adult 27:00 Japanese language practice and tips 30:00 Spanish learning and regional differences 34:00 Hawaiian dialects and language preservation 36:00 Controversy over Hawaiian language status 39:00 Future of the Hawaiian language 41:00 Where to find Malia online --- **RELATED VIDEOS** 9 Reasons to Learn Hawaiian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp-5ZPjJhd0 --- **ABOUT ME** 🌍 Hi! I’m Lindsay - MA in Applied Linguistics, lifelong language learner & global citizen. I help ambitious people around the world learn languages their way - so they can move abroad, connect with family, or simply spark a new hobby. My mission? Make language learning fun, flexible, and functional for your life. --- **JOIN THE COMMUNITY** 💌 Language Sparks Emails - Get fresh tips & motivation multiple times a week: https://lindsaydoeslanguages.com/emailme 🎧 Listen to the podcast: https://lindsaydoeslanguages.com/podcasts 👩‍💻 Read the blog for curated language learning advice: https://lindsaydoeslanguages.com/ --- **LET’S CONNECT** 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaydoeslanguages/ 📌 Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/ldlanguages/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaydoeslanguages/