William Cisilino is the director of ARLeF, an organization that promotes the Friulian language. He is a leading expert and advocate for linguistic diversity. Dr Cisilino and Rose Thomas discuss the health of the Friulano language today, both in northeastern Italy and around the world. He teaches Rose Thomas a Friulian saying and poem. They discuss intergenerational transmission, the connection between biodiversity and linguistic variation, the cultural functions of idioms, and who gets to decide if there's a difference between a language and a dialect.  Learn more about Friulano at the ARLeF website: https://arlef.it/ Follow ARLef on Instagram and YouTube @AgjenzieARLeF Two notes: 1. Pope Francis was still living at the time of this recording. 2. The story that US President Kennedy accidentally called himself a donut while visiting Berlin is a widespread misconception, one that Rose Thomas learned had been debunked after recording this episode. If you accidentally refer to yourself as a pastry while practicing a new language, we encourage you to embrace mistakes as part of the language-learning process! Watch this episode on YouTube @mododiberepodcast  If you love this show and want it to continue, support Modo di Bere on Patreon.  www.patreon.com/MododiBere Modo di Bere is a multiplatform publication by Rose Thomas Bannister. In addition to this podcast, Rose Thomas also makes: A newsletter! Sign up for Modo di Bere Magazine at www.mododibere.comA travel show! Subscribe to Modo di Bere TV  youtube.com/@mododibereMany friends! Meet them when you follow @mododibere on Instagram and TikTokMusic composed by Ersilia Prosperi for the band Ou: www.oumusic.bandcamp.comBuy their latest album at https://folderol.it/ou/ This episode was produced and recorded by Rose Thomas BannisterEdited by Giulia Àlvarez-KatzAudio assistance by Steve Silverstein Ascolta il podcast in Italiano / Listen to the podcast in Italian!Cerca / Search: Modo di Bere Italiano