ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the online revitalisation of Ladino through social networks featuring real-time interaction, including Facebook (2004), X (2006), WhatsApp (2009), Instagram (2010), and TikTok (2017), as well as via language learning platforms operating through gamification, including Duolingo and uTalk. It examines the extent to which these initiatives instantiate and/or problematise two pivotal aspects of Revivalistics: (i) the ‘Talknological Revolution,’ a portmanteau of ‘talk’ and ‘technology’ that refers to a disruptive era revolving around digital mass media, and (ii) the beauty of linguistic hybridity/diversity (or lack thereof), particularly in the face of standardisation. Drawing upon original interviews with the administrators of two of the most successful platforms, the chapter discusses the case studies of Los Ladinadores (2020; managed by Ladino linguist Aldo Sevi) and uTalk’s Ladino course (2019), both of which are highly complementary, as the former focuses on reading and writing skills, with the latter emphasising speaking and listening. Additionally, the chapter compares Los Ladinadores with the Yiddish Facebook group לערן זיך יידיש [Learning Yiddish] (2017), amongst others, and contrasts uTalk’s course on Ladino with its Hasidic Yiddish course (2024) and Duolingo’s Yiddish course for English speakers (2021).
