Episode 197 Freya Stark, Explorer and Travel Writer

This week we are learning about the famous explorer and travel writer Freya Stark. She wrote many travel books and focused her books on the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula. She travelled all over this part of the world, talking to the people, learning their languages and describing their culture and landscapes to readers back in the UK. An essential part of Freya's process was that she often travelled alone and she tried to learn the languages of the places she travelled to so that she could effectively and correctly capture their stories, experiences and cultures. Freya is quite the role model for any woman, but I think for anyone who is learning languages she is a great demonstration of the amazing things that can be achieved when you put the effort in. Freya was able to develop personal and long lasting connections with the people she met because of her motivation and passion for learning their languages. She shows us that we are wrong to be afraid of people and places we don't know, and instead we should take the time to get to know them, and we might find amazing things, and perhaps that they are just like us, after all. Freya had a long and exciting life, including working herself for the British Diplomatic service and traveling far and wide. She was quite famous in her time. You can find out more about her life here: https://www.civilservant.org.uk/women-freya_stark.html From the blog: Vocabulary Diplomatic Service - the part of government that meets and connects with other countries to negotiate trade deals and travel He was being posted all over the world - 'posted' in this sense means that he was told where he would work and he had to go and live in that country. This is still the way most diplomatic jobs work today. She was on a roll - idiom - means she was able to keep going easily. Vivid descriptions - well explained and clear, creating great pictures in your head Keen observations - keen means smart and intellectual and again, very clear Cartography - the profession of drawing maps Natural aptitude - natural ability Diligently - care and attention and doing a good job Hands on approach - idiom - to do something by hand or personally, rather than just reading about it or watching a video. Linguistic - the study and use of languages Pioneering - One of the first people to go somewhere Perilous - dangerous Trailblazer - someone who is the first to go somewhere