The languages of Israel can tell us a lot about its social fabric, history and culture. In this talk, Guy will take us through the streets of Israeli cities, deciphering textual graffiti in Modern Hebrew, lost pet ads, texts on t-shirts, shop signs and more. We'll learn about the cultural layers of an ever-changing society and about the latest trends in Modern Hebrew. We'll also look at texts in different languages in the Israeli public sphere and explain their context.

Guy Sharett teaches Hebrew in the Shanghai International Studies University in Shanghai, China.  He has a B.A. in Linguistics of Hebrew Language from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and an M.A. in Southeast Asian Studies from the University of London.  Guy, who was born in Ashdod, Israel, speaks 8 languages and is the presenter of the Streetwise Hebrew podcast where he teaches Hebrew through music and pop culture, explaining the Israeli psyche through slang expressions and grammar.