Hear You Go

In this episode of Hear You Go (E94), Ola and I have a conversation about a variety of topics that range from language to identity and womanhood, and to the future of English language teaching.

We explore the very taxing emotional labour carried by many teachers, the commodification of language learning, and thank goodness, the growing need and desire for more human approaches to teaching and learning English.

We also dig into:

native speakerism and feelings of shame carried by many learners

why many adult learners “know” English but struggle to speak it even after years of studying

language coaching and alternative teaching approaches such as the lexical approach, dogme ELT, and TBLT (task-based language teaching)

positive changes in ELT that champion inclusivity, neurodivergence, and representation

and yes, even hope for change in an industry at a turning point

There’s a lot of information to digest in this episode. Be sure to stay to the end to hear Ola introduce her new project, Language is a Woman, a community exploring language through creativity, feminism, identity, and collective care.

Links you need:

You can find Ola here:

Instagram: @language_isawoman

Website: www.languageisawoman.com

Here is the link to Rachael Robert’s plenary that Ola mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzNo6Aj7i2A

Women in ELT book that Ola recommends: Women in ELT: The brain, language and power | Pavilion ELT 

 

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🎶 Amos the Transparent provides my theme song. They're an awesome group of talented musicians. Give them some love and check out their music.

🎙️ Episode 93: You’ve got mail, snail mail! is another episode in which I champion an analogue activity I think should make a comeback: letter writing.

I'm not the only one. A bestselling novel from 2025 is a novel written in epistolary form, that is, in the form of letters and emails. 

Browse social media, and you're bound to find accounts that encourage the exchange of hand-written notecards. 

In this episode, I'll share:

My own relationship to letter writing, and the life it tells

A short summary of the novel The Correspondent and why I think it’s a fabulous book for English language learners

A few ideas about how YOU can help revive the lost art of writing letters.

Do you have a bin of letters stored somewhere?

Do you write letters? Would you like to?

Have a listen, review and explore the additional links, and let me know what YOU think.

As always, I’ll highlight advanced English language (C1/C2) along the way. Hear You Go gives intermediate and advanced English learners a space to think, learn, and connect in English.

Links to go further:

Audio book review:

The influence of the sleeper hit novel 'The Correspondent' : NPR

Interview with the author:

'The Correspondent' Author Virginia Evans On Her Breakout Year

On Letter writing:

The Lost Art of Letter Writing | Peyton Christenson | TEDxGrandCanyonUniversity

From me, with love: the lost art of letter writing | Life and style | The Guardian

Why Writing by Hand Is Better for Memory and Learning | Scientific American

What is The Lovely Letter Exchange | Martha Brook Blog

Global Penfriends

French podcast Passerelles and new letter writing project:

On Apple:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/passerelles-a-french-podcast-for-intermediate-learners/id1546977913?i=1000757945555

On Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5FBVFCIH6u4TpSPa7R2ZFK?si=Dkm_K076TMqZEIwZI-f3dA

 

Get in touch:

⏰  To work with me 1:1 (currently sold out until September), but you can add your name to the waitlist.

📥 Do you get my newsletter? It’s really the best way to hear from me.

You can also follow me on Instagram.

🎶 Amos the Transparent provides my theme song. They're an awesome group of talented musicians. Give them some love and check out their music. 

Please share the podcast and spread the knowledge!

I came to sports late in life, but I’m a convert.

Where once I was fearful of competition, now I look for opportunities to compete as often as possible. My thirst to win a championship curling game one day is unquenchable. Wait for it, even if I have to play as a senior citizen, I’ll get that prize one day :).

 

In this new episode of Hear You Go (E92), I’ll share: 

how athletic competition forces our brains to think fast and quickly to strategize about how to overcome both fixed and dynamic obstacles

how winning and losing at sports builds grit and forces us to persevere

that sports are social, and playing a team sport encourages beneficial social interaction, on and off the playing field (or ice!)

Do you compete? What sport(s) do you play and do you see your experiences reflected in what I’ve shared today? 

Have a listen, review and explore the additional links, and let me know what YOU think.

As always, I’ll highlight advanced English language (C1/C2) along the way. Hear You Go gives intermediate and advanced English learners a space to think, learn, and connect in English.

 

Links to go further:

Plain English podcast, “How Metrics Make Us Miserable”: 

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SIsft4NSZLU?si=nVAYdwIikRoZ0Rtc

How playing sports benefits your body ... and your brain - Leah Lagos and Jaspal Ricky Singh

 

Get in touch:

⏰  To work with me 1:1, add your name to the waitlist.

📥 Do you get my newsletter? It’s really the best way to hear from me.

You can also follow me on Instagram.

Inspired by research presented on the Hidden Brain podcast, specifically the work of psychologist Marc Berman, this episode takes a look at how time spent in nature can reduce our mental fatigue, improve our memory, and shift our attention in restorative ways, not burn us out even more.

I share what I’ve learned about something called attention restoration theory, the role of our senses, and why natural environments full of soft edges, fractals, and gentle stimuli calm the brain.

What if you don’t live near nature? Can indoor plants, soundscapes, or even your imagination offer similar benefits? You bet they can! I’ll offer a few practical ways to bring the benefits of nature into your daily life, no matter how far away nature is from your front door.

Have a listen today, maybe while you take a walk outdoors! 

 

As always, I’ll highlight advanced English language (C1/C2) along the way. Hear You Go gives intermediate and advanced English learners a space to think, learn, and connect in English.

 

Get in touch:

⏰  To work with me 1:1, add your name to the waitlist.

📥 Do you get my newsletter? It’s really the best way to hear from me.

You can also follow me on Instagram.

🎶 Amos the Transparent provides my theme song. They're an awesome group of talented musicians. Give them some love and check out their music. 

Please subscribe to and share the podcast, and spread the knowledge!

🎙️ Is Weak Language Powerful for Women” (E90)?

This episode has been brewing for quite some time. It's a vast topic, full of nuance, and in the end, I offer a summary of the subject with the help of two resources, attached in the show notes.

You'll hear:

Examples of weak language 

The difference between aggressive and assertive language tones

Why women generally benefit from the use of tentative language

How we might move forward in the workplace by being both assertive and warm

There’s a lot to unpack, so have a listen, review and explore the additional links, and let me know what YOU think.

As always, I’ll highlight advanced English language (C1/C2) along the way. Hear You Go gives intermediate and advanced English learners a space to think, learn, and connect in English.

 

Links to go further:

Adam Grant article (behind a paywall): 

Opinion | How Women’s ‘Weak Language’ Is a Source of Strength - The New York Times

Women at Work podcast: To Get What You Want, Be Both Assertive and Warm

Book Review of Likable Badass by Alison Fragale: The Art and Science of Becoming A ‘Likeable Badass’

 

Get in touch:

⏰  To work with me 1:1, add your name to the waitlist.

📥 Do you get my newsletter? It’s really the best way to hear from me.

You can also follow me on Instagram.

🎶 Amos the Transparent provides my theme song. They're an awesome group of talented musicians. Give them some love and check out their music. 

Please share the podcast and spread the knowledge!