Real English Conversations Podcast | Learn English And Confident Communication For Newcomers And International Professionals

What does it really take to become a great teacher, and what can English learners learn from the classroom?
In this inspiring episode of the Real English Conversations Podcast, Curtis Davies sits down with long-time friend Mike Foster, a Canadian high school Physical & Health Education teacher from British Columbia.
Mike's journey wasn't straightforward. After graduating with degrees in Kinesiology and Education, A strike and government negotiations delayed his teaching opportunities, forcing him to gain experience in unexpected places, from lifeguarding and outdoor education to coaching young people with autism, before finally becoming the teacher he had always dreamed of being.
Together, Curtis and Mike explore confidence, perseverance, resilience, learning styles, neurodiversity, motivation, and why some of life's biggest setbacks often become our greatest opportunities.
Whether you're learning English, changing careers, or simply trying to become more confident, this episode will remind you that success isn't about taking the perfect path—it's about continuing to move forward.
In this episode, you'll learn:
✅ Why perseverance often matters more than talent
✅ How setbacks prepare us for future success
✅ What teaching students with autism taught Mike about empathy and communication
✅ Why teenagers today struggle with confidence more than previous generations
✅ The hidden impact of smartphones and social media on learning
✅ The biggest mistake almost every learner makes
✅ How successful learners develop resilience
✅ Why it's okay to change careers—and why happiness should define success
Key Takeaways
• Confidence grows through experience—not perfection.
• Every setback can become valuable preparation for the future.
• Great teachers first build trust before they teach.
• Every learner is different, and understanding how you learn changes everything.
• Don't quit on a bad day.
• Success isn't measured by money—it's measured by purpose and happiness.
🎙️Learn with Teacher Curtis & Real English Conversations
💬 Want to improve your English for professional success?
Work directly with Curtis through personalized coaching designed to help you communicate clearly, confidently, and naturally in real-world professional situations.
👉 Book your trial session https://realenglishconversations.com/memberships/member-plans/fluency-programs/trial-lesson/
🔥 Join the 90-Day English Challenge (50% OFF with code: 90DAY50) https://realenglishconversations.com/memberships/our-courses/90-day-next-level-english/
PODCAST AND PHRASAL VERB AUDIO COURSE BUNDLE 
https://courses.realenglishconversations.com/rec-course-bundle
https://realenglishconversations.com/memberships/our-courses/ 
🌐 Website https://realenglishconversations.com
🎧 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/76ihNoEcjms6485Vt1ng5q
🎧 Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-english-conversations-podcast-real-english-for/id977345837
📺 YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@realenglishconversations
📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rec.real.english/
📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealEnglishConversationsOnline
💼 LinkedIn — Curtis Davies https://www.linkedin.com/in/curtis-davies-07928646/
💖 Support the podcast on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/RealEnglishConversationsPodcast
If you enjoyed this episode...
⭐ Follow the podcast on your favorite platform.
⭐ Leave a review—it helps more English learners discover the show.
⭐ Share this episode with someone who needs a little more confidence today.

In this latest episode of The Real English Conversations podcast, Curtis welcomes special guest James Murgatroyd from Holler Digital, reminiscing about their high school days and James's recent trip to London to see his favorite band, Galliano. James shares his experience of walking around London, enjoying classic British foods, and doing radio shows together.
 
The conversation turns to their shared passion for music and DJing, with a look back at their high school DJ sessions and radio show takeovers.
 
Overall, the conversation highlights the enduring love for music and the evolution of technology in DJing and music consumption.
 
Tune in for engaging discussions and valuable lessons for real-world English use!
 
Connect With James Murgatroyd Here:
 
https://hollerdigital.com/
 
🎙️ Connect with Teacher Curtis & Real English Conversations
💬 Want to improve your English for professional success?
We currently have space for new students to work directly with Teacher Curtis through personalized coaching designed to help you speak clearly, confidently, and effectively at work.
🔥 Join the 90-Day English Challenge Now 50% OFF with coupon code 90DAY50
https://realenglishconversations.com/memberships/our-courses/90-day-next-level-english/
👉 Book your trial session https://realenglishconversations.com/memberships/member-plans/fluency-programs/trial-lesson/
PODCAST AND PHRASAL VERB AUDIO COURSE BUNDLE 
https://courses.realenglishconversations.com/rec-course-bundle
https://realenglishconversations.com/memberships/our-courses/ 
🌐 Website https://realenglishconversations.com
🎧 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/76ihNoEcjms6485Vt1ng5q
🎧 Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-english-conversations-podcast-real-english-for/id977345837
📺 YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@realenglishconversations
📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rec.real.english/
📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealEnglishConversationsOnline
💼 LinkedIn — Curtis Davies https://www.linkedin.com/in/curtis-davies-07928646/
💖 Support the podcast on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/RealEnglishConversationsPodcast
If you enjoyed this episode...
⭐ Follow the podcast on your favorite platform.
⭐ Leave a review—it helps more English learners discover the show.
⭐ Share this episode with someone who needs a little more confidence today.

What does it mean to truly find your voice?
In this powerful and inspiring episode of the Real English Conversations Podcast, Curtis sits down with his longtime high school friend Lance Cardinal, an internationally recognized Indigenous artist, television host, entrepreneur, actor, comedian, cultural ambassador, and member of the Bigstone Cree Nation.
For English learners, language is about much more than grammar and vocabulary. It's about identity, confidence, self-expression, and connecting with the world around you.
Lance shares his remarkable journey from growing up in Calling Lake, Alberta, to becoming one of Canada's most recognized Indigenous artists and cultural educators. Together, Curtis and Lance explore confidence, creativity, language learning, Indigenous culture, reconciliation, storytelling, and the importance of embracing who you are.
Whether you're learning English, building confidence, pursuing a dream, or simply looking for inspiration, this conversation will leave you with a new perspective on finding your voice and sharing it with the world.
In This Episode You'll Learn:
✅ Why confidence comes from embracing who you are
✅ How creativity can help you overcome self-doubt
✅ The connection between language, identity, and culture
✅ Why preserving Indigenous languages matters
✅ What learning Cree taught Lance about communication
✅ The story behind the Edmonton Oilers Indigenous Turtle Island logo
✅ How Indigenous art helps create understanding and reconciliation
✅ The mindset habits that helped Lance overcome adversity
✅ Why celebrating your small wins builds long-term confidence
✅ Practical advice for English learners who are afraid to speak
Memorable Topics From This Conversation
🎨 Creativity Builds Confidence
Lance explains how creativity helped him overcome insecurity and find his place in the world. He shares why confidence isn't something you're born with—it's something you build through action, self-reflection, and celebrating your progress.
🪶 Preserving Indigenous Languages
Lance discusses his journey learning Cree as an adult, why many Indigenous languages are at risk of disappearing, and why preserving language means preserving culture, identity, and history.
🏒 The Edmonton Oilers Indigenous Logo
Learn the fascinating story behind Lance's iconic Turtle Island logo created for the Edmonton Oilers Indigenous Celebration Night and what it represents for Indigenous communities across Canada.
🌎 The Guinness World Record Solar Panel Mural
Lance shares the story behind "The Land We Share," the Guinness World Record-winning solar panel mural in downtown Edmonton that brings together Indigenous and Chinese cultural symbolism through art.
🤝 Reconciliation Through Understanding
Lance offers a thoughtful perspective on reconciliation, cultural understanding, and how Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities can move forward together through learning, healing, and meaningful conversations.
🗣️ A Message for English Learners
One of the most powerful messages in this episode is that your voice matters—even if your English isn't perfect. Communication is about connection, not perfection.
Connect with Lance Cardinal
🌐 Website https://www.soulflamecreativeservices.com
📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lancecardinalofficial
📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lance.cardinal.90
🎵 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@lancecardinalofficial
💼 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lance-cardinal-3a66b6109/
📺 Indigenous Art Adventures Available on APTN and online platforms
🎙️Learn with Teacher Curtis & Real English Conversations
💬 Want to improve your English for professional success?
Work directly with Curtis through personalized coaching designed to help you communicate clearly, confidently, and naturally in real-world professional situations.
👉 Book your trial session https://realenglishconversations.com/memberships/member-plans/fluency-programs/trial-lesson/
🔥 Join the 90-Day English Challenge (50% OFF with code: 90DAY50) https://realenglishconversations.com/memberships/our-courses/90-day-next-level-english/
PODCAST AND PHRASAL VERB AUDIO COURSE BUNDLE 
https://courses.realenglishconversations.com/rec-course-bundle
https://realenglishconversations.com/memberships/our-courses/
 
🌐 Website https://realenglishconversations.com
🎧 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/76ihNoEcjms6485Vt1ng5q
🎧 Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-english-conversations-podcast-real-english-for/id977345837
📺 YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@realenglishconversations
📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rec.real.english/
📘 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealEnglishConversationsOnline
💼 LinkedIn — Curtis Davies https://www.linkedin.com/in/curtis-davies-07928646/
💖 Support the podcast on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/RealEnglishConversationsPodcast
If you enjoyed this episode...
⭐ Follow the podcast on your favorite platform.
⭐ Leave a review—it helps more English learners discover the show.
⭐ Share this episode with someone who needs a little more confidence today.

Do you ever freeze when speaking English?
Maybe you know exactly what you want to say, but the words won't come out. Maybe you overthink every sentence, worry about making mistakes, or feel nervous speaking in meetings, presentations, or everyday conversations.
In this inspiring episode of the Real English Conversations Podcast, Curtis Davies sits down with Edit B. Kiss—holistic mentor, trauma healing specialist, international speaker, best-selling author, and former petroleum engineer—to explore the deeper reasons why confidence can disappear when we need it most.
Edit shares her incredible journey from working as a petroleum engineer around the world to becoming a successful holistic therapist and mindset coach in London, helping hundreds of people overcome anxiety, panic attacks, trauma, and self-limiting beliefs.
Together, they discuss the surprising connection between confidence, communication, unresolved emotional experiences, and language learning.
Whether you're learning English, building your career, or simply trying to express yourself more confidently, this episode will give you powerful insights and practical strategies you can start using immediately.
🔑 In This Episode You'll Learn:
✅ Why confidence is often an emotional issue—not a language issue
✅ The hidden reasons people freeze during conversations and presentations
✅ How childhood experiences can affect communication skills later in life
✅ Why practice alone isn't always enough to build speaking confidence
✅ How Edit overcame her fear of public speaking and improvisation
✅ The importance of discovering your "why" when learning English
✅ Why immersion and real-world communication accelerate fluency
✅ How to stop overthinking and start speaking more naturally
✅ Practical confidence-building techniques for English learners
📚 Connect With Edit B. Kiss Here
🌐 Edit B. Kiss
Website:
https://editbkiss.com
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@MagicalKarmaPriestess
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/editbkiss
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/editbkiss/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/bkissedit
📖 Books by Edit B. Kiss
Stop Panic Now
https://a.co/d/05jxw4RH
The Healer's Journey
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Healers-Journey-Coaching-Book-Seekers
The Gap Filler Success Book
https://a.co/d/bkJWUTL
🎙️Learn with Teacher Curtis & Real English Conversations Here
💬 Want to improve your English for professional success?
Work directly with Curtis through personalized coaching designed to help you communicate clearly, confidently, and naturally in real-world professional situations.
👉 Book your trial session
https://realenglishconversations.com/memberships/member-plans/fluency-programs/trial-lesson/
🔥 Join the 90-Day English Challenge
(50% OFF with code: 90DAY50)
https://realenglishconversations.com/memberships/our-courses/90-day-next-level-english/
PODCAST AND PHRASAL VERB AUDIO COURSE BUNDLE
 https://courses.realenglishconversations.com/rec-course-bundle
https://realenglishconversations.com/memberships/our-courses/
🌐 Website
https://realenglishconversations.com
🎧 Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/76ihNoEcjms6485Vt1ng5q
🎧 Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-english-conversations-podcast-real-english-for/id977345837
📺 YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@realenglishconversations
📸 Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/rec.real.english/
📘 Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/RealEnglishConversationsOnline
💼 LinkedIn — Curtis Davies
https://www.linkedin.com/in/curtis-davies-07928646/
💖 Support the podcast on Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/c/RealEnglishConversationsPodcast
If you enjoyed this episode...
⭐ Follow the podcast on your favorite platform.
⭐ Leave a review—it helps more English learners discover the show.
⭐ Share this episode with someone who needs a little more confidence today.

Do confident professionals communicate differently?
The answer is yes — and the good news is that confidence isn't something you're born with. It's something you build.
In this episode of the Real English Conversations Podcast, Curtis sits down with communication expert, voice actor, broadcaster, speaker, and author David Tyler, creator of the book Connect: A Field Guide for Master Communicators.
With more than 40 years of experience helping people communicate effectively, David shares the 10 communication habits of confident communicators and explains how anyone can develop them — including English learners, business professionals, managers, entrepreneurs, and leaders.
If you've ever struggled with speaking confidently in meetings, presentations, interviews, networking events, or everyday conversations, this episode will give you practical tools you can start using immediately.
You'll also learn why connection is more important than perfection, how to make people feel heard and valued, and why the world's best communicators focus on serving their audience instead of impressing them.
In This Episode You'll Learn:
✅ The 10 communication habits confident communicators use every day
✅ Why listening is often more powerful than speaking
✅ How asking better questions creates stronger connections
✅ Why silence is one of the most underrated communication tools
✅ How to overcome the fear of making mistakes
✅ Why confidence is built through practice, not talent
✅ The importance of making others feel seen, heard, and understood
✅ David's "Seven Colors of the Voice" framework for becoming a more engaging speaker
✅ How communication skills can improve your career, relationships, and personal growth
Key Takeaway
"Most people think confidence is something you are born with or find. In reality, confidence is something you create — one conversation at a time." — David Tyler
Whether you're learning English, building your career, leading a team, or simply wanting to communicate more effectively, these habits can help you become a more confident and impactful communicator.
Connect With & Follow David Tyler Here
📖 Connect: A Field Guide for Master Communicators
https://www.amazon.com/Connect-Field-Guide-Master-Communicators/dp/B0DNRSP2BV
The Master Communicator Podcast
https://open.spotify.com/show/41GUGOiYuYSbJXRWfrv5t4?si=06e30bdd567243bb
🌐 David Tyler Website
https://davidtyler.com
🎙️ David Tyler Coaching & Speaking
https://davidtylerspeaks.com
📄 The Speaker's Playbook (47 Communication Tips)
https://buymeacoffee.com/davidtyler
🐦 X (Twitter)
https://x.com/DavidTylerVO
🎙️ Connect with Teacher Curtis & Real English Conversations
💬 Want to improve your English for professional success?
Work directly with Curtis through personalized coaching designed to help you communicate clearly, confidently, and naturally in real-world professional situations.
👉 Book your trial session
https://realenglishconversations.com/memberships/member-plans/fluency-programs/trial-lesson/
🔥 Join the 90-Day English Challenge
(50% OFF with code: 90DAY50)
https://realenglishconversations.com/memberships/our-courses/90-day-next-level-english/
PODCAST AND PHRASAL VERB AUDIO COURSE BUNDLE 
https://courses.realenglishconversations.com/rec-course-bundle
https://realenglishconversations.com/memberships/our-courses/
🌐 Website
https://realenglishconversations.com
🎧 Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/76ihNoEcjms6485Vt1ng5q
🎧 Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-english-conversations-podcast-real-english-for/id977345837
📺 YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@realenglishconversations
📸 Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/rec.real.english/
📘 Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/RealEnglishConversationsOnline
💼 LinkedIn — Curtis Davies
https://www.linkedin.com/in/curtis-davies-07928646/
💖 Support the Podcast on Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/c/RealEnglishConversationsPodcast
If you enjoyed this episode...
⭐ Follow the podcast on your favorite platform.
⭐ Leave a review—it helps more English learners discover the show.
⭐ Share this episode with someone who needs a little more confidence today.