Language proficiency can be attained without living abroad through passion and effective teaching.
Meditation aids in developing self-awareness, clarity, and resilience in facing life's challenges.
Deep dives
The Power of Personal Storytelling and the Influence of a Book
The podcast discusses how the host, inspired by a book called 'Story Worthy' by Matthew Dicks, started sharing personal stories on the podcast. The book helped the host understand the structure, interest, and meaningfulness of storytelling, leading to the creation of the podcast and story sharing format.
Building a Community through a Book Club for Storytelling and English Practice
The host initiated a book club where participants learned storytelling concepts from 'Story Worthy' and applied them to their own stories. The club, aimed at improving English proficiency through storytelling, provided a platform for interaction, idea discussion, and story sharing among participants, creating a supportive and beneficial learning environment.
Learning English and Overcoming Language Barriers
Guest Mary Glazunova shared her experience of learning English in Ukraine and Canada, highlighting the challenges and personal growth involved. She emphasized the importance of passion, exposure to practical language use, and supportive teaching in her language learning journey, showcasing that language proficiency can be achieved without living abroad.
Embracing Self-Reflection and Mindfulness through Meditation
Mary discussed the significance of meditation in fostering self-awareness, observation, and detachment from overwhelming thoughts or emotions. By incorporating daily meditation practices, she managed to navigate life challenges with clarity and a calm mindset, emphasizing the transformative power of consistent mindfulness practices.
In this episode, I'm joined by Mary Glazunova, an English teacher, coach and author from Kyiv, Ukraine. I met Mary at the beginning of 2021 in an online teacher training course on how to teach without coursebooks and we've been sharing lots of teaching ideas since then. In the episode, you'll hear us talk about:
How Mary learned English without ever living in an English-speaking country
What made both of us fall in love with English
How we like teaching English
Mary's inspiring story of hope based on a picture she took in Canada, where she has recently moved because of the war in Ukraine
The power of meditation
At the beginning of the episode, I talk about the 'Storyworthy Book Program', an English storytelling course I'm offering in September (link below). I say there are 5 spots available. That was true at the time of recording but there are now ONLY 4 SPOTS LEFT, as another participant booked one. So...book yours today! Listen to the full episode because at the end of it I briefly focus on a very common idiom I used while chatting with Mary.