162 - Discover Illinois with Jackie (from "Ask Jackie")
Mar 30, 2024
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Join ESL teacher and YouTuber, Jackie Katsis, as she shares insights about Chicago, including tornado experiences, Chicago accents, iconic foods, and must-visit spots like Portillo's and Kingston Mines. Get ready to explore the Windy City with a local's perspective!
Chicago offers a vibrant art scene and diverse culinary experiences.
Illinois blends urban and rural lifestyles, with Chicago as a hub for art and entertainment.
Deep dives
Overview of Illinois and Chicago
Illinois, situated in the American Midwest, offers a blend of urban and rural lifestyles. Dubbed the Prairie State, over 60% of its land is farmland, driving its economy through crops like corn and soybeans. Starved Rock State Park, known for sandstone canyons and waterfalls, offers natural wonders, while Chicago, the vibrant Windy City on Lake Michigan's shore, is a hub for art and entertainment.
Jackie's Background and Journey
Originally from Chicago suburbs, Jackie's multicultural experiences included teaching Spanish and volunteering as an ESL teacher. An existential crisis led her to Brazil, where she embraced teaching English. Moving online from Brazil to Florida, her work helps Portuguese speakers improve in English, balancing bilingual learning for comprehensive understanding.
Exploring Chicago and Illinois
Visiting Chicago, Jackie suggests prioritizing an architectural tour and experiencing the city's music scene with jazz and blues venues like Kingston Mines. Chicago's iconic deep-dish pizza, hot dogs, and Italian beef sandwiches offer culinary delights, while tourist activities include shopping on Michigan Avenue and exploring Millennium Park with the famous bean sculpture.
Personal Insights and Recommendations
Reflecting on her upbringing in the suburbs and farm life, Jackie shares how Chicagoans enjoy nature and water activities in northern Illinois. She encourages travelers to immerse in local culture, try street festivals, and embrace Chicago's diverse food scene. Her YouTube channel 'Ask Jackie' fosters English learning for Portuguese speakers, emphasizing balanced study and practice for language acquisition.
Illinois is situated in the heart of the American Midwest, and it's known as the "Prairie State" because over 60% of it is covered in farmland. Despite the number of natural wonders found in Illinois, what attracts most visitors is the vibrant city of Chicago ("The Windy City").
Situated on the scenic shore of Lake Michigan, Chicago is a hot spot for music lovers and art enthusiasts. It's not only home to world-class museums and iconic architecture, it's where today's guest, Jackie Katsis, is from! Jackie is an ESL teacher and a well-known YouTuber from the channel "Ask Jackie."
We'll begin today's episode by getting to know this wonderful Chicagoan, and then we'll discover her state with her. You'll hear about Jackie's experience with tornadoes, learn the nuances of the Chicago accent and we'll take a deep dive into the culture she grew up in (we cover mouth-watering food, music, lifestyle and more).
Let's get a local's perspective on how to make the most out of our next trip to the beautiful state of Illinois! :)
Jackie's Chicago Recommendations
Portillo's - Italian Beefs + Chicago-Style Hot Dogs
Kingston Mines - Listen to Jazz / Blues
Do an architecture tour on the Chicago River
Take a walk in Millenium Park and see "The Bean" (Cloud Gate)
Go shopping on Michigan Avenue
Walk a lot and enjoy the art and architecture!
Learn with Jackie Jackie Katsis is a well-known ESL teacher from Chicago. You can find her content here!
Season 4 (Episodes 150 - 200) = Each episode includes a quiz, the PDF transcript (the text of the audio) with definitions of challenging words and the mp3 file.