Fluency is an identity.

Hello listeners,

It’s been a while since I offered you a conversation to listen to. This one will definitely be fodder for further thought.

Do you know that chunk: fodder for something?

It’s been noticed a few times in recent months by some of the incredible people I work with.

It’s another way to say “food for thought”.

In both cases, an idea or experience yields an opportunity, offers food (we might also say “fuel”) for more reflection.

So, yeah, my conversation with Ola Kowalska will be of interest to teachers and students alike.

Why? Because she and I talk about the English language teaching industry and how it can be improved for individuals like yourselves who care deeply about either being the best teacher you can be, or as a student, finding the best teacher for you, one who respects you and your learning process and style.

🎙️Episode 94 of Hear You Go is titled “Fluency isn’t a skill, it’s an identity”.

In this episode, Ola and I have a conversation that covers a variety of topics from language to identity and womanhood, and 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 the 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
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 teaching through creativity, feminism, identity, and collective care.

Links you need: