Thinking Out Loud in English

Hi Thinkers! Can computers think? This questions has been on our minds for a long time, and this week, finally, we found a perfect guest for it: Sam Gravell. Sam is an English teacher based in Germany who's keen on AI in education, but apart from that he's a great person to talk and to listen to. Expect a deeper philosophical insights into what is thinking and what is computing, as well as...

Hi Thinkers! This week on the show, we are joined by Ambra Pacchioni a.k.a. Busybee, a great English teacher from Italy (and not only as you will quickly learn;) who is helping us to draw the line between two human superpowers: charisma and charm. The conversation goes fast and wide, as we manage to mention Hitler, Mussolini, Dracula and Barbie, among other things ;) Find Ambra at https:// www.bus...

Hi thinkers! This week Masha interviews Jedrek Stepien who has just came back from Barcelona where he delivered a plenary speech at the Innovate ELT 2023 conference. Jedrek develops some of his thoughts from his speech and dives into the future of education. This episode is our 50th and it marks also the end of season 4. Thank you for staying with us, and we hope you are ready for more in season 5...

Hi thinkers! Kris Amerikos is a popular English teacher, a YouTuber and an entrepreneur but above all he's a great person with a mind sharp as a razor which is why the conversation with him turned out to be so refreshing and... multi-thread ;) Check out the main part about the difference between an enemy and a competitor but also the hidden part about AI and modern language teaching right afte...

Hi Thinkers! You know English but you're afraid to use it? Then this podcasts is telling you - stop worrying and check out this week's episode with Dima (one of our students) who was afraid before but is no longer and for a good reason: he explores the border between craziness and stupidity (not an easy task at all even in your native language!) with great results! If you want to study wit...

Hi Thinkers! Hugh Dellar, a world-class teacher and author of many English coursebooks, joins the show to talk about his vocal and unwavering support of Ukraine disregarding his financial interest and life threats. In the second part of the podcast, Hugh tries to draw the line between memorizing and learning. Check out his clever answer! As always you can join our classes (and the podcast) by visi...

Hi Thinkers! This week Masha and Jedrek - your two favorite English teachers - stay away from education and talk about happiness and satisfaction instead. They are joined by Magda, one of their students, who's doing a stellar job separating these two concepts and reflecting on the first-world problems in the 21 century. Expect - as always - a lot of spontaneous English as well as natural and unscr...

Hi Thinkers! This week Masha and Jedrek are hosting Remik, who works for a big tech comapny, to talk whether technology can solve the problem of loneliness? Check out what he has to say about loneliness, modern culture and the world we live in. The show is a sample of what out classes look like with 100% spontaneous, global English in practice! Sign up for the classes with us: https://studiomental...

Hi thinkers! Sugata Mitra once said „Not knowing will become as unimportant as not being able to tell the time without looking at a watch”. This week your English teachers are hosting another of their students - Adrian - who is coping with the problem of outsourcing knowledge to smart devices - is not knowing a problem anymore today? Check out our website if you want to improve your English with u...

Hi thinkers! This week Masha and Jedrek invite another of their students, Grzesiek (Greg), to the conversation about sport and whether it could replace traditional education and school. Pay attention to Greg's English, imperfect at times, but delivering communication just right! The men get slightly carried away so Masha needs to take a back seat in this conversation about sport, parenting and...

Hi Thinkers! This week's episode revisits the concept of the teacher, but this time around Masha and Jedrek are joined by Tamara, a teacher from Odesa, who's helping them find sense in the world of education and training. Thanks for listening to our show, don't forget to rate us on Spotify, Apple and other platforms! You can also be part of the show by leaving us a voicemail (http://podcasters.spo...

Hi Thinkers! This week Masha and Jedrek interview Asia about progress: is the way from bad to good easier than from good to excellent? And what is the diffrerence between progress and developement? Check out our website ( studiomentals.com ) to sign up for classes, and if you enjoy our show you may show your gratitude now buy buying us a virtual coffee at buymeacoffee.com/told and/or send us a voi...

Hi Thinkers! This week Masha and Jedrek are hosting Zosia - a professional translator, a very sharp intellect and an overall proficient English speaker. Listen to how she cracks the difference between maturity and adulthood and let us know what do you think about this episode by recording yourself here (https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mentals/message). Don't foget we have a website (studio...

Hi Thinkers! This week Masha and Jedrek finally team up with Maciek (who has been mentioned on the show a few times before) who is there to decide whether we are shaped more by everyday moments or exceptional ones. Where will this question take them? Expect a deeply philosophical conversation with a lot of laughter as always. And don't forget to check out our website ( studiomentals.com ) if you w...

Hi Thinkers! This week our show is pumping some sense into the concepts of inspiration and motivation. They are extremely hard to separate but luckily Jedrek and Masha are joined by a very clever thinker - Patrycja - to help them out ;) Check out our website - it's studiomentals.com and get in touch with us if your're interested in taking part in our classes or this very show (or both!) And don't...

Hi Thinkers! This week we have the immense pleasure to host Kasia, a medical university student from Warsaw, and a soon-to-be doctor. In an act of total surprise (as always) we ask her about the difference between Attention and Concentration and the relation between the two concepts: what's the impact of alcohol on both of them, do they behave differently when we play video games and when we read...

Hi thinkers! This week on the show Masha and Jedrek talk about being vulgar and swearing (in the intro) and later think (out loud) about who has brighter future: a coder or a stand-upper + what is the difference between relaxing and resting. Please visit www.studiomentals.com if you want to meet with us! Have a fantastic day! 

Hi Thinkers! This week Masha and Jedrek interview Zuza and Piotrek, two high school students from Katowice, Poland, and ask them whether engineers or poets are more needed in the modern world. Listen to how the guests reflect on the question, how deep their thoughts go and how nicely their English works at the same time ;) Don't forget to visit our website - studiomentals.com in case you wanted to...

Hi Thinkers! This week on the show: Masha weighs whether we learn faster using admiration or jealousy as the vehicle for learning, and in round 2, Jedrek decides whether Novel or Haiku take more skill to write. On top of that: will human conversations go ever out of date? What next with cancel culture? ;) Thanks for listening. Thanks for listening to the hottest podcast in education ;) and thanks...

Hi Thinkers! This week Jedrek and Masha dive into the difference between skills and features discussing whether patience or courage are skills similar to listening for example. The question becomes all the more relevant today as we enter the era of advanced AI (yes we are still very much impressed by ChatGPT :) which may transform the educaton system and its content. Thanks for all the feedback yo...

Hi Thinkers! This week on the show Jedrek and Masha try to re-introduce themselves following a wave of new listeners but they fail and talk about the impossibility of scaling education, songs and video games instead. But, in round one Masha's brain is on fire when she considers whether Zombies are immortal and what does it mean to be alive, and in round two Jedrek tries to find a link between...

Hi Thinkers! Welcome back and happy new year to all of you! Jedrek and Masha are back to discuss the new chat AI called ChatGPT and it's impact on our lives, careers and education. We wish you a great year and hope to hear at least some of you on our show this season answering questions for humans! Don't forget to visit our website if you want to study with us - studiomentals.com. Have a beautiful...

Hi Thinkers! In the last episode of 2022 Jedrek and Masha discuss X-mas in Ukraine, try to rate 2022 and proceed to two chrismasy rounds: in the first one Masha answers whether a poor person can be generous, and in round number two, Jedrek explores the difference between tradition and a habit. We want to wish you a merry merry Christmas and a happy new year. Thank you for being with us throughout...

Hi Thinkers!! Masha and Jedrek are back to discuss World Cup in Katar and the game between Poland and France. Masha revives by the way the memory of the famous Roberto Baggio penalty miss in 1994. And as for language: what's the sense of learning them in times when Google Translate and DeepL are getting ever more clever? In the Thinking Out Loud proper Round One, Masha tries to separate Character...

Hi Thinkers! Before we tell you what's on the show this week, a big shout out to the Ukrainian emergency teams who made recording of this episode possible by fixing the damages caused by Russian missiles. Now, as for the show: a longish intro where we discuss issues concerning language learning, and why it is critical to accept one's identity. Later in Round One: Masha explores the difference betw...