Hear You Go

Are you play-deprived? When was the last time you did something simply because it was fun? In episode 98 of Hear You Go podcast, we’re going to explore the importance of play for adults. Yes, you read that right!  Why do so many of us feel guilty about making time for it? What happens when productivity takes centre stage and play gets put aside or drilled out of us?   Here are a few more questions...

E97: Do you know Moomintroll? | Ideas in English for Advanced Listening Practice Do you ever go back and read the books you read as a kid? Do you remember those stories? Do you ever wonder what makes a children’s book stay with us so long after childhood ends? In this episode of Hear You Go (E97), I reflect on the stories that have stayed with me, from Winnie the Pooh to Matilda to Anne of Green G...

I’ve been thinking about bread lately. What does bread really mean to me, you, us? My interest was piqued after reading not one, but two recentish articles about bread. One discussed the French baguette’s recognition by UNESCO, while the other explored the weird, but curious tradition of free restaurant bread in the U.S. This episode explores how something so simple became and remains a powerful s...

That’s the question on my mind these days: should we still travel? As I plan a dream trip to Newfoundland, I find myself wrestling with the ethics of tourism: carbon footprints, overtourism, and the impact of my choices on local communities. In this episode, I share, as I so often do, personal stories, I ask some hard questions that feel uncomfortable, and a offer few simple ways we can travel mor...

In this episode of Hear You Go (E94), Ola and I have a conversation about a variety of topics that range from language to identity and womanhood, and to 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 lear...

🎙️ Episode 93: You’ve got mail, snail mail! is another episode in which I champion an analogue activity I think should make a comeback: letter writing. I'm not the only one. A bestselling novel from 2025 is a novel written in epistolary form, that is, in the form of letters and emails.  Browse social media, and you're bound to find accounts that encourage the exchange of hand-written notecards.  I...

I came to sports late in life, but I’m a convert. Where once I was fearful of competition, now I look for opportunities to compete as often as possible. My thirst to win a championship curling game one day is unquenchable. Wait for it, even if I have to play as a senior citizen, I’ll get that prize one day :).   In this new episode of Hear You Go (E92), I’ll share:  how athletic competition forces...

Inspired by research presented on the Hidden Brain podcast, specifically the work of psychologist Marc Berman, this episode takes a look at how time spent in nature can reduce our mental fatigue, improve our memory, and shift our attention in restorative ways, not burn us out even more. I share what I’ve learned about something called attention restoration theory, the role of our senses, and why n...

🎙️ Is Weak Language Powerful for Women” (E90)? This episode has been brewing for quite some time. It's a vast topic, full of nuance, and in the end, I offer a summary of the subject with the help of two resources, attached in the show notes. You'll hear: Examples of weak language  The difference between aggressive and assertive language tones Why women generally benefit from the use of tentative l...

Art: it does the body and brain good!  In this Book Talk episode, I offer a summary of some mindblowing science I learned in a book titled: “Your Brain on Art”. I explore and try to explain how creativity shapes and reshapes the brain, and why art isn’t just enrichment, but essential for learning.  The episode addresses brain plasticity, saliency, attention, emotional regulation, and myriad art fo...

This episode is another unplanned, lightly researched, and deeply Canadian reflection…because it’s winter and in some parts of the world, winter can, quite literally, kill you. Here come some reflections on extreme cold and: how houses are built to survive it (plus loads of vocabulary related to home renovation and construction) winter driving (black ice, whiteouts, snow tires, skidding, and snow...

In this new advanced English conversational episode of Hear You Go, I speak with storyteller and English teacher Lisa Jane Grant about why stories matter in language learning.  From bilingual identity to classroom vulnerability, Lisa Jane shares how storytelling, poetry, and performance can transform confidence, connection, and communication. A must-listen for teachers and curious learners alike....

Welcome back to Hear You Go. We’re kicking off the second half of the 4th season with my spontaneous and energetic take on an obsession I can’t shake off.  I’ve been sucked into the cultural vortex that is Heated Rivalry, a Canadian TV series everyone is talking about. It’s struck a deep, deep chord with a wide audience, especially with women and LGBTQ+. This episode highlights how pop culture can...

Episode 85 concludes 2025 with a bang!  Before you tune it, would you consider an end of the year "thank you" tip in my tip jar ? Hear You Go podcast is a free resource, and your support goes a long way to keeping more episodes in production.  Thank you!  And now, on with the show: Are we living in a new era where alcohol is taboo? Is the Mocktail really a trend? Why?   With the holiday season fas...

Curiosity. Motivation. Accepting that it’s a long process. This episode takes you deep into the real journey from B2 to C1. Have you ever wondered why so many learners feel stuck at the intermediate plateau? Do YOU wonder why you’re not progressing anymore? Why is moving from “I can communicate” to “I can express myself precisely and confidently” such a slog?! In today’s advanced English conversat...

Is the dinner party dead, or is it due for a comeback? I’ve been thinking a lot about hosting meals lately. Maybe it’s the holiday season approaching, maybe it’s a conversation I had with a Brazilian teacher who told me hosting felt too stressful, or maybe it’s hearing chef Samin Nosrat talk about her new book Good Things. Today, I’m sharing what I’ve learned as I explore whether the dinner party...

I’m joined in this episode by a very special guest, my Italian teacher, Valeria, founder of Vita Semplice in Italia, a project that goes beyond language learning to cultural immersion, and small-scale travel in several locations in Italy, but primarily in Valeria’s hometown in Sicily. In a first for both me and Valeria, our conversation takes place in English, not Italian! We get into what it real...

Emoji: cute, colourful, easy to use, OR malevolent, dangerous, prone to offend. I’ve been thinking about emoji a lot lately. I’m confused by them, troubled by them, and eager to learn more about them. But they also entice me, persuading me to add some colour and imagery to my texts. Today I’m going to share what I’ve learned in my quest to be less ignorant about emoji, and either feel better or wo...

About six months ago, I noticed I couldn’t hear my gym instructors clearly. At first, I chalked it up to the loud music, but then I realized it wasn’t the background noise, it was me. In this episode, I’ll share: What hearing loss is, and how it often changes as we age Why hearing aids feel so different from reading glasses, and why that hit different for me What we can do to protect our hearing,...

It Takes Two to Tango: A Conversation with Lisa Wood | Advanced English Conversations (E79) In this episode of Hear You Go, I speak with English teacher and neuro-language coach Lisa Wood about the importance of being an active, kind, gentle listener in the dance that is a conversation. Our chat is perfect for advanced English learners, English teachers, and anyone interested in mindset, confidenc...

📚 In this advanced English listening practice episode of Hear You Go, I dive into The Bee Sting by Paul Murray—a Booker Prize–shortlisted novel about an Irish family falling apart, unraveling really, under pressure. Each family member tells their own version of events, showing us how perspective, memory, and emotion shape the stories we carry. The episode explores: Why personal narratives matter,...

Have you heard the alarm bells too? Are we reading less these days? My friends are all readers, so I find it hard to imagine that people don’t read for enjoyment. In search of answers, I decided to take a look at the shifting habits around reading for pleasure. Are people (especially young people) actually reading less? What does the data say? And why does it matter? We’ll explore: What does it me...

Raising Bilingual Kids: A Conversation with English Language Teacher Leticia Dalposso In this episode of Hear You Go, I speak with Leticia Dalposso, a Brazilian English teacher and mother of two, about how she is raising her children to speak English at home—even though they live in Brazil and English isn’t her first language. This conversation is perfect for advanced English learners, English tea...

It’s the final episode of Season 3—thank you for listening this season!  Today, for your Advanced English Listening practice, I’m sharing a book that completely surprised me: The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim. I honestly don’t know how I hadn’t heard of it before, but I’m so glad I read it. It’s a charming read (just what I needed in recent months!)—but also sharp, funny, and quietly radi...

The Long Game: From Zero to Real Life in Language Learning - with Abbie Fulbrook. What happens when you move to a new country, start a new job, and can’t speak the language? Abbie Fulbrook did just that—13 years ago, when she moved from the UK to Japan. In this conversation for intermediate and advanced English learners, Abbie shares her experience learning Japanese from zero, and how it’s influen...