Shhh, I’m Learning!

S1 E8: Embodied Language Learning, an interview with María Ortega García

"How are people supposed to know what to do with you when you don't even know what to do with yourself?" That question set off a journey of disentangling my identity from other people's expectations that I'm still on today. I'm humbled you're joining the conversation now and I can't wait to hear what you think of today's episode.
Today’s guest is María Ortega García, an embodied language coach, language teacher, mentor and Spanish multilingual poetry teacher based in Ireland.
I went to María with so many questions given that I spoke Spanish fluently (not perfectly), was familiar with various Spanish-speaking cultures, and yet I didn’t feel comfortable speaking Spanish in my own country. I found it hard to connect with people and frustrated at not knowing how to answer, “How did you learn Spanish?” I felt lost and out of place since Spanish has been a part of my life forever and yet I don't have a Spanish/Latin American identity or heritage.
Through the work of embodiment (which I personally find especially effective for introverts), María helped me seek answers within myself and tap into my body in order to feel more confident in new situations, as well as how to be aware of my body as a safe space.
If you're interested in working with and/or connecting with María, you can find her on her website at www.mariaortegagarcia.com.
I hope you enjoy today’s episode! Please reach out to me on Instagram at @shhh_imlearning to let me know what you thought and/or if you'd like to be featured on the show.

S1 E7: Thriving in Classrooms and Group Classes

Welcome to my shortest episode in a while! In today's episode I'll be sharing tips for both students and instructors on how to make the classroom a more welcoming space for more socially selective students. Special shout out to Jennifer Despain at NC State University for sharing Think Pair Share.
Resources mentioned in the episode: 
World Language Teacher Conference (annual, online)
Diego Ojeda
A talk by Diego Ojeda, "The Myth of Participation in the WL Classroom"
Citizen Cafe, a Modern Hebrew school (online and in-person for those in Tel Aviv)
What is Think Pair Share and how to use it in the classroom
Let me know what you think about today's episode and please rate and review so it's easier for others to find this podcast. Please reach out to me on Instagram (@shhh_imlearning) for any questions, comments or if you'd like to be on the show.

S1 E6: Introvert-Friendly Teaching, an interview with Robin Kube

Welcome back! Today’s interview is with Robin Kube from NC State University (Go Wolfpack!). Robin has been teaching ESL/ESOL for forty years and so she has a wealth of information on teaching students from all over the world. She’s also introverted and shy, which translates into loads of compassion for more socially selective students. Enjoy the episode and let me know what you think! Find me on Instagram @shhh_imlearning to connect.
Resources mentioned on the episode:
-TedTalk on the danger of a single story -Robwords channel on YouTube -Times article Robin mentions-YogaTimidez, with link in bio to the “support group” for shy people in Spanish (the group has changed some since my interview with Robin and now focuses more on yoga)-The two studies I mention are one from 1964 on Japanese/English and a more recent one on Spanish/English

S1 E5: Finding Your Voice, an interview with Katrina Madrilejo

Today’s episode is an interview with the phenomenal Katrina Madrilejo. Katrina is a qualified Yoga & Mindfulness Teacher, Life Coach, Ayurveda Massage Therapist, a former professional dancer and Founder of Why Knot Escapes – a company that prioritizes self care, self love, and acceptance. Katrina is also – you guessed it – an introvert, and while she’s not in the language space, she is very much language space-adjacent. She works with introverts to help them find their voice and their confidence through her 1:1 and group coaching programs. I worked with Katrina for one of her group masterminds and, to be honest, this podcast is a direct result of my working with her.
Enjoy the episode and afterwards you can find Katrina on Instagram @katrinamadrilejo!

S1 E4: To Speak or Not to Speak: That is the Question

Welcome back! In today's episode, we'll take a stab at answering the question, "Should you speak?" Speaking isn't everyone's goal, but even if it's yours there are many ways to practice your speaking skills. Get ready and let's discover new ways of being in the talky-talky part of language learning.
Resources mentioned on the show (and a couple bonuses):
30 Day Speaking Challenge (voice recording-based)
Italiano con Amore: Eleonora is a true gem of an Italian teacher and her love of literature, culture and cucina shines through in everything she does. She has 3 separate level of courses, all of which are very introvert- and shy people friendly. You can also find her on IG here.
The Italian Effect: Agata is another gem. She works with women only and has a very introverted style. I've worked with her for months and can't recommend her highly enough. To connect on IG, click here.
If Hebrew's your focus, The Hebrew Hub has a ton of amazing self-study and chat only courses, as well as courses that meet on Zoom. They also have a weekly free class on Zoom that you can find more details about here. The replays are on YouTube if you can't catch the classes live.
Piece of Hebrew has a podcast (with transcripts!) and YouTube channel (with subtitles in Hebrew, French and English) for intermediate learners. They also have a club, which is self-study and meets once a month on Zoom for an hour to practice speaking. Low-pressure, chill and you can easily learn vocabulary relevant for your daily life and interests.
For students of Portuguese, Dani from Brazilianing has a few small group and self-study courses. She knows a ton about teaching as well as working with different personality types.

S1 E3: Finding Your Guiding Principle, an interview with Bront’e Singleton

Woah y'all, this episode is a gem. Today I'm interviewing Bront'e Singleton, a language coach and mentor who helps language learners find their Guiding Principle, aka their reason for learning a language, as well as who they want to be in the language(s) they're learning.
Bront'e is giving listeners of this podcast access to her quiz that gives personalized strategies for creating a study plan. Be sure to check it out here. You can find Bront'e on TikTok or IG as @thepolyglotfox or at her website www.thepolyglotfox.com.
Here are links to other resources Bront'e mentions:
Gladly Global on YouTube and IG
Polyglot Progress on YouTube
Rowena Tsai on YouTube
Lindsay Does Languages
Thanks for listening! Please DM me on IG @shhh_imlearning for feedback, questions, or requests to be on the show. I can't wait to hear from you!

S1 E2: The Power of Quiet in Language

Have you ever struggled to "talk enough" in a group discussion and/or language classroom? If so, this episode is for you. Today we'll be going over the book Quiet by Susan Cain and using it as a jumping off point for discussing what words like "introvert," "extrovert," and "shy" really mean as well as how you can use your introverted superpowers in language learning.
If you'd like, please follow on Instagram at @shhh_imlearning and please say hi!
Resources to learn more about introversion:
A brief video here explains 4 common classifications of introverts
Susan Cain's TEDTalk can be found here
Here is a BBC video on the quiet power of introverts
Frank James is one of my favorite introverted content creators - he has a great video here of 10 signs you're a true introvert

S1 E1: Introduction

Hello introverted language learners! In this introductory episode I'll be introducing myself (I'm Martha, by the way) as the host of this podcast. I'll be talking about how I got the name for the podcast as well as who I am, how this podcast came about and why I believe introverted language learners need to have their voices heard. 
If you'd like, please follow on Instagram at @shhh_imlearning and please say hi!