Hear You Go

The Power of Fiction, with Bruna Passos | Advanced English Conversations.

In this episode of Hear You Go (E67), I sit down with the exceptional Brazilian English teacher Bruna Passos for a conversation that started with a book and led us to so many interesting places.
We talk about the power of fiction—not just for enjoyment but for expanding our perspectives, building empathy, and even challenging the status quo. Bruna shares how literature has transported her to different times and places, expanding her understanding of language and our world.
We also dive into the question of reading in a second language—why do so many people lean toward "practical" texts instead of fiction? We chat about how to balance reading for pleasure with language learning. Along the way, we geek out over Jhumpa Lahiri, book clubs, and why reading reviews can be just as eye-opening as the books themselves.
If you love reading, teaching, or simply the magic of language, this conversation is for you.
We wrap up the convo with Bruna letting us in on what she’s reading now and sharing where you can find her online (pro tip: if you DM her, bring book recommendations!).
All book titles and links to Bruna’s work are in the show notes below.
🎧 Tune in for an unscripted, heartfelt discussion on learning, exploring, and the books that shape us.
 
Hear You Go English language listening podcasts aim to give you, the intermediate English language learner and advanced English language learner, a space to practice your English listening so that you can think, learn, and connect in English. 
**************
Links to go further:
Bruna’s details:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brunapassoselt/
Website: https://www.brunapassos.net/
Books and authors we discussed:
Pedro Bandeira: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Bandeira
The Joys of Motherhood, by Buchi Emecheta: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Joys_of_Motherhood
Jhumpa Lahiri: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jhumpa_Lahiri
Her books: 
The Interpreter of Maladies (1999)
The Namesake (2003)
Unaccustomed Earth (2008)
The Lowlands (2013)
Dove mi trovo (2018)
Roman Stories (2023)
4. Isabel Allende, author of countless novels worth reading: https://www.isabelallende.com/en
House of Spirits (1995)
5. Forbidden Notebook, Alba de Céspedes
*********************************
📥 Do you get my newsletter? It’s really the best way to hear from me. Transcripts are included in the newsletter.
You can also follow me on Instagram.
🎶 Amos the Transparent provides my theme song. They're an awesome group of talented musicians. Give them some love and check out their music. 
Please share the podcast and spread the knowledge!
 

🚀 Beam Me Up Scotty – An Advanced English Book Talk on Orbital and More 📖

For your advanced English listening practice, we're blasting off to where everyone had a translator thingamajig on their t-shirt and could talk to any alien out there in the galaxy 🤣.
 
As a child, I dreamed of becoming an astronaut, exploring the final frontier aboard the Starship Enterprise. While my math grades grounded that dream, my fascination with space never waned. In this episode of Hear You Go, I dive into Orbital, the 2024 Booker Prize-winning novel by Samantha Harvey, a breathtaking story set aboard the International Space Station. 
We’ll also shine some starlight on: 👩‍🚀 The legacy of Dr. Roberta Bondar, Canada’s first female astronaut, a subject to honor this month's International Women’s Day 🌏 And ponder the question: can we ever achieve the utopian future envisioned in Star Trek?
From the Challenger disaster to the wonders of spaceflight, this English listening practice episode reflects on human ambition, scientific progress, and our responsibility to protect Earth. Join me on this journey beyond the stars! 🌠
As always, we’ll note some useful advanced English (B2/C1 Intermediate & Advanced English) along the way.
🔊 Listen now and test your listening in this advanced English language podcast  🎧
Hear You Go English language listening podcasts aim to give you, the intermediate English language learner and advanced English language learner, a space to practice your English listening so that you can think, learn, and connect in English. 
****************************
Do you get my newsletter? It’s really the best way to hear from me and access the transcript.
You can also follow me on Instagram.
🎶 Amos the Transparent provides my theme song. They're an awesome group of talented musicians. Give them some love and check out their music. 
Please share the podcast and spread the knowledge!

The transformative power of education - A conversation with Eidiane Rufino

In this English language listening practice episode (E65), I talk to English language teacher Eidiane Rufino , who shares her experiences as a teacher from Brazil, now living in Canada. 
Eidiane opens up about how she went from hating English to seeing it as a key to opening up a whole new world. She knew from a young age that she wanted to be a teacher, and today, she can clearly see her strengths as a non-native teacher, and what she and others like her can offer learners. She explains the pluses of having firsthand experience learning the language, including the capacity to break down complex language structures, a skill that strengthens her ability to relate to students and be an essential bridge for learners.
Our intermediate/advanced English conversation then shifts to Eidiane's move to Canada, the challenges she faced, and the advice she has for others considering a similar move. She emphasizes the importance of managing expectations and planning ahead. She also discusses the cultural and social differences between Canada and Brazil. Despite some difficulties, she expresses no regrets about her decision and encourages others to remain patient and adaptable as they navigate life in a new country.
As always, you’ll note some useful advanced English (B2/C1 Intermediate & Advanced English) along the way.
 
🔊 Listen now and enjoy!
 
Hear You Go English language listening podcasts aim to give you, the intermediate English language learner and advanced English language learner, a space to practice your English listening so that you can think, learn, and connect in English. 
***********************
Get my newsletter (with a link to the transcript).
Follow me on Instagram.
Check out my website.
Thanks as always to Amos the Transparent for the theme music.
 

🧢 The Politics and Fashion of Hats 🎩 | Advanced English Listening Practice

Hats - Quaint Artifacts? Harmless Fashion Accessory? Political Statement? 
Ontario’s premier has a new baseball cap that makes a bold political statement—but it got me thinking about hats in general. When did they go out of fashion? Why were they once essential, and why do they still hold power today?
In this Ideas in English listening practice (intermediate and advanced B2/C1 level) episode of Hear You Go, we’ll explore:✔️ The history of hats—from climate necessity to religious and military significance✔️ The rise and fall of hats as fashion accessories✔️ Why some hats are embraced while others are banned✔️ How headwear became a battleground for personal expression and politics
From Ancient Egypt to Milanese milliners, from the royal horse races to baseball caps with slogans—hats tell a bigger story than we might think. So, what does your hat say about you?
As always, we’ll note some useful advanced English (B2/C1 Intermediate & Advanced English) along the way.
🔊 Listen now and let’s talk headwear, identity, and freedom of expression.
Hear You Go English language listening podcasts aim to give you, the intermediate English language learner and advanced English language learner, a space to practice your English listening so that you can think, learn, and connect in English. 
**************
Do you get my newsletter? It’s really the best way to hear from me and access the transcript.
You can also follow me on Instagram.
🎶 Amos the Transparent provides my theme song. They're an awesome group of talented musicians. Give them some love and check out their music. 
Please share the podcast and spread the knowledge!

The Great Passage: Lexicographers at Work | English Listening Book Talk

How would you describe a dictionary?
Have you ever thought about how dictionaries are made? Or who decides what goes in them? 
This week on Hear You Go, in an English listening practice Book Talk, episode 63, I’m diving into these questions, inspired by the Japanese novel I recently read called The Great Passage by Shion Miura.
It’s a beautiful story about a quirky group of people working to create the ultimate dictionary—and it got me wondering about a slew of things, including this: are dictionaries still useful in the age of AI?
I’ll share a summary of the book, what I learned about how dictionaries are made (past and present) and how they’ve evolved, and we’ll explore what makes a good one. As always, we’ll note some useful advanced English (B2/C1 Intermediate & Advanced English) along the way and get some English listening practice too. 
Ready to go down this rabbit hole with me?
Let’s set sail on The Great Passage!
Hear You Go English language listening podcasts aim to give you, the intermediate English language learner and advanced English language learner, a space to practice your English listening so that you can think, learn, and connect in English. 
 
Links:
ChatGPT made dictionaries worthless
The Great Passage
 
**************
Do you get my newsletter? It’s really the best way to hear from me and access the transcript.
You can also follow me on Instagram.
🎶 Amos the Transparent provides my theme song. They're an awesome group of talented musicians. Give them some love and check out their music. 
Please share the podcast and spread the knowledge!

Wellness Fatigue: Is Being 'Well' Wearing Us Out? | English Listening Practice

Try saying that tongue-twister of a title out loud 3 times fast!!! Let’s kick off the year with an English pronunciation challenge 😂, and then take a deep dive into wellness—a word that might have you (like me) rolling your eyes, or perhaps you’re reaching for a $30 melatonin-infused chocolate. From the latest wellness trends to Instagram "healthfluencers," I'm sharing my frustration about the exhausting pursuit of being well in episode 62 of Hear You Go.
For today’s English listening practice (B2/C1 Intermediate & Advanced English), we’ll explore the tangled web of wellness and self-care: their rise to buzzword status, the trillion-dollar industry cashing in on our insecurities, and why it all feels so impossible (and expensive!). Spoiler: it’s not just you who feels exhausted by the need to be “well”.
Practice your English listening skills, and learn about:
What real self-care looks like (it’s not found in a bottle or at a spa)
How to set boundaries, prioritize your values, and ditch the guilt—good advice for language learning too!
Why wellness isn’t just personal—it’s also about community and systemic change
Oh, and don’t miss the linguistic nuggets of advanced English sprinkled throughout! Ready to redefine your year on your terms? Let’s do this. 🧘‍♀️✨
Hear You Go English language listening podcasts aim to give you, the intermediate English language learner and advanced English language learner, a space to practice your English listening so that you can think, learn, and connect in English. 
**************
Do you get my newsletter? It’s really the best way to hear from me and access the transcript.
You can also follow me on Instagram.
🎶 Amos the Transparent provides my theme song. They're an awesome group of talented musicians. Give them some love and check out their music. 
Please share the podcast and spread the knowledge!

A Christmas ... Dog. | Book Talk for English Listening Practice

It’s December 17th, and my home is filling up with of cookies, Christmas aromas, and eager anticipation of family coming home.
In this special holiday episode, created for your Advanced English listening practice, you'll hear about a heartwarming Canadian short story—Carmichael’s Dog by David Adams Richards.
Humour, nostalgia, a puppy, and a snowy New Brunswick Christmas set the stage for this comedy of errors about two brothers, community, and overcoming grief. Join me for excerpts, reflections, and a cozy escape into the magic of storytelling to conclude your English listening practice for 2024.
Happy holidays, listeners—let’s jump in.
***************************************
❤️‍🔥 Are you a fan of Hear You Go?
🎧 Have you listened to the podcast and found it valuable for your listening practice? 
🫙 You can say thank you by leaving a tip in my tip jar.
Your support is deeply appreciated. 
Catherine 🤗
***********************
Do you get my newsletter? It’s really the best way to hear from me.
You can also follow me on Instagram.
🎶 Amos the Transparent provides my theme song. They're an awesome group of talented musicians. Give them some love and check out their music. 
Hear You Go English language listening podcasts aim to give you, the intermediate and Advanced English language learner, a space to practice your English listening so that you can think, learn, and connect in English. 
Please share the podcast and spread the knowledge!

"Slow everything down, slow yourself down": Talking mindfulness with Danny McGee | Advanced English Conversations

Slow down.
Breathe.
Pause.
Reflect.
Create a gap.
React or respond?
What do we do about the teacher's ego? About learners' anxieties? 
Episode 60 of Hear You Go covers a lot of ground as my special guest, Toronto-based English language teacher Danny McGee, joins me to discuss the importance and benefits of mindfulness for both teachers AND learners.
It's tremendously difficult to summarize this exceptional conversation. Truly, it's gonna knock your socks off!
So whether you teach English in a school or you're a freelance English language teacher, whether you study a language independently or in a group, you'll come away from this conversation with a better understanding of how mindfulness can not only help improve your teaching and learning, but also help you as a human being living in a chaotic world. It's something we can and should all try - why not?
What have we got to lose? 
This Advanced English conversation will give you plenty of food for thought, and when you need to learn even more, go follow Danny on Instagram: @mindful_teacherdanny 
Put on your listening ears and take a comfy seat for this listening practice. Danny and I have different English accents for you to analyze, and we use a slew of delightful expressions and vocabulary to keep your advanced English ears piqued.
Oh, and listen up for the part of the conversation where two English language teachers can't find the right word to save their lives :) 
Resources Danny mentions:
Anything by Thich Nhat Hanh.
Mindfulness and Learning: Celebrating the Affective Dimension of Education, by Terry Hyland
Eckhart Tolle
Living in the Moment, Anna Black
The Mindful Way workbook, Teasdale et al.
***************************************
Are you a fan of Hear You Go?
Have you listened to the podcast and found it valuable for your listening practice? 
You can say thank you by leaving a tip in my tip jar.
Your support is deeply appreciated. 
**************************************************
Theme music: Amos the Transparent.

What's on your playlist? | English Listening Practice

🎵 What is it about music?
🎶 Why does the music of our youth stay with us?
 
In this English listening practice episode (E59) of Hear You Go, we’re turning up the volume to take a walk down memory lane and hear the playlist of my childhood—mostly English songs from artists like Kris Kristofferson and Bruce Springsteen that shaped my childhood, and probably influenced my bleeding heart.
 
What is it about music that sparks these memories? You know that music is a fabulous mood booster, but it’s also super helpful in learning new English vocabulary through song lyrics. Music is connected to memory, and therefore is a pretty good way to remember words and how they’re produced orally, or used in a poem or piece of prose writing.
 
💫 Without a doubt, listening to music helps bring about nostalgia, and listening to songs in English boosts language acquisition in an enjoyable way.
Music is a must for English listening practice, from beginner to advanced English. It’s also a fabulous way to hear how words are contracted and reduced: made messy, as most spoken language is. 
 
🎁 To thank you for all your support so far this season (season 3!), I’ve even made a special playlist for you (two in fact!)—perfect for learning or just reminiscing.
What’s on your childhood playlist? 🎶
Hear You Go English language listening podcasts aim to give you, the intermediate English language learner and advanced English language learner, a space to practice your English listening so that you can think, learn, and connect in English.
This one will also make you sing, dance, and maybe cry. Music is magical.
🎧 Playlist of my childhood:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/12OLLZmuToae7sjUnygdG3?si=oYWJ-32GQZyMTyv2SKXZyw
 
🎧 Playlist of the movie “Grosse Point Blank”: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2YNcfVCqgsSXsKoiIn5YOZ?si=J_PrMVk1QBaEi_mVW_r0qg
 
To get in touch with me:
For more: English with Catherine website
Instagram: catherineangus_hearyougo
Thanks to Amos the Transparent for our theme music.

Reimagining ELT with Teacher Kay | Intermediate English Language Conversation

Reimagining ELT with Teacher Kay
Honest Talk about Equity in English Language Teaching & Learning
 
In today’s English language conversation, Teacher Kay of Sincerely Teaching joins me to discuss reimagining English Language Teaching (ELT) so that it's inclusive and just for English language teachers AND learners.
Kay shares her journey into teaching English and unpacks the deep-rooted issues of native speakerism and racism within the industry. She helps us challenge dominant narratives in order to create language learning environments that celebrate linguistic diversity.
Kay also discusses her course (that you definitely want to take!!!) called "Creating Cycles of Empowerment." It aims to give teachers the tools to transform their teaching practices and offer students a learning space that is authentic and socially-conscious.
 
This intermediate and advanced English conversation offers a powerful critique of the status quo in ELT and provides a hopeful vision for a more inclusive future. 
And as always, it's an opportunity for you, the English language teacher and English language learner to practice listening to messy, imperfect, wonderful spoken English.
 
Thanks for listening to Hear You Go, Episode 58!
**********
Find Teacher Kay here:
@SincerelyTeachingEnglish@DiasporaEnglishLearning www.sincerelyteaching.com 
Email: kayla@diasporaenglish.ca 
 
To get in touch with me:
For more: English with Catherine website
Instagram: catherineangus_hearyougo
Thanks to Amos the Transparent for our theme music.