Within and beyond the books and the classrooms in academia, we address gender issues with Melodie Cook through her experiences in this episode. We hope that you will find some valuable takeaways from her stories.

What's it like moving to a new country, starting a new job and having a kid at the same time? Life may be tough but you can find your worth by giving it your all. In this episode, Emily speaks to Melodie Cook about dealing with challenges that stand in the way, facing with failures, and taking opportunities to connect with the people around you. Melodie also gives valuable advice to those who are new in academia and addresses some misconceptions in research.

"Where are you from?" is a question that teachers would surely be asked in their careers. Whether by students, parents, colleagues or employers, that happens to be a BIG question for our guest, Namiko Tsuruta. Guess what? It is not a one-word answer nor a simple one. If you are interested in learning about your identity and how to address it in the classroom or with people around you, this podcast is for you. You can find out more about Namiko's work at the Global Language Institute (https://www.gli-edu.jp/) and The Tokyo Life (https://thetokyolife.jp/).

There is not doubt that the pandemic has affected so many people's lives, including educators around the world. As a result, many institutions began seeing the value of technology in the classroom. In this interview with Phil, we talked about ways to approach technology and how it is necessary in education (whether we like it or not). Tune in and let us know what you think! Got questions? Email us at [email protected] anytime!

Teaching is not as easy as you think. Plenty of work, time, and sweat (also tears) go into this sector of education. How do we teachers find that work-life balance? Well, the answer depends on each individual. Tune in to this episode's interview with Phil Nguyen to find out more.

Do you enjoy storytelling or listening to audiobooks? Are you learning English and would like to enhance your listening skills? You've come to the right podcast. This is the launch of our new short series where we tell you interesting stories that we have found online. In this first episode, we share "The Lucky Cat" by Hana Lang. Retrieved from Reedsy where you can read thousands of stories from people around the world. Enjoy!

Ever wondered if it were possible to pursue a postgraduate course in your second language? In this episode, we spoke to special guest Hidayat Polim from Indonesia about his journey of completing his Master's degree in English, which is not his first language. Tune in to listen to his story packed with real-life experiences and valuable advice! For more information, you can also visit https://steamplus.jp/.

Want to get into research? Curious about how to apply for a PhD? What are some things to look out for and also avoid?

Be ready to impress your future institution from these insightful tips from Eva Lantsoght who runs the PhD Talk podcast and blog. Listen in to find out how the process of completing a PhD application from the perspective of an experienced person in the field. Don't forget to check out PhD Talk's podcast and blog too!

What is language privilege? In this week's episode, Emily had an interesting conversation with Margaret from Get Unbothered podcast about the privileges of the English language. Having both experienced living in a country where English is not a main language, this episode shines light on how two people from different backgrounds in English and their stories about how they see the world as English speakers. Extra bonus from Margaret as a someone who has learned American Sign Language (ASL) and her experience with using it in Japan! Don't forget to check out Margaret's podcast, Get Unbothered.

You may know about famous musicians like Robert Schumann but did you know that his wife, Clara Schumann, was a music prodigy? In this episode, let's talk about feminism in music back in the Romantic period (and we mean WAY back). Hosted by Emily and featuring special guests from a Malaysian university who would like to share their passion about stories of women in music worth listening to.

This episode was recorded on the last day of Women's History Month.