In today's episode Melinda Karaca (your host) will be interviewing Sharon Salzberg.

Sharon Salzberg is a New York Times Bestselling author and teacher of Buddhist meditation practices of the west. She one of the co-founders of The Insight meditation society in Massachusetts, America.

She has written multiple books including her New York Times Bestseller, Real Happiness – The power of meditation: A 28-day programme (2010). She runs a Metta hour podcast and contributes monthly to a column On-Being. This is a Peabody award-winning public radio conversation. The Metta hour podcast brings Buddhist wisdom into everyday life in a practical common sense. Author Salzberg was also honoured by the New York open centre in 1999 for her “Outstanding contribution to the mindfulness of the west”. 

Additionally, she has contributed to various other podcasts such as the psychology podcast, ten percent happier, Maria Shriver’s Sunday paper and Duncan Trussell Family hour podcast. Today she will be contributing to my podcast, and I am beyond grateful for this. 

In today's episode she will talk about mindfulness, the importance of spending time with yourself and many other important things to consider.

Thank you.

In today's episode Melinda Karaca (your host) will be interviewing professor Kensaku Yoshida.

Professor Kensaku Yoshida has studied English studies at the faculty of foreign studies at Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan. He received a master’s degree in linguistics from Sophia University and completed his doctoral course work at the University of Michigan. He has worked until his retirement in 2021 at Sophia University as a distinguished professor and as the director of the language education and research. 

Since April 2021 he has assumed the position of Honoury president of the Eiken Foundation in Japan. This is one of the leading assessment organizations in Japan. Its purpose is to spread the English language and to improve it within the Japanese society. 

He has worked for the ministry of education, culture, sports, science, and technology along at the national centre for university entrance examination committees to revise the national curriculum and for the university entrance examination system. Additionally he has worked for the British Council and has researched different topics and given various speeches including a speech in 2019 for TED X Talk. 

In this episode he will explain and answer some of my questions about how it is to be an English teacher in Japan, the education system in Japan and about his experience.

Thank you.

In today's episode of the ITEtalks podcast, Mika Bitar will be interviewing Melinda Karaca (your host).

Mika Bitar is a fourth-year student at ITESS and had his own podcast which was about ITESS. He will be graduating soon and therefore stopping with that podcast. The podcast he had been working on had another name, focused on different topics and was mainly build around ITESS.

I got inspired by him and created my own version of this podcast. My podcast focuses on the ITE community as a whole and discusses different topics with guests, teachers and students.

In this episode you will get to know me as a host, person and student.

Today's episode is a short introduction to what the ITEtalks podcast is about.