Open Draft - with Fabio Cerpelloni

In this episode, I'm joined by Mary Glazunova, an English teacher, coach and author from Kyiv, Ukraine. I met Mary at the beginning of 2021 in an online teacher training course on how to teach without coursebooks and we've been sharing lots of teaching ideas since then. In the episode, you'll hear us talk about: 

At the beginning of the episode, I talk about the 'Storyworthy Book Program', an English storytelling course I'm offering in September (link below). I say there are 5 spots available. That was true at the time of recording but there are now ONLY 4 SPOTS LEFT, as another participant booked one. So...book yours today! Listen to the full episode because at the end of it I briefly focus on a very common idiom I used while chatting with Mary.

Links

Get in touch with me. Don't be a stranger! I reply to everyone.

Email me at [email protected] 

Join my private email list (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide)

In this episode, you'll hear one of my own true stories from April 2022. It's a story inspired by a photo of my car. Head to my website if you'd like to see it (link below).

At the beginning of the episode, you'll hear me talk about the 'Storyworthy Book Club', an online group program I'm opening again in September that will help you become a better storyteller, communicator and English speaker. At the end of the episode, you'll hear me briefly explain a phrasal verb I used in my story. 

Episode Links

The photo that inspired 'Girlfriend' (www.stolaroid.com/girlfriend)

Info and registration for the 'Storyworthy Book Program' (stolaroid.com/storyworthy-book-program)

The phrasal verb I used and explained (www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/tell-off)

Get in touch with me. Don't be a stranger! I reply to everyone.

Email me at [email protected]

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

In this episode, I'm joined by Cara Leopold from Leo Listening. Cara is an online English listening skills coach, and movie fan who helps adventurous expats and intrepid travellers harness their love of movies to understand authentic English, so they can connect with the cultures behind the films and other movie lovers around the world.

Cara has an amazing community called 'Movie Club'. 'Movie Club' is a community for movie lovers who want to understand authentic spoken English and speak it too. You’ll find new confidence in your listening, speaking and pronunciation skills because you’ll use short, regular activities that work to help you improve. And you’ll have a native speaker (Cara) watching alongside you to offer a quick explanation…or a little feedback when you need it.

She is a language learner herself as she's from Scotland but speaks fluent French, so you'll hear us talk about:

She also shared her own story about a photo of a dinner with her colleagues she took in Turkey (link below)

Given that this is mainly an episode about listening skills, at the end of it I decided to focus on a little pronunciation feature I'd noticed in Cara's speech: the glottal stop. This is a type of consonant sound that might make native speakers of English hard to understand. You'll find a link to a YouTube video below if you want to explore this in more detail.

Get in touch with me, don't be a stranger!

Download my free guide and join my private email list (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide)

Email me at [email protected] - I reply to every email

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

When I think of superpowers, I usually think of flight, invisibility, x-ray vision or supernatural speed, but in this episode I tell a personal story about a more simple one that could really change my life. This is a story from 2022 inspired by a photo of my dad. Head to my website if you'd like to see it (link below). At the end of the episode, I also talk about a grammatical structure I used in the story (get someone/something to do something).

Episode Links

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected] - I reply to every email

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

In this episode, I talk with Alessio Garavello, a professional Italian guitarist, singer, songwriter, vocal coach, sound engineer and music producer based in London. Alessio has been working as a session musician for over two decades and has performed live all across Europe with A New Tomorrow, his hard rock band.

I first met Alessio in the UK in 2011. We worked together in a popular coffee chain shop and what immediately impressed me was his English pronunciation. He didn't sound Italian at all. I didn't think it was possible for an Italian to speak English without an Italian accent until I met him.

Another remarkable thing about Alessio is his sunny temperament. Although we were working in a very stressful and nerve-racking environment, I never heard him complain about anything. Never. He was always cheerful, positive and full of energy. His approach to life is just beautiful. I'm sure you'll notice this when listening to him and I hope you'll find his stories inspiring.

You'll hear him talk about:

You'll also hear three of his songs (Spotify listeners only): A New Tomorrow, A Million Stars and Leaving All Behind (links below).

Episode Links

A New Tomorrow band website (www.anewtomorrowband.com)

Dirty Diana (Michael Jackson tribute) (www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYQdX7bZKks)

A New Tomorrow (www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEJcixIoZBc)

A Million Stars (www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU3bXWOTEh8)

Leaving All Behind (www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul0s-5MCRbI)

The photo that inspired Alessio's story (www.stolaroid.com/alessio)

Alessio on Instagram @alessiogaravello

A New Tomorrow band on Instagram @anewtomorrowuk

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected] - I reply to every email

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide)

In this episode, you'll hear a personal story that reveals an aspect of my personality which I believe is common in most people. Perhaps it's an aspect of your personality too. The story takes place in Fiji, a beautiful country in the South Pacific I visited in 2016, and it's inspired by a picture of a Fijian man I took while I was there. You can see this photo on my website (link below). At the end of the episode, you'll also hear me analyse a complex grammatical structure (third conditional) I used in the story. Below you'll find the links to a couple of videos from BBC Learning English if you'd like to investigate this language point further.

Episode links

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected]

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide) 

In this episode, you'll hear the second half of Vale's story. If you haven't listened to the first half, this episode might not make a lot of sense to you, so I'd suggest you listen to Episode 22 first and then come back to this one.

In Part 2, Vale talks about how some people reacted to what she's been doing on Instagram and explains how she uses social media to help women in Iran discover their true potential. She also tells the story behind the photo that she had decided to bring to the show. It's fascinating. 

At the end of the episode, you'll hear me talk about two very useful communication strategies that she used while she was speaking with me. These are speaking strategies that you too can use to maintain fluency in a conversation so...don't miss them! 

Episode Links

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected] - I reply to every email

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

In this episode, you'll hear a true story about oppression, rebellion, freedom and discovery. You'll hear me speaking with Vale, a young Iranian woman who left her country because she was feeling oppressed there. She comes from a traditionalist Iranian family but discovered a world she'd never seen before when she saw some pictures in her English textbooks. She's now living in Italy and uses social media to help other Iranian women discover who they are and what it means to be a woman. This is truly one of the most inspiring stories someone has ever told me. 

In this episode, you'll hear the first half of the conversation. You'll hear the second part in episode 23.

Vale's story was inspired by a picture she took in Iran. You can see it on my website (link below).

Episode Links

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected] - I reply to every email

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

In this episode, I share a personal story from 2011, when I started working in a café in Central London. Living in the UK was my first experience abroad. I was 24 at the time, spoke little English and was very insecure. But writing this story gave me the chance to reflect on how much progress I've made, both as a person and as an English speaker and I hope this episode might inspire you to keep growing as well as stand up to those people who are not treating you the way they should. The story was inspired by a photo of the sign of the café I was working in (link below)

Episode Links

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected] - I reply to every email

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

In this episode, I talk with the legendary Martin Johnston from Rock n' Roll English. We talk about learning languages as he's from the UK but speaks fluent Italian! We also speak about having kids because Martin shares his own true story inspired by a photo of his Italian wife holding up a very important piece of paper ;)

Episode Links

How to get in touch with me

Email me at [email protected] - I reply to every email

I'm also on Instagram (fabio_stolaroid) and Facebook (Fabio Stolaroid).

Join my private email list by downloading my free guide on how to use your own photos and stories to improve your English (stolaroid.com/get-your-guide)