Recording date: April 25, 2021

Guest: Melanie Johnson, Los Angeles and Amy Swanson, Chicago

Synopsis: Oh boy! What a season! We decided to wrap up our first season of Talk to Us @BounceEnglish with another two part episode. In Part 2, we reflect on the amazing discussions we had during season 1. We talk about what surprised us, cool things we learned and discuss some of Melanie’s techniques for teaching online. We discuss equity in ELT and get candid about salaries and compensation, career paths, and why being “replaceable” can sometimes be a good thing. We chat a bit more about Covid-19 and what’s next for BounceEnglish and for Season 2 of Talk to Us @BounceEnglish. We hope you enjoy and we’ll see you next season! 

Miss us already? Check out some of our YouTube content!

5 Tips for Online Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMnxcmnJ-pt5fo2RlzCV7xw

BounceEnglish Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMnxcmnJ-pt5fo2RlzCV7xw/featured

Need some summer reading? Check out Jeffrey Miller’s book: The Day the Earth Swallowed Louis Available at Amazon

Check out our Talk to Us @BounceEnglish Season 1 playlist in Spotify!

Here is the link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2xdjadUVmcLkonmYikLy55?si=614dfd7c5b3a48d5

Or you can search Spotify for BounceEnglish (one word) and you should see the Talk to Us @BounceEnglish Season 1 playlist.

We hope you enjoy and will have a new episode next week.

Recording date: April 1, 2021

Guest: Melanie Johnson, Los Angeles and Amy Swanson, Chicago

Synopsis: Oh boy! What a season! We decided to wrap up our first season of Talk to Us @BounceEnglish with another two part episode. In Part 1, we share our origin stories! As Mel says, “What’s our deal?” Well, we have been friends for almost 30 years. We talk about how we met, the highs and lows of the past 30 years and how each of our lives intersected with English Language Teaching. There are a lot of laughs and memories that we are so happy to share. AND Amy finally learns the word “Precacity”. 

Also - we had so much fun naming the episodes with song titles and lyrics, we made a Spotify playlist!

Check it out at: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2xdjadUVmcLkonmYikLy55?si=614dfd7c5b3a48d5

Recording date: February 22, 2021

Guest: Jeffrey Miller, Seoul

Synopsis: We have a two part episode with guest Jeffrey Miller, who has been living and teaching English in South Korea for almost 30 years. In part 1, we hear about what led Jeffrey to teaching English and brought him to Seoul. We discuss the many ways in which the culture of English teaching has evolved, from the “cowboy” days of the 1990s to the industry of today. In part 2 of the interview, Amy and Jeffrey discuss the impact that the pandemic has had on his children and students. We discuss how the ESL market in South Korea has changed over the years, from the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997 to market saturation of the 2000s to today. And, Jeffrey is an author! Check out the link to his book below. He’s currently working on his memoirs of teaching English in South Korea.

Links:

The Day the Earth Swallowed Louis Available at Amazon

Recording date: February 22, 2021

Guest: Jeffrey Miller, Seoul

Synopsis: We have a two part episode with guest Jeffrey Miller, who has been living and teaching English in South Korea for almost 30 years. In part 1, we hear about what led Jeffrey to teaching English and brought him to Seoul. We discuss the many ways in which the culture of English teaching has evolved, from the “cowboy” days of the 1990s to the industry of today. In part 2 of the interview, Amy and Jeffrey discuss the impact that the pandemic has had on his children and students. We discuss how the ESL market in South Korea has changed over the years, from the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997 to market saturation of the 2000s to today. And, Jeffrey is an author! Check out the link to his book below. He’s currently working on his memoirs of teaching English in South Korea.

Links:

The Day the Earth Swallowed Louis Available at Amazon

This week, we have a bonus episode from our 2020 Teachathon. This discussion was presented by Julie Butters (who you might remember from episode six) and Emma McCarthy and in it, they discuss a 2015 study that Emma was involved in regarding dealing with sensitive cultural issues in the classroom. They introduce the theory behind teachers' attitudes towards dealing with sensitive issues in the classroom and give some practical examples of incorporating social justice issues in the classroom to promote transformative learning. 

You can also watch the video of this presentation on our YouTube channel, which includes a beautiful presentation that accompanies discussion. 

Link: https://youtu.be/kM7-pv1_EcE

Mel and I both this is an very interesting and important topic, so we hope you enjoy it! Check back next week when we will have a brand new episode of Talk to Us @Bounce English! You’re the best!

Recording date: December 23, 2020

Guest: Beth Butterfield, Rabat

Synopsis: In this episode, we get a chance to catch up with long time friend, Beth Butterfield. Beth discusses her road to teaching English as a Second Language and how it took her to beautiful Morocco, where she currently lives and teaches. We discuss the good and bad in American Charter Schools and whether hybrid learning model (where students spend part of the week in person lessons and part of the week in online lessons) or offering separate programs for in person or virtual learning best serves students. Beth shares her thoughts on living in Rabat, the capital of Morocco and its wonderful culture (we can’t wait to visit!) And, we get to hear a new use for the word “Cohorts”. Check it out!

Links:

https://thewellplantedlife.com/

https://www.ras.ma/

https://www.voa.org/children-youth-and-families

Produced by Melanie Johnson and Amy Swanson for BounceEnglish

Edited by Amy Swanson

Theme Song “Let’s Keep in Touch” by John Swanson (Amy’s big brother!)

Recording date: January 7, 2021

Guest: Liliana Arrias Orrego, Medellin, Colombia

Synopsis: This week we talk with Liliana Arrias Orrego, the Children and Youth Program Academic Coordinator at the Colombo Americano school in Medellin, Colombia. This was such a joyful conversation with Lili, who brings some new perspectives about English Language teaching as English is her second language. She discusses some of her life lessons as a mother and teacher, the power of the teacher and struggles parents have had with online learning. We also discuss the pressure of learning English for non-native speakers, how important motivation is to learning, and the importance of making virtual learning meaningful for all students, no matter what their age.

Produced by Melanie Johnson and Amy Swanson for BounceEnglish

Edited by Amy Swanson

Theme Song “Let’s Keep in Touch” by John Swanson (Amy’s big brother!)

This week we have a special bonus episode for you. We are sharing a presentation that Melanie originally did in June 2020 called "Where are we now? Managing Changes in Uncertain Times". 

In this episode, Melanie Johnson will discuss how trauma can impact the classroom or workplace (in person or online).  She will share some techniques for managing uncertainty and mitigating its potential impact on all of our lives - as educators, professionals and individuals.

Full video: https://youtu.be/JTN6WqL7wlU

Check back with us next week for an all new episode of Talk to Us @BounceEnglish.

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Produced by Melanie Johnson and Amy Swanson for BounceEnglish

Edited by Amy Swanson

Theme Song “Let’s Keep in Touched” by John Swanson (Amy’s big brother!)

Recording date: December 9, 2020

Guest: Fi Aish and Jo Tomlinson

Synopsis: In this week’s episode, we talk with the founders of Target English, Fi Aish and Jo Tomlinson. Fi and Jo are experts in creating materials and tests for English Language Training and IELTS exam preparation. We talk with Jo and Fi about the transition from teaching to starting their own business and some lessons they have learned as language material and assessment consultants. We discuss the future of English Language assessments and testing in the “new normal” of online teaching. We also chat about the impact of Covid-19 and (gasp!) its positive impact in their day to day work life.

Links: https://www.target-english.eu/

Produced by Melanie Johnson and Amy Swanson for BounceEnglish

Edited by Amy Swanson

Theme Song “Let’s Keep in Touched” by John Swanson (Amy’s big brother!)