The Listen Podcast

Being a native Spanish speaker who learned English while growing up puts Jose in an interesting position: he actually has memories of the learning process! He was lucky enough to have a native speaker as his English teacher, and she helped him out with issues such as pronunciation. But he was also committed to learning this new…

Born in Cuenca, Spain, Jose García began his English studies at the age of 10. He first traveled to the UK at the age of 17, then later to Ireland, while studying translation at university. He has used English in his professional life as a translator, interpreter, tourist officer, clerk for the EU, and currently as a teacher, and is passionate about British and American folk music.

Being born and raised in Belgium, a country with three official languages, has surely shaped LVK’s perception of the world. While growing up, she spoke Dutch at home and learned German, French and English at school. Crazy, right? How fascinating is it that in Belgium everything is subtitled (as opposed to dubbed). From TV shows…

Being born and raised in Belgium, a country with three official languages, has surely shaped Laura’s perception of the world. While growing up, she spoke Dutch at home and learned German, French and English at school. Crazy, right? How fascinating is it that in Belgium everything is subtitled (as opposed to dubbed). From TV shows to movies…

Laura Vander Kerken is a 27 year old Belgian who has participated in exchange programs in such countries as the US, Spain, France and England. She is addicted to learning foreign languages and experiencing new cultures. Recently she and her Spanish husband biked from Belgium to Spain, then backpacked in Colombia and Ecuador, on the ultimate dream honeymoon. Laura, who is now working in the tourism sector in Belgium, plans to keep on dreaming and traveling.

Lisa and Juan are one of those marvelous bicultural couples who live between cultures, between countries, between lifestyles. Juan met Lisa because he was trying to keep up with his English. He was born and raised in Spain, while she was born in the UK and raised by an Italian mother and British father. After several years…

Juan Sedeño Zamora grew up in central Spain, while his wife Lisa Porter was raised in the UK by an Italian mother and English father. In 2002, they met in Spain while teaching and studying foreign languages, then later decided to pursue their teaching careers in the UK. Currently, they are both teachers at Framlingham College in Suffolk. They return to Spain several times per year with their children to visit family and friends.

Ernesto and María, both from Central Spain, met in a research lab in Madrid, where they were carrying out their studies for their respective PhDs. In 2009, they were granted a scholarship to continue their studies at UC Berkeley. They packed their bags and off they went on their adventure together! As Spaniards living in…

Maria Ángeles Recuero Checa and Ernesto Arias Palomo were born and raised in central Spain, and met during their PhD studies in Madrid. They decided to continue their research in the US, which led them to work at UC Berkeley (CA) and then at Johns Hopkins University (MD). In 2017, they returned to Madrid, where Maria is working as a high-school biology teacher and Ernesto as the head of a research lab at the Spanish Scientific Research Council (CSIC).

After living in London for nearly a decade and having a child while abroad, Javier García Nieva and Silvia Martínez Andres decided to move back to their native Spain to put down roots and continue to grow their family and business. Javi and Silvia had known each other their whole lives before they embarked on…