Talk Overview

This talk aims to delve into the intricate relationship that English speakers often have with multilingualism, examining the societal, educational, and psychological factors that contribute to their frequently self-diminishing attitude towards learning new languages.

Despite the global prevalence of English, which in theory should ease worldwide communication for its native speakers, this very ubiquity paradoxically discourages them from venturing beyond their linguistic comfort zones.

The discussion will scrutinise how home attitudes, educational limitations, and travel experiences perpetuate this cycle, and why a self-conscious fear of making mistakes further hampers the language-learning process. It seeks to shed light on how English speakers can break free from this monolingual bubble in an increasingly bilingual world.

About the Speaker

I'm an educator with a focus on Spanish language teaching. Along with a degree in language studies, I hold a PGCE in Modern Languages, and a CELTA certification, equipping me to teach English, French and Spanish proficiently. I fell in love with languages later than most, and was into my early twenties before I discovered this passion.  I hope to inspire others to overcome the hurdles we face when learning another language or skill.

Currently, I'm employed as a secondary school teacher in Belfast and also offer online private tutoring, which has provided me with a rich practical experience in the field of language instruction.

My professional goals are both clear and ambitious. I aspire to become a well-regarded name in the field of Hispanic linguistics, paying particular attention to language acquisition, dialectal variations and cultural aspects.