Dear Podcast Listeners,
The past few years have come with a unique set of challenges, particularly in Chile: the social uprising, a pandemic, and lockdowns with an abrupt move to online teaching have all been difficult situations that we have navigated. Collectively we have also faced personal challenges with our physical and mental health as well as the loss of friends and family members, testing our resilience to keep going despite what has been happening around us.
After careful consideration, I’ve made the decision to end my participation in the ELT in Chile podcast.
Looking back at the experience, José Luis and I created 35 episodes covering a wide variety of topics related to English Language Teaching. We also interviewed guests working in different contexts and that are living or have lived in different parts of the world. We have also shared a wealth of resources (most if not all that are free) to help listeners improve their teaching practice. This was a very positive and enriching experience, and having the podcast to work on throughout the extended lockdowns of the pandemic helped provide me with a sense of purpose as well as a way of giving back to the ELT community.
There are many people to thank for this opportunity and for their role in the podcast’s success:
José Luis approached me about this in the winter of 2019 and invited me to be a part of the podcast. Without his faith in me and my ability to share my experiences, I probably would have never participated in a podcast or gone outside my comfort zone.
Carlos Sepulveda and Matías Beltramin were both integral to the recording and editing of each podcast episode. It is thanks to them that we were able to produce episodes that had an excellent sound quality.
Andrés Ranz created the logo that is the ELT in Chile logo. His creativity with incorporating the lines like a volume bar to look like the Andes mountains is something that will always stay in my mind.
Nicolás Román created and has been maintaining the ELT in Chile website since the beginning of the podcast. His knowledge and expertise made it possible to set it up to connect with Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts. He also redesigned the website to give it a more organized layout.
Erin O’Byrne of Everything EFL invited us as podcasts guests on her podcast in August 2021.
TESOL Chile also invited us guests in their webinar in July 2021.
The guests on the podcast graciously shared their time to talk about their experiences: Tina Getachew, Sandra Morales, Carlos Veloso, Jorge Comte, Erika de la Barra, Soffía Carbone, Bárbara Echard, Thom Kiddle, and Maria Glazunova.
Last but not least, thank you to everyone that listened, watched, took the surveys that we made available, or told others about the podcast.
I’m not 100% sure what my future will hold. I am still passionate about helping teachers go freelance and become their own boss as well as running workshops about effective teaching methods. I’ve also been considering getting an international certification in coaching that will help me expand upon the course I took last year. In any case, I am optimistic about the future.
I hope that my role in the ELT in Chile podcast makes a positive impact for language teachers for many years to come.
Stay safe, stay kind, and KEEP ON TEACHING!
Daniel Guim
