Petra Kovacova, a Slovak national, is a traveller, passionate language learner, and teacher/mentor who helps others optimize and navigate their learning processes. She has lived in and explored several countries, which allowed her to enhance the quality of each experience; connect with local people; and appreciate the simple things in each place.

Being a slow and mindful traveller challenged her beliefs, helped her learn about herself, and embrace the unknown. She has lived in many countries, most extensively in Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, and the United States of America (USA).

Teaching abroad became her new passion and a way of making discoveries, allowing her to combine her love for teaching and travelling into one enriching experience. Her broad background in human resources taught her a lot about people's behaviour and cultural and linguistic diversity.

She has learned 6 different languages in the past, which has greatly benefitted her. Speaking other languages has opened new horizons for her and helped her tremendously in understanding and appreciating other cultures.

She has worked as an Academic Director in Mexico and most recently as a Director for People and Culture in Costa Rica. She believes that an open mind and the right attitude help you to savour every moment and every encounter, and be in awe of everything that comes your way.

You can make contact with Petra directly on LinkedIn via the following link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petrakovacova963/

For more information on this podcast series, 'John Scott Lawton's English, you know', or to make any comments or to ask any questions relating to English Language learning, please contact me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠johnscottlawton@hotmail.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or leave a sound bite comment on Spotify.

Please visit my LinkedIn profile at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-scott-lawton/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to view Recommendations regarding my English Language teaching and Executive Coaching Services (towards the bottom of my profile page).

#teaching #learning #learningenglish #TEFL #TESOL #IELTS #listeningskills #listening #teacher #travel #southamerica #Spanish #USA #Mexico #CostaRica #SriLanka #Indonesia #teachingEnglish #HR #Headhunting #DigitalNomad #OpenMind #mindfulness

In this episode I interview Italian national Marina Puviani a university student, aspiring journalist and writer of short, powerful poems about the human experience.

We talk about Marina's love of ballet, but then the disappointment as she came to the self-realisation that this was a career in which she could not excel, despite her passion and love of the discipline.

Following this - as a trigger warning - Marina talks openly about her experiences of bullying and of how she overcame the opinions and taunts of others to build her own positive self-worth, self-esteem and identity.

Marina's love of learning foreign languages has led her to study 3 languages at university: English, German and Spanish. She hopes to use these languages in her future career as a journalist.

Recently, Marina has turned to writing her own poems as a powerful means of self-expression and she shares 4 of these poems with us on the podcast.

The four poems are:

'Just Me':

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/marina-puviani-b1b119309_poetry-life-englishspeaking-activity-7205679484237164545-sRdV?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

'To All the Lonely Girls':

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/marina-puviani-b1b119309_english-literature-poetry-activity-7205858642204524545-IsDh?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

'Unrequited Love'

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/marina-puviani-b1b119309_poetry-english-literature-activity-7205809497859112960-Pz0_?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

'Life is a Tricky Game':

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/marina-puviani-b1b119309_poetry-literature-english-activity-7206010552500826112-HiF9?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

For more information on this podcast series, 'John Scott Lawton's English, you know', or to make any comments or to ask any questions relating to English Language learning, please contact me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠johnscottlawton@hotmail.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or leave a sound bite comment on Spotify.

Please visit my LinkedIn profile at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-scott-lawton/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to view Recommendations regarding my English Language teaching and Executive Coaching Services (towards the bottom of my profile page).

#teaching #learning #learningenglish #TEFL #TESOL #IELTS #listeningskills #listening #teacher #stories #fiction #audiobooks #storytelling #poems #poetry #Italy #Italia #bullying #therapy #TaylorSwift #unrequitedlove

In this rather different series of podcast Episodes (Series 11), I want to share with you a short novel I have written, set in Florence, Italy and inspired by its history and people and a recent working visit there. This series of podcasts is in effect, therefore, an audiobook in a change from my usual host/guest interview format.

This episode therefore introduces you to the eighth part of my novel, 'Forever in Florence', which is formed of two parallel storylines; with the stories being presented as alternate chapters, set in two different time periods, 500 years apart.

The odd numbered chapters; in this episode Chapters 43, 45, and 47; are set in the modern day and introduce you to its lead character, Isabella, who applies for a job in Florence's Academia Galleria so that she can be closer to her muse and idol Michelangelo Buonarroti and his works.

We follow Isabella's life and her loves, including her love of her home city, its food, its people, the beauty of Tuscany and her friendships, particularly with her best friend, Mia. In this and later episodes, you will also hear about her lifelong love for one particular songwriter, artist and poet who Isabella adores.

Chapter 43 Extract

"David noted that they were still holding hands as they navigated the way slowly through the busy city streets. Cars had no place in this city and pedestrians knew it. Eventually they made their way to the drop-off point at the end of the small alleyway leading down towards Isabella’s home. No cars could make it down there, so Isabella had to gently and carefully guide David down the length of the passage and into her small courtyard garden."

In parallel with Isabella's life, the second storyline involves Francesca. This story is set in the High Renaissance and follows the life of Michelangelo as he struggles with his art, his stone craft, his relationships with the church and the city and with its controlling family, the Medici. Chapters 44, 46 and 48 in this episode tell Francesca's story.

Chapter 44 Extract

"The morning sun eased its way into the dense city streets as Francesca walked the dogs by the river. They were well-behaved and came to her when she called them to come to shake themselves dry at the water’s edge. Her mission today was very simple: to get her master Michelangelo Buonarroti out into the safety of the countryside with as little fuss as possible and to settle him into Antonio’s grandfather’s farm buildings for protection."

While based on some experiences described in the literature about Michelangelo's life, this is a story of fiction and is not meant to be wholly historically accurate, so please accept it as that; a story.

If you would like to receive a free copy of the draft of the story so far, perhaps to read as you listen to the audio version, please email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠johnscottlawton@hotmail.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Spotify and other podcast platforms also have the facility to follow a word by word transcript of the podcast, available via a tab next to the 'Description' tab on laptops or desktops, or at the bottom of the podcast description on mobiles and possibly tablets, headed, 'Episode Transcript'.

For more information on this podcast series, 'John Scott Lawton's English, you know', or to make any comments or to ask any questions relating to English Language learning, please contact me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠johnscottlawton@hotmail.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or leave a sound bite comment on Spotify.

Please visit my LinkedIn profile at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-scott-lawton/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to view Recommendations regarding my English Language teaching and Executive Coaching Services (towards the bottom of my profile page).

#teaching #learning #learningenglish #TEFL #TESOL #IELTS #listeningskills #listening #teacher #stories #fiction #audiobooks #storytelling #Michelangelo #Italy #Florence #shortstory #shortnovel #novella #Firenze #Medici #BobDylan #Bologna #Italia #history