Languages are my passion but I’ve never thought I was going to actually be teaching one 😉

🎧 Listen to the podcast

But from the start..

🇫🇷 I remember falling in love with French, that cassette tape with “Paris, Paris” by Catherine Deneuveand Malcolm McLaren recorded from the radio would go on loop for months.

🇩🇪 Next to English, I started learning German in high school. I told my parents so many times that learning German is stupid: “Where will it ever be useful for me?”. That Dora would have been super surprised if knowing: “Every day, at your future home, with your future kids” 😅

📓 As someone who wanted to become a doctor [long story], I also studied Latin for 4 years, twice a week. Most stressful classes of my entire education. But…

🇮🇹 Having studied Latin gave me an easier start at Italian studies that I decided to pursue next to my cultural studies master. I fell in love with the language and still there are no other sounds that bring me so much joy as the simplest words in Italian. No cure for that, I need to take regular doses of every year vising Italy.

I can spend hours discussing languages, sitting in a complete delight over what seems to be un-translatable, so - lucky you if you happen to speak a language I particularly enjoy, I’ll not let you out of this conversation.

🏳️‍🌈 With the same dedication and care I approach the newest language I started to learn and speak a couple of years ago: Inclusive Language.

I approach it as any other foreign language: by discovering the world it reveals, people it brings into my life, and goals it helps me to come closer to. I study it, from all perspectives, thoroughly. 

I was incredibly honored to be invited by Anna Harężlak she/her, who I admire and respect for her #dei work and whose #podcast I am a fan of. Anna has let me to speak for an hour* about what #inclusivelanguage is and how can we, as individuals and organizations, bring it to life by taking small steps in learning how to speak it. I share also some practical tips, good practices and examples from my #trainings. Enjoy!

I speak none of the languages I’ve studied perfectly. But those I cared about, because of the people who I could connect with by speaking it, stayed. I think it’s no different with Inclusive Language – appreciating the #diversity around us, will help us to find the rights words, even if not perfect, to connect with people.

DEI is about progress. Progress over perfection.

*The podcast is unfortunately only in Polish