Hello, and welcome back to my Slow English Podcast.
This is a place where you can listen to slow, clear English.
English you can feel, not just memorize.
Remember, speed this video up to 1.5.
If you want a challenge.
Today we are learning how to introduce ourselves now, not in a basic way, not just your name or your job.
Today we will learn how to introduce the deeper parts of ourselves.
If you are intermediate or advanced, then this episode is for you.
Follow along with me, speak out loud, pause when you need to, and comment your answers.
I'll read them all.
And shout out to my top commenters on my last video from Uzbekistan, Brazil and Bangladesh.
Thank you as always for being here.
Thank you for your support.
So, who am I?
Today, I want to introduce myself to you.
Not just my name, but my story.
My name is Tiana Ortiz.
That is the name I was given.
But it's not the whole story.
I am someone who has lived between cultures, between places that both feel like home.
I don't just want to introduce myself, I want to tell you what shaped me.
First things first, my name, Tiana, means the most beautiful flower, according to my parents.
I'm not so sure about it, but I know it is of Aztec origin.
I was born in the United States, Nebraska, and that is where my life started.
But of course, a home is not always permanent.
When I was eight years old, my dad was deported back to Mexico.
So everything changed.
My life turned upside down.
And I think that moment taught me a lot about loss, adaptation, and resilience.
It taught me how fast life can change, but how strong we are deep down and how capable we are of adapting to change.
Now, when you introduce yourself, you can ask where am i from and what formed me?
What experience changed you?
What moment made you grow up faster?
What place in the world taught you who you are?
Tell me about it.
Write it down in the comments.
I attended a bilingual school.
They taught English and Spanish.
Not very good Spanish, but nevertheless they taught me something.
All the basics that I would need to survive, basically.
My sister wasn't so lucky.
She didn't know any Spanish when we arrived.
And my sister entered into middle school.
And that's a rough year to enter a new school.
Now add on the pressure of not knowing your classmates' language.
It was difficult for her.
But I feel especially sympathetic for my sister.
I was able to pick up the language pretty quick.
Since I was eight years old, it came naturally.
But at the beginning, it was difficult.
Don't get me wrong.
I definitely struggled. making friends and relating to people at first.
I went through all of elementary school, middle school and high school in Mexico, but I did not go to university.
I learned through experiences, through making mistakes, through work And through lots of curiosity, curiosity for the world in general.
I traveled a lot.
And I learned that education does not only live in a classroom, but it lives in conversations, in travel, in culture, in failing but trying again.
In stepping out of your comfort zone.
Something I learned to do was to be inspired instead of envious.
So now, when I feel I'm judging someone and I know I'm envious of them, I decide to feel inspired.
I take Action on what I need in my life.
On what my body is telling me I need because I'm judging that other person.
Now it's your turn.
What's something that you've learned about yourself outside of the classroom?
How do you learn best?
Through structure or freedom?
Through books or life?
If you did study something in school, what's something it taught you about yourself?
Not just about the subject.
What's something you learned about yourself in the classroom?
Let me know in the comments.
I'm really curious to hear your stories.
I work as an English teacher.
But that's not the full truth.
What I really do is make people feel safe.
Safe using their voice.
I help people feel less afraid, afraid of being misunderstood.
I hate it when someone is learning a language and you can see they're learning a language and there's always that one person who acts like they can't understand what you're saying.
Or they don't make the effort to try to understand what you're saying.
They'll say, huh?
What?
I can't understand your accent.
And that's what I'm here to destroy that belief that maybe someone else made you think.
Being soft.
Being patient.
Being kind.
As we should.
What you're doing is a very courageous thing to even attempt.
And you need to feel proud of yourself.
I'm here to help you tune out all the people who want to discourage you.
Teaching is not just my job.
It's how I connect, how I listen, and how I have learned so many things.
So many.
Just from teaching online.
Now, ask yourself, what do you really do? beyond your title.
What problem do you solve?
What do others come to you for?
What kind of energy do you bring to the room?
Don't let those discouragers get the best of you.
Listen to me instead.
I speak English and Spanish.
And I'm learning Chinese.
You guys know this.
Language changed my life.
It changed how I think, how I express emotion, how I connect with people.
Every language I learned teaches me a new version of myself.
Does this happen to you yet?
Maybe with another language or maybe with English.
Maybe the more you learn, the more you'll discover your new personality.
Because I feel like I have two personalities.
One in English and one in Spanish.
For sure.
Your turn.
How has language shaped you?
Which language feels like home?
And which language feels like growth?
What do I love?
I love walking through cities, biking through cities when there's no traffic, with my headphones on, listening to my favorite songs, stopping by small shops or markets and having quiet moments.
I need to slow down.
We all need to slow down sometimes.
It reminds me that my life doesn't need to be super productive to be meaningful.
I love traveling and learning new things.
Not to escape, but to understand more and more about myself.
It's so important to get to know yourself.
Now your turn.
What do you love?
What activity makes time disappear?
What brings you back to yourself?
When life feels heavy.
Now, take your time.
Reflect on each question.
You don't need to be perfect to start.
You just need to start and try and make mistakes.
You know this.
Repeat.
Pause.
Think.
And if you want, ask me questions in the comments.
But mostly, tell me about yourself.
Let me get to know you better.
And remember guys, never stop learning.
