Wise Words of Women | Polyglot Conference Global

Empowering Voices: Wise Words of Women in Languages

Welcome to “Wise Words of Women,” a special series dedicated to celebrating the expertise and insights of women in the world of languages. Despite women representing over 70% of language-related positions globally and excelling as students of languages at universities worldwide, achieving equal representation on stage has been a challenge. At Polyglot events, we believe it’s essential to bridge this gap and showcase the invaluable contributions of women professionals, scholars, and enthusiasts.

Exploring Wisdom and Experience:

In this series, we spotlight remarkable women who have made significant strides in the field of languages. Through profiles and talks, we delve into their experiences, expertise, and unique perspectives. These inspiring stories aim to celebrate the achievements of women in languages and provide a platform for their voices to be heard.

Join Us in Celebrating Diversity:

We invite you to explore the profiles and talks featured in “Wise Words of Women.” Gain inspiration from the journeys of these outstanding individuals and join us in championing gender equality and diversity in the world of languages. Through their wisdom and experiences, we hope to inspire the next generation of language enthusiasts and professionals.

Thank you for being a part of our commitment to empowering voices and promoting inclusivity in the language community.

Wise Words of Women — Kerstin Cable

Kerstin discussed her areas of expertise, including study skills and mindset, as well as her own language learning, particularly learning Welsh in the UK. She talked in depth about the Women In Language conference, which she co-founded with Lindsay Williams and Shannon Kennedy, in particular about transformative event planning for more innovative knowledge sharing. Kerstin also discussed her most recent project called Language Habit System, which features a free training session. Visit Kerstin’s Fluent Language website, or find her on Instagram at kerstin_fluent.

Wise Words of Women — Lindsay Williams

Lindsay talked about her own language learning journey and time spent teaching languages. She also explained her trajectory setting up her business called Lindsay Does Languages at the age of 19. She also discussed her degrees, which she completed through distance learning. Her Master’s degree thesis is the basis for her upcoming talk at the Polyglot Conference Global, on the Guaraní language. This year she spoke about endangered languages in the BBC’s The endangered languages that are fighting back video. Find Lindsay on her LindsayDowLanguages Youtube channel, on her How to learn a language podcast, and her Teach languages online with Lindsay does languages.

Wise Words of Women — Shannon Kennedy

Shannon talked about the many language projects she’s been involved in over the years, including her Eurolinguiste website, her involvement in the Fluent in 3 Months Bootcamp, her work for Language Drops app and more. As a talented musician, she also discussed the connection between music and language learning. She talked through the learning process of some of the languages she speaks, including Hindi, Scottish Gaelic and Croatian, as well as juggling language learning and motherhood. Shannon is one of the co-founders behind Women In Language, which she also discussed.

Wise Words of Women — Shahidah Foster

Shahidah talked about her own language journey learning Spanish, French and German, as well as her two moves to Germany. She also discussed the Black Girls Learn Languages community she created, and the importance of diverse representation in the language community. She mentioned some figures she admires in the community, including Nathan Thornton of SmarterKorean, Tamara Marie of Spanish con Salsa, Pearl Mboyo of My French Story, LeDonna Jackson of Discovering Language and Desta Haile of Languages Through Music. Find Shahidah on Instagram at blackgirlslearnlanguages

Wise Words of Women — Sara Maria Hasburn

Wise Words of Women — Andy GM

Wise Words of Women — Aysha Tudela

Adapting to life in a new country and learning the local language is often challenging. When you change continents though it can be further intensified as an experience to the newcomer. Aysha talks about her journey as a Third Culture Kid in cracking Korean and getting into the culture and lift of Korea as a foreigner to Korean shores.

Wise Words of Women — Anja Spilker

Anja Spilker worked on the Polyglot Conference throughout the COVID pandemic and was a great partner for the Polyglot Conference Cholula 2022 edition. She is a business woman with a heart of gold. Strength and compassion in this world make for a wonderful combination in this world. Anja embodies the human side of what it means to be a caring person on this planet with the work that she does to facilitate individual change in people, who seek out new challenges. In this chat we discuss some of the examples of how this plays out with her work at her company Zaloa Languages.

Wise Words of Women — Mahya Mirsadeghi

Mayha is an Iranian polyglot, who has worked hard to achieve some impressive language skills in a variety of languages from Chinese to Arabic to French and Spanish. Her linguistic knowledge spans the globe. In this conversation she shares some of her stories and methods for learning languages and keeping them separate. She also explores her work to help Afghani girls receive higher education. A truly inspirational figure in the realm of language learning and teaching. You can find her at social media through her instagram channel @mahya_polyglot!

Wise Words of Women — Mollie Guidera

Mollie has been promoting and teaching the Irish language to people all around the world. She created courses on her IrishWithMollie.com! She gives a lot of tips, tricks and techniques for learning Irish free of charge on her social media channels. In this discussion we explore her journey getting to where she is today and exploring the driving force behind her impressive work, championing this beautiful Celtic tongue! Check out @irishwithmollie on X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok!