Chasing Encounters artwork

Chasing Encounters

82 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 2 ratings

Welcome to Chasing Encounters, a podcast where we share stories that connect us, enlighten us, and encourage us to move forward. e encounter people from all walks of life, mainly BIPOC, people with disabilities and those in the LGBTQ+ community. At the heart of our conversations are language, culture, and identity, but most importantly, how these various encounters meet and intersect.

Join the conversation!
Support this podcast by commenting and sharing. Twitter: @chasenpodcast

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Host/Producer:
Yecid Ortega is an avid interest in social justice and anti-racism theory in language education.

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Volunteer:
Melissa Carter is a Masters student at OISE who is interested in learning about how education and gender intersect. She teaches at secondary school, usually Core French. She likes walking, travelling, reading, and sharing a chat over a hot chocolate.

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Episodes

The Final Episode

July 31, 2022 12:35 - 42 minutes - 39.5 MB

Today marks the end of an era but the beginning of another one. Chasing Encounters was my personal/academic project to highlight the work of others, learn from them and showcase it as a form to level the playing field in knowledge production and mobilization. Thanks to all of you who listened and supported me throughout these years. In this final episode, Alonso Mateo, a highly experienced educator and researcher in Spain, shares with us his work through an intercultural project with the Er...

Chasing Encounters - Hiatus

February 27, 2022 17:03 - 3 minutes - 3.66 MB

We are on pause and we will be coming up with more content as soon as we can. This hiatus is helping us to re-charge, re-evaluate and re-invigorate ourselves so we can come stronger. Thanks for following us this far.

CES6E1-Parenting while being a graduate student

October 19, 2021 00:00 - 38 minutes - 35.3 MB

Three parents came to Chasing Encounters podcast to share their experiences about being graduate students and how their families supported them throughout their journey. We discussed how rewarding is when they feel the support of their children in difficult times. * Biography: Meng Xiao is a scholar on international student engagement and the founder of Dream X Education Inc., an educational agency supporting international students engaging in North America. Latifa Soliman is a faculty of E...

CES5SE-2021 Summer Special Episode

August 18, 2021 00:00 - 33 minutes - 30.6 MB

Dr. Katie Entigar joined us to have a conversation about their first experiences in Toronto as a new assistant professor at the University of Toronto. Katie enlightened us about what is meant by adult education. Dr. Entigar discussed how education, learning and meaning-making need to go beyond the school years as these take place in different contexts formal, informal and non-formal. In our conversation, we talked about various forms of adult education that fall into the concepts of communit...

CES5E8-geography, territoriality and land

June 28, 2021 00:00 - 43 minutes - 39.6 MB

Born in Peru, Fernando Calderón-Figueroa accompanies us to learn about how cities have been designed to welcome or not their citizens. His research focuses on geography and territoriality with a focus on different international cities. He describes his fascination for how amazing humans have developed technology to adapt to their needs and create shelter. However, he questions the impact of built environments in urban design, and the concept of trust among people in relation to those contexts...

CES5E7-Youth as peacebuilders

June 14, 2021 00:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MB

Colombian born and educated in Europe, Dr. Diana García shares her thoughts about her experiences being a woman in different contexts and how these have shaped her work with youth communities in urban and rural areas in her home country. She discusses how youth have been excluded from the Colombian sociopolitical conversations at local and larger levels. She questions her own privilege and positionality as she reflects on what she can do to support marginalized communities to challenge corrup...

CES5E6-Problematizing academic writing

June 01, 2021 00:00 - 47 minutes - 43.9 MB

With a vast language teaching experience, Dr. Heng Hartse describes his first experiences in ESL education as he tried to understand students’ backgrounds more in depth and trying to build bridges among the international students. He talks about second language writing and the difficulties some have when it comes to adapt to the Western forms of academic writing. He also discusses the tensions, challenges and possibilities of an EFL/ESL teacher. In understanding these, Dr. Heng Hartse explain...

CES5E5-Testimonios as methodology

April 12, 2021 00:00 - 44 minutes - 40.6 MB

A true American Southerner born in Georgia and with a vast experience in South America, Dr. Jason Mizell discusses some if his work with Testimonios as a form of research methodology. His work stems from his culture, family, and community efforts to bring the voices of the most marginalized peoples (Latinx) to the front. He describes how he uses his skills and privileges to support them and questions how linguistics can really be anti-racist from both pedagogical and empirical approaches. Dr...

CES5E4-Religious Education

February 23, 2021 00:00 - 44 minutes - 41 MB

Dr. Niyozov grew up in Tajikistan, former Soviet Union, in a small village and a large family. He is a true plurilingual person with a vast international experience in education and research by engaging with numerous cultural groups along the span of his life. These experiences provided an ontoepistemological rationale that has driven the work he currently does with immigrant and refugees and with religious education. In today’s episode, Dr. Niyozov argues that religious education is importan...

CES5E3-Indigenous Knowledges

February 09, 2021 00:00 - 44 minutes - 40.8 MB

Maria Montejo was in our episode to help us understand the many nuances of Indigenous knowledges and epistemologies. From animal spirits and nature, she embarks us on a journey of respect to mother earth and other living and non-living creatures. She describes the presence of a Spiritual intelligence as a way to connect through life to a deeper understanding of who we are in convergence with all elements of nature. She posits that humans would not be able to truly understand others unless w...

CES5E2-International aid sector

January 26, 2021 00:00 - 41 minutes - 38.2 MB

Chilean born Marlen Mondaca describes her experiences within the nonprofit organization sector. She provides some useful information about what it means to work with international and development organizations such as Seeds of Hope, Save the Children, Plan International, and OXFAM. Rooted on a rights based approach, Marlen explains that some of the objectives of these organizations are alleviating poverty, supporting local organizations, providing formal and non-formal education programs on h...

CES5E1-From critical education to decolonial praxis

January 11, 2021 00:00 - 43 minutes - 40.3 MB

In today’s podcast, we have Yecid Ortega from the University of Toronto. He sees himself as a citizen of the world, and his work certainly reflects an international perspective to education and research. With a very marginalized background, he studied primary and secondary education in public schools and got interested in learning languages to understand the world. He tells the story of his life from poverty in Colombia, to working in the USA and to becoming a Canadian citizen. From a very yo...

CES4E8-A Podcast about Podcasts

December 23, 2020 00:00 - 37 minutes - 34.4 MB

In this metaepisode, we had a great conversation with El CafeciTO podcast produced by Latinx students at the University of Toronto, we learned about the challenges and the possibilities of creating and producing a podcast that supports the work of our communities. More information: https://www.elcafecitopodcast.ca/

CES4E8-A podcast about podcasts

December 22, 2020 00:00 - 37 minutes - 34.4 MB

In this metaepisode, we had a great conversation with El CafeciTO podcast produced by Latinx students at the University of Toronto, we learned about the challenges and the possibilities of creating and producing a podcast that supports the work of our communities. More information: https://www.elcafecitopodcast.ca/

CES4E7-Filipino Community Engagement

December 08, 2020 00:00 - 46 minutes - 42.2 MB

With a Filipino background, Monica Batac and Hilary Naluz shared with us their work with the communities. They defy the idea that Filipinos do not go to post-secondary by demonstrating that both of them are pursuing graduate studies. With their community-oriented work, they hope to provide culturally responsive materials to youth as they engage with parents and other relatives to preserve the language and culture. One of their main goals is to help students maintain their heritage while work...

CES4E7-Filipino community engagement

December 07, 2020 00:00 - 46 minutes - 42.2 MB

With a Filipino background, Monica Batac and Hilary Naluz shared with us their work with the communities. They defy the idea that Filipinos do not go to post-secondary by demonstrating that both of them are pursuing graduate studies. With their community-oriented work, they hope to provide culturally responsive materials to youth as they engage with parents and other relatives to preserve the language and culture. One of their main goals is to help students maintain their heritage while work...

CES4E6-Performance arts - reproducing or resisting power?

November 23, 2020 00:00 - 45 minutes - 41.9 MB

Shakespeare said that “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players.” Acting and performance are at the centre of this episode as Nae Hanashiro Avila, a PhD student here in Toronto, discusses how identity and performance relate. Of Peruvian-Japanese descent, her mixed ethnical background and her expertise in performing arts begin a conversation about how we can be true to who we are as our different identities collide: Are they performed according or in opposition to exp...

CES4E5-Travelling as inspiration for research

November 08, 2020 00:00 - 35 minutes - 32.1 MB

Growing up, reading was Adriana’s way to travel the world. The places, people, and cultures she read about motivated her to go and see it for herself. Finding beauty in every place she has visited, her experiences have inspired her research. Where does one experience the best of nature? Patagonia. History and architecture? Turkey. Night life? Hong Kong and Barcelona. Site-seeing aside, at the heart of her travels has been the opportunity to connect with people and learn from others about thei...

CES4E4-Comparative, International, Development Education and Research

November 04, 2020 00:00 - 49 minutes - 45.4 MB

Dr. Ruth Hayhoe provides a brief history and background of the concepts of comparative, international and development research and education through a critical lens. She posits that these concepts are more complex than we think, borrowing from dependency theory, she posits that CIDE’s main goal should be about learning from others on equal terms. This way the paradigm that the south must learn from the north can be challenged. She also discusses how imperialism is about structures in the econ...

CES4E4-Comparative, international, development education and research

November 02, 2020 00:00 - 49 minutes - 45.4 MB

Drawing from her personal experiences and a critical lens, Dr. Ruth Hayhoe shares a brief history and background of the concepts of comparative, international and development research and education. She illustrates the complexity of this rich field, emphasizing that CIDE’s main goal should be about learning from others on equal terms. The paradigm that the south must learn from the north can and should be challenged. How does one begin to do this? Bidirectional listening. In this way, each co...

CES4E3-Policing language

October 25, 2020 00:00 - 52 minutes - 48.2 MB

Language and how we communicate with each other is at the centre of this conversation with multilingual and multinational, Dr. Uju Anya. With intelligence and good humour, she provides a healthy reality check: contemporary society is multilingual and we need to face it, accept it and educate with that framework in mind. For her, this necessitates changing up how language plays a role in the classroom to reflect interactions in everyday society. How do we do this? We need to reexamine the bias...

CES4E2-Empowering girls education in Pakistan

September 27, 2020 00:00 - 38 minutes - 35.3 MB

Norin Taj takes us on a journey from and back to Pakistan in this conversation. We start with growing up in her homeland, a place that contributed to her identities of being South Asian as well as Muslim - two complex and intricate entities that cannot be separated. Moreover, she shares stories of teacher training and teaching in Pakistan before immigrating to Canada, a move that provided her the opportunity to continue being an educator and a researcher. All of these experiences led her to r...

CES4E1-Water Inequality in Mexico

September 06, 2020 00:00 - 50 minutes - 46.1 MB

From international relations and political science to geography, Canadian Mexican JP Mathias explores the political processes that lead to the emergence of the dyad development/ underdevelopment. With a background of working with social movements, he became interested in questioning the power relations between communities and government when it comes to decisions for water management in Indigenous territories in Mexico (Pueblos Originarios). He discusses how the exploitation of water from var...

CES4E1-Water inequality in Mexico

September 04, 2020 00:00 - 50 minutes - 46.1 MB

Opening this season, Canadian Mexican JP Mathias teaches how if you follow the water, you can begin to understand abstract concepts such as development/underdevelopment or how political processes affect various groups differently within a community in a tangible way. Drawing from his educational background and from his work with different organizations, he discusses and questions water management in Indigenous territories (Pueblos Originarios) in Mexico illustrating how power relations and po...

CES3E9-Community-Engaged Research

August 04, 2020 00:00 - 46 minutes - 42.8 MB

We had an interesting conversation with Dr. Balyasnikova, working at York University. In this special summer edition, we got together at Queen’s Park in Toronto to have a chat about educational gerontology and community-engaged research. From Russia to the USA and now Canada Dr. Balyasnikova describes educational gerontology as a subset of adult education and health science that tries to understand learning experiences at a later life. For example, how certain learning experiences affect agei...

CES3E9-Community-engaged research

August 03, 2020 00:00 - 46 minutes - 42.8 MB

We had an interesting conversation with Dr. Balyasnikova, working at York University. In this special summer edition, we got together at Queen’s Park in Toronto to have a chat about educational gerontology and community-engaged research. From Russia to the USA and now Canada Dr. Balyasnikova describes educational gerontology as a subset of adult education and health science that tries to understand learning experiences at a later life. For example, how certain learning experiences affect agei...

CES3E8-Solidarity In Uncertain Times

April 25, 2020 00:00 - 38 minutes - 35.6 MB

In this episode, I embark on a monologue discussing what solidarity means and how it connects to ideas of community building. I answer questions from fellow colleagues who argue that solidarity goes beyond empathy and support but to acts of love and understanding others. In these unprecedented times, we have found the need to be in touch with others and show our acts of solidarity in order to survive. * Bio Yecid is a Ph.D. candidate in the language and literacies (LLE) educations & compara...

CES3E8-Solidarity in uncertain times

April 24, 2020 00:00 - 38 minutes - 35.6 MB

In this episode, I embark on a monologue discussing what solidarity means and how it connects to ideas of community building. I answer questions from fellow colleagues who argue that solidarity goes beyond empathy and support but to acts of love and understanding others. In these unprecedented times, we have found the need to be in touch with others and show our acts of solidarity in order to survive. * Bio Yecid is a Ph.D. candidate in the language and literacies (LLE) educations & compara...

CES3E7-Higher Education - Identity Crisis

April 04, 2020 00:00 - 41 minutes - 37.9 MB

Phoebe Kang came to our Chasing Encounters studios to help us uncover how English as the language of “respect, status, power, and reputation” has become a cultural capital in non-English speaking countries, but when it comes to Canada, the ESL industry is relegated to the margins and lacks regulation - somehow ESL is perceived as not real education. When she decided to come to Canada and extend her professional endeavors, she encountered cultural, professional and economic stumbling blocks w...

CES3E7-Higher education - identity crisis

April 03, 2020 00:00 - 41 minutes - 37.9 MB

Phoebe Kang came to our Chasing Encounters studios to help us uncover how English as the language of “respect, status, power, and reputation” has become a cultural capital in non-English speaking countries, but when it comes to Canada, the ESL industry is relegated to the margins and lacks regulation - somehow ESL is perceived as not real education. When she decided to come to Canada and extend her professional endeavors, she encountered cultural, professional and economic stumbling blocks w...

CES3E6-Celebrating Afrolatinidad

March 21, 2020 00:00 - 42 minutes - 38.5 MB

As an Afro Peruvian person living in the Canadian diaspora, Roxana Escobar Ñañes explains the concepts of human geography as a point of entry to understand how our lives are shaped by spaces and how our social interactions are produced. She explores Afro Peruvian communities as domestic spaces for healing and connection. She argues that “these spaces become places because we give them meanings and emotional attachments and we transform them.” Also, Roxana posits that although being black beca...

CES3E5-Latino or Latinx

March 16, 2020 00:00 - 57 minutes - 52.5 MB

Mike Mena spent some time with us to discuss his cultural and linguistic background. He helped us understand the intricacies of being Latino or Latinx in North America and other sometimes confusing identity markers such as Hispanic, Chicano or Mexican American. In our conversation, we challenged the identity labels that have been imposed when we navigate the different academic and non-academic spaces. Now, as a graduate student in New York, he problematizes what it means to be a diverse scho...

CES3E4-Chinese Graduate Student Engagement

March 08, 2020 00:00 - 36 minutes - 33.1 MB

From a marketing career to social justice education, Meng Xiao helps us to understand the different experiences among international students who travel from China to Canada. In her research, she examines Chinese students’ engagement in higher education. She highlights that multiple intersecting identities are defined by the students themselves, their communities and their experiences when it comes to how they engage in graduate studies. She explains that factors affecting this engagement are ...

CES3E4-Chinese graduate student engagement

March 07, 2020 00:00 - 36 minutes - 33.1 MB

From a marketing career to social justice education, Meng Xiao helps us to understand the different experiences among international students who travel from China to Canada. In her research, she examines Chinese students’ engagement in higher education. She highlights that multiple intersecting identities are defined by the students themselves, their communities and their experiences when it comes to how they engage in graduate studies. She explains that factors affecting this engagement are ...

CES3E3-Graduate Student Research

February 27, 2020 00:00 - 34 minutes - 31.2 MB

Today we have Shirin, Norin and Lepin who are graduate students at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. They are the co-chairs for this year’s graduate student conferences. We discussed research engagement, knowledge mobilization and the importance of disseminating research, especially when it comes to graduate studies. As co-chairs, they came to Chasing Encounters not only to promote the conference but to have an in-depth conversation about asking intr...

CES3E3-Graduate student research

February 26, 2020 00:00 - 34 minutes - 31.2 MB

Today we have Shirin, Norin and Lepin who are graduate students at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. They are the co-chairs for this year’s graduate student conferences. We discussed research engagement, knowledge mobilization and the importance of disseminating research, especially when it comes to graduate studies. As co-chairs, they came to Chasing Encounters not only to promote the conference but to have an in-depth conversation about asking intr...

CES3E2-Deindustrializing Writing Education

February 03, 2020 00:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MB

Dr. Amir Kalan talks about his upcoming book “Sociocultural and Power Relational Dimensions of Multilingual Writing”. Here, Dr. Kalan explains how Western academic writing follows a process of capitalist industrialization of levelling and separating the languages skills as if this were a mechanical system. He suggested several solutions to these mentalities such as restructuring writing classes and some pedagogical practices from creative narrative formation to collaborative and identity writ...

CES3E2-Deindustrializing writing education

February 02, 2020 00:00 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MB

Dr. Amir Kalan talks about his upcoming book “Sociocultural and Power Relational Dimensions of Multilingual Writing”. Here, Dr. Kalan explains how Western academic writing follows a process of capitalist industrialization of levelling and separating the languages skills as if this were a mechanical system. He suggested several solutions to these mentalities such as restructuring writing classes and some pedagogical practices from creative narrative formation to collaborative and identity writ...

CES3E1-Unstandardized Podcasting

January 13, 2020 00:00 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MB

From New York city in the United States, Justin Gerald, the host of Unstandardized English Podcast, joined us in this crossover episode to share his thoughts and ideas about starting a podcast. He went to South Korea to teach English where he got motivated to continue his research work. Growing up in white spaces, as a black person, he started questioning what it means to be educated and have economic resources. Inspired by his wife, he took this questioning to his podcast in order to engage ...

CES3E1-Unstandardized podcasting

January 12, 2020 00:00 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MB

From New York city in the United States, Justin Gerald, the host of Unstandardized English Podcast, joined us in this crossover episode to share his thoughts and ideas about starting a podcast. He went to South Korea to teach English where he got motivated to continue his research work. Growing up in white spaces, as a black person, he started questioning what it means to be educated and have economic resources. Inspired by his wife, he took this questioning to his podcast in order to engage ...

CES2E8-Language Race And Colonialism

December 15, 2019 00:00 - 36 minutes - 33 MB

Cristina has international experience teaching in formal and informal spaces in Japan and in Canada. She was born in Trinidad and is the first woman in the family pursuing a Ph.D. We discussed how the English language has been used for domination and control but also shaped the way we think in a capitalist society. Mainly, these mentalities stem from colonization. To this, Cristina explains how colonialism is very different depending on the contexts, however, there are some patterns that help...

CES2E8-Language race and colonialism

December 14, 2019 00:00 - 36 minutes - 33 MB

Cristina has international experience teaching in formal and informal spaces in Japan and in Canada. She was born in Trinidad and is the first woman in the family pursuing a Ph.D. We discussed how the English language has been used for domination and control but also shaped the way we think in a capitalist society. Mainly, these mentalities stem from colonization. To this, Cristina explains how colonialism is very different depending on the contexts, however, there are some patterns that help...

CES2E7-Ideologies of Language And Literacy Education

November 26, 2019 00:00 - 43 minutes - 40 MB

Born in Yemen with Portuguese Indian ancestry, Dr. Lynn Mario de Souza joined us in this new episode to discuss his long-standing work in linguistics and language research. He describes how the social aspect of language involves understanding that many languages are spoken across time and spaces while involving language variations that have changed throughout history. He questions the nature of language education and warns us of its consumerism, he asks what languages are being taught and for...

CES2E7-Ideologies of language and literacy education

November 25, 2019 00:00 - 43 minutes - 40 MB

Born in Yemen with Portuguese Indian ancestry, Dr. Lynn Mario de Souza joined us in this new episode to discuss his long-standing work in linguistics and language research. He describes how the social aspect of language involves understanding that many languages are spoken across time and spaces while involving language variations that have changed throughout history. He questions the nature of language education and warns us of its consumerism, he asks what languages are being taught and for...

CES2E6-Duoethnograhy And Language Teacher Training

November 05, 2019 00:00 - 39 minutes - 35.7 MB

For the very first time we have two guests, Michael Karas and Patrick Huang who are quite knowledgeable with the CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) programs. Michael, falling in love with languages while travelling to France and Patrick being quite musical, today, they describe their engagement in a duo-ethnographic approach to do research. First, they describe the bolts and nuts of what it means to teach and learn to get the CELTA certificate. Then, they both critical...

CES2E6-Duoethnograhy and language teacher training

November 04, 2019 00:00 - 39 minutes - 35.7 MB

For the very first time we have two guests, Michael Karas and Patrick Huang who are quite knowledgeable with the CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) programs. Michael, falling in love with languages while travelling to France and Patrick being quite musical, today, they describe their engagement in a duo-ethnographic approach to do research. First, they describe the bolts and nuts of what it means to teach and learn to get the CELTA certificate. Then, they both critical...

CES2E5-Central Asia And Language Programs

October 28, 2019 00:00 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MB

Farrah, a former fashion enthusiast, teaches us about her work in central Asia. She worked with local, foreign teachers and counsellors as part of academic (English, maths and science) upgrading programs for students in the region. The goal of these programs was to help students get stronger grades in language so they can perform better in the local labour market. Farrah explains how she supported students by involving them in cultural activities with music, dance, food, film and poetry, in t...

CES2E5-Central Asia and language programs

October 27, 2019 00:00 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MB

Farrah, a former fashion enthusiast, teaches us about her work in central Asia. She worked with local, foreign teachers and counsellors as part of academic (English, maths and science) upgrading programs for students in the region. The goal of these programs was to help students get stronger grades in language so they can perform better in the local labour market. Farrah explains how she supported students by involving them in cultural activities with music, dance, food, film and poetry, in t...

CES2E4-Questioning The Iranian Education System

October 14, 2019 00:00 - 40 minutes - 36.7 MB

Questioning the Iranian Education System After the Iranian revolution, there was an education revolution trying to modernize it and thus threatening the traditional values. From Teheran to Toronto, Hooman delves into his critiques of the current Iranian system of education as he asserts that school became an ideological and revolutionary space that is currently empty to give priority to nation-building. He argues that Iran has a segregated system that affects psychologically and socially cert...

CES2E4-Questioning the Iranian education system

October 13, 2019 00:00 - 40 minutes - 36.7 MB

Questioning the Iranian Education System After the Iranian revolution, there was an education revolution trying to modernize it and thus threatening the traditional values. From Teheran to Toronto, Hooman delves into his critiques of the current Iranian system of education as he asserts that school became an ideological and revolutionary space that is currently empty to give priority to nation-building. He argues that Iran has a segregated system that affects psychologically and socially cert...

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