Today's listening practice episode explores the different ways people are choosing to live, and by that I mean where they live and who they live with. In a sense, it's also about the communities we build.

At a time when the cost of buying or renting a home is very expensive, and when many people are suffering from loneliness, should we consider other living arrangements?

Let's explore some new trends and alternative ways that people are choosing to live together. We'll also explore lots of advanced English in the vocabulary and expressions used to discuss this topic.

You’ll hear about grandparents and their adult grandchildren living together and the benefits this offers to both generations. You’ll also hear about mothers living with other mothers to share costs and support each other as they work and raise families. I’ll also explain a concept called co-housing that sounds like a wonderful re-imagining of community to me. 

We often accept that life is supposed to happen in one way, in one direction, and living independently is one of those traditional ideas in North American society. I'm wondering now if we need to re-think this idea. 

We also need to re-think the idea that the only way to learn English is to learn grammar. Grammar is important, but so too listening. That's what Hear You Go is here to help you with: listening to the messiness of spoken English.

Hear You Go podcasts are AWESOME, aren't they?

We use the adjective "awesome" a lot these days, maybe too much. It comes from the noun awe. 

What is awe, and why should we try to put more awe in our lives?

Should we wait for awe, or can we go out and find it? 

We'll explore these questions in today's English Listening episode, and learn more about the topic of awe. The study of awe is new, but the more we learn about it, the more scientists and psychologists are discovering that awe has many benefits. It has benefits for our health, and for our communities and societies.

And if you want to learn more about awe after you listen to this episode and all the advanced English I use to talk about it, sign up for my newsletter to receive links to extra materials and resources.

Who doesn’t want to be empathetic? Isn't it a good thing to be kind and generous? Don't we all aspire to be more empathetic?

Imagine my surprise when I came across a video that argued against empathy!

One of the teachers in my Pronunciation for Teachers Course had a similar reaction to mine: she too was surprised by the argument that empathy might not always be a good thing.

So let’s explore this argument in today's English Listening episode, an argument that is actually quite persuasive.

Here's the link if you want to watch it yourself:https://bigthink.com/the-well/why-empathy-is-bad/.

I can only touch the surface of this topic in the next 15 minutes, so please sign up for my newsletter where you'll get links to more articles, videos and audios about empathy, and some of the English language I use in this episode. You can also get a link to the transcript.

Practice your English listening and reading skills when you follow me on Instagram.

You know I love winter, but it was a very long and snowy one this year, and I've been waiting and waiting to see spring flowers. Today, I talk to a flower farmer!

Simegn Mengesha, the owner of King's Creek Blossoms, joins me in this intermediate English conversation. We talk about her journey to become a flower farmer, as well as the challenges she confronts in order to offer her beautiful flowers to customers in the Ottawa area. You don't have to live here to admire her work. Please follow her on Instagram at King's Creek Blossoms.

As you listen today, please appreciate that English is not Simegn's first language. She was nervous to speak English with me on the podcast. She was afraid of making mistakes. She was concerned you wouldn't understand her.

Speaking in English is hard.

I think she was amazing!

So, think about your passions, and about how the act of growing plants is similar to growing your English skills. What challenges do you face when listening in English, when speaking English, when writing in English? How do you confront these challenges and keep growing?

As always, thanks for listening!