Language is a Woman Episode 2 Stronger Together: Abigail Fulbrook on Breaking Free from Platforms & Rethinking How Teachers Work

In this episode, Ola sits down with Abigail Fulbrook, English teacher, founder of We Are English Teachers, and summit organiser based in Japan, for an honest conversation about what's really going on behind the scenes of popular teaching platforms, why teachers deserve better, and what a matriarchal model of business might actually look like in practice.

What we talk about:

• How Abbie went from working in charity PR to teaching English in London, then moving to Japan for "a year" 13 years ago
• Being made redundant in 2020 and discovering that independent teaching platforms take high commission while giving very little back
• The dark side of marketplace platforms: restrictive terms and conditions, self-censoring teachers, and scam situations that get teachers banned
• Why platforms pour billions into AI and tech but almost nothing into curriculum or teacher wellbeing
• The We Are English Teachers membership model: fixed monthly cost, no commission, real training, and freedom to teach your way
• The matriarchal model of business: not putting women on top, but removing the need for domination and control altogether
• Why "infinite scalability" makes Abbie roll her eyes and why filling your calendar and being happy is a perfectly valid definition of success
• The summits: bringing teachers and learners together in short, focused events that showcase the variety of what teaching can be
• Why teachers are smart people who can absolutely do the business thing, they just need support and faith in themselves

Connect with Abby:

• Website: https://weareenglishteachers.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abigail-fulbrook-3b2420132/

🌙 Connect with us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/language_isawoman

🏡 Join us in the HOME community: https://languageisawoman.com/home

Language is a Woman Episode 1 Ugly But Ours: Rebecca van Raamsdonk on Belonging, Shame & the Power of Learning Dutch

In this episode, Ola sits down with Rebecca van Raamsdonk, Dutch language teacher, founder of Nabu Academy, and author of an upcoming book for Dutch teachers, for a rich conversation about what it means to truly belong in a new language, why accent reduction misses the point, and how learning Dutch can unlock parts of your personality you didn't know were there.

What we talk about:

• How Rebecca studied French linguistics and literature, swore she'd never be a teacher and then became a Dutch teacher before even finishing her degree
• Why NBU Academy specialises in higher levels (B2 and above) and the unique struggles learners face once they leave the textbook world
• The gap between understanding the news in Dutch and understanding what your colleagues are saying over lunch
• Accent discrimination in the Netherlands: the looks, the silent judgments, and the phone call that never leads to a contract
• Why getting rid of your accent is neither possible nor desirable for most learners and how chasing it becomes self-sabotage
• The fascinating Dutch cultural contradiction: "it's an ugly language, everyone speaks English, why bother" versus "why aren't foreigners learning Dutch?"
• How Dutch directness can be liberating for learners, unlocking parts of their personality that their first language kept hidden
• The shame that learners carry silently, and why group classes can be transformational: "I am not the only one"
• Rebecca's upcoming book for Dutch teachers on building learner confidence and having difficult conversations in the classroom
• Her own journey from being too afraid to post a photo on Instagram to leading her own academy and the parallel with her students' fear of speaking

Connect with Rebecca:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-van-raamsdonk/
• Website: https://www.nabuacademy.nl/

🌙 Connect with us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/language_isawoman

🏡 Join us in the HOME community: https://languageisawoman.com/home

Welcome to Language is a Woman.

A podcast for the people in the language world who've always felt something was off about how we're told to teach, how we're told to run our businesses, and an industry that too often forgets our humanity and treats language as just a tool, rather than the thing that connects us.

I'm Ola Kowalska, and in this first episode I share what this space is all about: honest conversations with the teachers, coaches, school owners, academics and entrepreneurs who questioned the old status quo and built their own way instead. Expect talk of teaching, coaching and entrepreneurship but also well-being, rest, power and money, and what becomes possible when you stop shrinking.

This is for the women. For the marginalised folks pushed to the edges of this industry. For anyone who's thought: there has to be another way.

There is. Let's do it differently.

🏡 And when you're ready come find our community at https://languageisawoman.com/home

🌙 Connect with us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/language_isawoman

🏡 Join us in the HOME community: https://languageisawoman.com/home