Languages with Reka

Last week, while still being on maternity leave, I had the chance to attend the 9th Neurolanguage Coaching® Conference in the beautiful Sitges and it was such an inspiring experience. 💛
My journey with Neurolanguage Coaching began in 2021, when I took my first course with Rachel Paling. Since then, I’ve attended her webinars, completed two more NLC courses, and I dreamed of meeting her in person one day.🙈 Last week, that dream finally came true and I couldn’t be more grateful. 🥹 Rachel is a truly inspiring person who sees opportunities for change in education and works to make that change happen, sharing her vision with passion. 💛🙏🏻
Attending the conference was not only a professional event for me, but also an enriching and energising experience, connecting with like-minded people from all over the world. It was a beautiful resonance between heart and min, balance of thought-provoking presentations, meaningful conversations during breaks, and space to reflect. I'm also grateful to have met Gabi (Lingoholic), with whom I've exchanged ideas for years. We met briefly last December, and this time we had the chance to talk more in depth.😊

Here are some of my personal takeaways from the conference, based on my notes😊

💫 You need to coach yourself before you can coach someone else. (Nina Svorak)
💫 Music has an incredibly powerful impact on the brain and plays an essential role in immersive learning. (Clare Crawford)
💫 “Rituals offer the possibility of transforming activities as ordinary as morning routines or household chores...” → Create rituals for learning. (Bernd Gibson)
💫 Trauma and stress can significantly impact our learners’ behaviour. As language educators, we need to recognize the signs and understand behaviours like procrastination, frustration, perfectionism, resistance, low self-esteem, fear of failure, or defensiveness. (Federica Piga)
💫 “If you’re not funny, don’t try to be funny — just HAVE FUN.” → So powerful, isn’t it?“ �
“Words are how we think, stories are how we link.” (Mark Powell) �
To be a good storyteller, all you need is a good story. So simple, yet so true. → Learn through stories, because people connect with stories — not small talk. (Mark Powell)
💫 We need to seek out micro-moments of love. (George Kokolas)
💫 The evolution of our society has had a significant impact on learning difficulties and disorders. Our learners need our support in and outside the classroom more than ever before. (Luca dei Rossi)
💫 Between school and home, we need a mental reset. For those of us who are working remotely, it becomes even more important to switch off after work. (Marjorie Rosenberg)
💫 Energy is contagious, so as educators, we need to protect and keep high our own energy.
💫The brain is hardwired to notice novelty, contrast, meaning, and emotion → Using them in our classroom is essential to keep motivation high and to maintain engagement in the learning process.
💫 If you teach online, you need to reset your learners' brains every 4–6 minutes — through music, movement, switching activities, short breaks, novelty, or quiet moments. (Patricia de Griese)

I left the conference feeling inspired, motivated, recharged and so proud to be part of this supportive community.✨ I'm really excited to put these ideas into practice once I go back to work after my maternity leave.
I'm already looking forward to the next one, especially as it will be the 10th anniversary celebration. 🥳

Hello again! 😊

After a long pause here, I wanted to pop back in and share why I’ve been quiet: I’ve been on maternity leave since June 2024, spending precious time with my little boy. 💙 These past 10 months have brought a whole new kind of learning, showing me just how deeply connection, presence, and curiosity shape our growth, at any age. 💛

I also do my best to keep my English and French skills fresh whenever I can. However, it is not that easy at all. I’ll share more about how I’m navigating the balance between mom life and language learning, and what I’ve discovered along the way.

I'm using this time not only to be present as a mom, but also to deepen my understanding of effective language learning, so when I return to coaching, I’ll be even more prepared to support my learners. I love staying connected to the Neurolanguage Coaching community and soaking up inspiration whenever I can.

Thank you for sticking around🙏🏻, I'm looking forward to reconnecting, in my own rhythm, and sharing the journey when the time feels right. 😊