Joyful Speaking 2.0
December 20, 2024
So, it’s been a minute (or like, 1 year…) since I last posted something here. I want to start by saying that the launch of Joyful Speaking was much more surprising than I thought!
Building Joyful Speaking
When I launched Joyful Speaking, I was blown away by the praise the website received. It exceeded my expectations, and I have to give a huge shout out to the Astro team for their incredible framework — it made building this site surprisingly effortless.
That said, I know this site still has plenty of room for improvement. From a technical standpoint, it’s solid, but I can already think of a dozen ways to make it even better.
The part I’m most shy about, though, is the design. Let’s just say there’s a reason I usually leave that to the pros—I’m a frontend dev, not a designer. So while it’s functional and people seem to like it, I know it’s not exactly a visual masterpiece. But hey, that’s what upgrades are for, right?
Rethinking the Approach
My first blog post, which has since been archived, brought an unexpected surprise. That, along with my busy dev work schedule, my main profession, led to a hiatus from writing. The classes didn’t stop and I was researching like crazy the whole time.
The truth is, Joyful Speaking is the second wing of my career as a developer, and it means a lot to me. But I needed a period of recalibration. I started to realize a few things.
First, I was using the wrong channel. It wasn’t only that people don’t read much anymore—it was that my long, detailed posts were never going to reach the everyday learners I wanted to help. The content wasn’t landing in the right circles, and I could feel that the people who most needed simple, practical guidance weren’t seeing any of it.
Second, life got in the way. The plan to grow Joyful Speaking with other teachers had to be paused. A mix of global noise and local disruptions made proper coordination almost impossible. So I made the decision to take the reins on my own for a while, keep things simple, and make sure the project kept moving instead of getting stuck in limbo.
I know there are still plenty of nerds out there who devour everything they can get their hands on, but the whole point of teaching English for me is to show the average person just how simple and fun it can be. But that’s hard to do when the average person is so opposed to taking the time to read. It’s kind of the opposite of what learning a new language is all about — engagement, patience, and a willingness to take it slow.
I realized that lengthy blog posts and additional online tutorials aren’t the best way to reach my target audience for learning English. This led me to take a step back and re-strategize. Now, I’m excited to take Joyful Speaking in a fresh, new direction.
Dawn of a New Age
I believe language, like technology or medicine, requires care, attention, and meaningful discussion. Unfortunately, it often gets overlooked because it’s not as profitable. While tech videos rack up millions of views, language teaching is increasingly handed off to AI and poorly designed programs.
While AI has its merits, it’s not yet at a point where it can replace the nuanced, supervised approach that language learning truly needs—a trend that seems to be accelerating in a concerning direction.
It honestly feels like we’ve forgotten the importance of expressing ourselves deeply. True self-expression isn’t possible unless people are given the words to identify their thoughts and feelings. Without an adequate understanding of the language we use, this becomes a struggle. And at the end of the road of unexpressed thoughts and feelings lies a troubling destination: depression, isolation, and mental illness—a reality we can’t afford to ignore.
However, I don’t want to focus solely on the negative aspects of my journey in world of language teaching. Another surprising revelation came from seeing how much of a positive impact a single one-hour session per week had on my students. It brings me joy to witness students who once believed they’d never be able to learn English now confidently write several paragraphs and engage in basic communication.
So, moving forward, I’ll be keeping the long, detailed lessons for in-person classes or one-on-one online sessions. I’ll share general techniques and beginner-friendly methods in the lessons section of this website.
I’ll also explore a range of topics related to linguistics, language, and my personal journey as an English teacher — sharing insights, experiences, and reflections along the way. I think adding blogs about other languages will also be a great way to help everyone broaden their communication skills.
More than Just a Pastime
I believe poetry isn’t just a relic of the past. Even if robots can write poems better than any living poet, they still can’t capture the true essence of poetry. It’s about channeling one’s experiences through a methodical arrangement of words and the creative reconstruction of language.
Our ancestors, the poets of old, didn’t simply play with words for amusement; poetry was a reflection of the magical nature of our reality and language. The new direction of Joyful Speaking will, hopefully, shed light on this deeper purpose.
Poetry is just one of the many incredibly cool, clever, and yet beautifully simple things we can do with ordinary language. This is why I’ll always fight for language preservation with all my heart. Joyful Speaking is now dedicated to exploring and celebrating the intricacies, beauty, and power of human language. This is the new direction of my website.
Final Thoughts
I want to end this post by sharing a poem that’s deeply meaningful to me: “Do not go gentle into that good night” by Dylan Thomas.
It’s a powerful reminder of what language can do—how a few lines can carry entire lifetimes of emotion. Its message of resisting the fading of light resonates with my own fight to keep language learning alive, accessible, and meaningful for anyone who wants to try.
I’ll be back soon with more of the nerdy language content I love creating. If you’re curious about linguistics, or just want a place to start your journey, feel free to reach out. I’d genuinely love to talk about it with you.