ABOUT THIS EPISODE
What do you do when what you want to learn simply isn’t available to you?
In this episode, we travel to Brazil to meet Leticia, a passionate language learner, English teacher, and online university student currently completing a BA in Administration, English, and Portuguese. Leticia brings to life a colourful portrait of Brazil, sharing stories of traditional festivals, delicious regional foods, and the warmth of growing up in a close-knit, multigenerational household where grandparents pass down secret recipes and family ties run deep.
But she also reflects on how modern life is shifting these traditions, and how growing pressure on young people to leave home earlier is reshaping family culture.
We explore what it’s like living in a small mining town where after-school life revolves around a park, a lake, and not much else—and where options for further education are limited. Despite these challenges, Leticia has charted her own path through an online university: not her first choice, but a necessary bridge to her future.
Alongside her studies, Leticia teaches English—a language she first learned by obsessively listening to music as a teenager. She also shares how Chinese novels sparked her fascination with Chinese culture and set her on a new linguistic journey.
Leticia’s unstoppable love for learning embodies everything this podcast celebrates. Her resilience, curiosity, and drive make this an episode you won’t want to miss.
Student Life Unplugged is hosted by Leong Hiew, a former University Lecturer with a passion for education. Student Life Unplugged is part of Leong's mission to promote the joy of learning among young people through his organisation 'Lifespan Education'. He is working towards building a positive world, to nurture communities of engaged learners for the sake of his own children and for young people everywhere.
For more information about Leong and his project go to https://https://lifespan.education/contact/
If you would like to take part in the podcast, go to https://lifespan.education/podcast/
This podcast is produced by Elisa Kennedy
