English with Kirsty – episode 283
7/10 Learning through mentoring
You can listen to episode 283 here:
To celebrate 10 years of the English with Kirsty podcast, I’m creating a 10-part series to celebrate 10 different forms that learning can take.
Part seven of the series is about learning through mentoring.
I’m not an expert on this topic, but I’ve read about many official or unofficial programmes which match mentors and mentees to promote growth and learning. I also knew that Women in Localization has a mentoring programme, so I decided to try and find out more about it and discover what people have learned through the experience of being a mentor or a mentee.
Tamara Tirjak and Teresa Toronjo are my guests in this episode. Whilst they are currently working together as a mentor/mentee, they both have experience of both roles.
Who are my guests?
As the Head of Localisation at Frontier Developments, Tamara Tirjak leads the team responsible for defining the narrative and localisation strategy, pipelines and execution across all games, marketing and Studio activity to deliver and support all products globally. She has been a mentor at Women in Localization since 2021, providing guidance to over a dozen mentees since then, and she currently leads the Mentorship Programme as the Global Manager.
The Women in Localization Mentorship program aims to pair experienced localization professionals with those seeking career guidance in the localization industry. Mentors share with their mentee(s) insights, experiences, and best practices gained during their careers. Mentees gain industry knowledge and build meaningful connections to help career advancement.
Teresa Toronjo has spent the last 14 years diving into the wonderful world of languages and cultures, specifically in localization. From coordinating projects to helping companies speak to the world, she’s had a hand in many different aspects, even managing projects that touched 35 languages. She’s been lucky enough to work with some great brands like Wall Street English, Klook and Workday.
Originally from Seville, Teresa’s travels have taken her far and wide, deepening her appreciation for how we all connect (or sometimes hilariously misunderstand each other!). When she’s not navigating the nuances of global communication, she’s usually attempting to keep up with her two energetic toddlers: her latest and greatest adventure. In quieter moments, you’ll find her trying to read a good book, enjoying some music, or just trying to get a breath of fresh air.”
Our conversation about mentoring
This was my chance to get to Know Tamara and Teresa as I’d only had a brief chat with Tamara before we recorded the episode. We talked about:
- Tamara and Theresa’s stories, including their links to the topic of mentoring
- The Women in Localization mentoring programme and how it works
- The difference between mentoring and coaching
- What both of my guests have learned and enjoyed through their involvement in mentoring programmes
- How lerning through mentoring has helped both of my guests, personally and professionally
- Some of the myths around mentoring and how things are in real life
- What makes a good mentor or a good mentee?
If you are eligible and you’d like to sign up for the Women in Localization mentorship programme, you can find out more about it here.
Thank you Tamara and Teresa for sharing your stories and insights with us and exploring this topic of learning through mentoring.
Connect with Tamara and Theresa
You can connect with Tamara on LinkedIn, Instagram, or on her site,
The Yogic Leader.
Connect with Teresa on LinkedIn.
This series is also a playlist on YouTube
If you’re enjoying this series in which we’re looking at the many different forms that learning can take, I’ve made a playlist on YouTube with all of the episodes! This is an audio podcast, so the YouTube episodes are audio too. You can Find the full playlist here.
How you can get in touch with me
I love to hear from my listeners! If you have any comments or questions, you can contact me using my contact form.
English with Kirsty News is sent out once a month and it contains articles and other information for learners of English, exclusive content for newsletter readers, and the latest news from English with Kirsty.
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