133. Shoko Doherty: Inspiring global citizenship

Host Sue Stockdale interviews Shoko Doherty, CEO of Celtic English Academy, who originally hails from Japan and now resides in Wales. Shoko shares her experiences of cultural differences between Japan and Wales after moving 20 years ago, highlighting aspects of respect and societal values.

Shoko also describes how they embrace cultural differences and foster a multicultural environment with the students to lead to positive experiences for both students and staff and contribute to building a more inclusive and harmonious society.

About Shoko Doherty
Shoko Doherty is the CEO of Celtic English Academy, an English language school in Cardiff accredited by the British Council, which has welcomed over 15,000 students from more than 50 countries in the past 20 years. She also serves as the Chair of English UK, a national association dedicated to advancing international students' education in the English language within the UK.

Shoko is recognised for her role in exporting education and contributing to international trade as a Welsh Government Export Exemplar and as an Export Champion for the UK Government Department of Business and Trade. Holding a degree in music from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Shoko has an interest in classical music, especially brass bands. 

Connect with Shoko Doherty on LinkedIn : and Celtic English Academy on LinkedIn : Instagram : Facebook : TikTok

Key Quotes

• When I learned to speak in English, I was still using sense of Japanese language in a way, translating from Japanese to English
• Making mistakes in front of somebody in Japan is taught as a quite big embarrassment.
• I'm really proud that we do make differences in students' lives every day
• Language school is like a microcosm of the world where people from different countries and backgrounds meet and learn together.
• We recruit students from over 50 countries and the diversity of nationalities and the market are really important.
• Being a musician is like being an athlete. It's not so elegant behind the scene, unfortunately. It requires a high level of discipline, long hours of practice and ability to work collaboratively with others.

Time Stamps
02:20 - Cultural Differences Between Japan and Wales
08:11 - Career Path to become CEO of Celtic English Academy
14:01 - Implementing Diversity and Equality
20:40 - Continuous Learning and Development
25:01 - Measuring Success Beyond Profitability

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Producer: Sue Stockdale