Teacher Talking Time

Start your series here.

2. Visit her website

3. Check out Smart Cookie

OUR PARTNER: COMMUNICATING FOR IMPACT

The Creative House for Leading Educators & Experts.

Amplify your work with high-end video and podcasts that get results. Create impactful videos and podcasts with their programmes and done-for-you production services.

SUPPORT US:

🫶 Integrate your brand with our podcast in an effort to improve language education.

⭐ Leave a review where you listen.

WORK WITH US:

1. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

2. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP.

3. Our CPD Courses.

THE THRIVING TEACHERPRENEUR

Get inspired to start and grow your own education business. Weekly insights, stories, and reflections on education entrepreneurship.

*Prefer video? Watch the episode on YouTube.

The Assessment Trap: The Radical Assessment Shift That Actually Creates Fluency - Charline Rouffet

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 14:43:23 -0400

"If you only have this theory, you will never be able to swim. You need some water to experience it. Don't be afraid to start with a speaking exam in the first year. If we change the way we assess, we can change the way we teach."

We sit down with the amazing Charline Rouffet.

Charline is a foreign language teacher educator and PhD candidate at Utrecht University, specializing in task-oriented language learning. Her research explores how communicative, classroom-based assessments can transform pedagogical approaches and bridge the gap between theory and classroom practice.

In this episode, we chat about:

Why young teachers struggle to implement communicative methods within a rigid, grammar-obsessed system.
How the constant threat of testing shapes every move a student makes and every lesson a teacher plans.
Why adding unknown elements to assessments is the only way to mimic real-life communication.
Starting with the learning goals to ensure your teaching and testing are actually on the same page.
How an obsession with accuracy and "memorizing verbs" is killing student motivation and closing down university programs.
Why joy and personal connection is the only thing AI can't recreate in the language learning process.

FOR MORE FROM CHARLINE ROUFFET

1. Connect on LinkedIn

2. Visit her website

OUR PARTNER: FLUENTIZE

Want to teach your best lessons — without all the prep? Fluentize turns real-world videos into interactive ESL lessons for teens and adults. Explore 650+ ready-to-teach lessons designed to engage your students, simplify lesson planning, and save you hours of preparation.

Start for free here.

SUPPORT US:

🫶 Integrate your brand with our podcast in an effort to improve language education.

⭐ Leave a review where you listen.

WORK WITH US:

1. CPD & Teaching Resources

2. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

3. Monetize your teaching skills

THE THRIVING TEACHERPRENEUR

Get inspired to start and grow your own education business. Weekly insights, stories, and reflections on education entrepreneurship.

*Prefer video? Watch the episode on YouTube.

1.5 Million YouTube Subscribers Later: The Truth About Money - Jennifer Lebedev

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:49:00 -0400

"One of the mindsets that I really like is that I want to earn more so that I can sometimes offer more to those who can't afford it. It's like a cycle."

We sit down with teacher and creator Jennifer Lebedev.

Jennifer is the creator of English with Jennifer. Launched in 2007, her YouTube channel has over 1M subscribers and 100M views to date. She is also a published author with Pearson, an award-winning blogger, and a speaker on building a healthy learner mindset.

In this episode, we chat about:

18 years on YouTube: starting in 2007 with a digital camera and no tripod.
The "teacher creative" to business owner shift: moving from "doing it for free" to being a responsible entrepreneur.
Overcoming teacher guilt: learning to set boundaries and stop apologizing for charging for value.
The "Happy Money" mindset: seeing money as an exchange of energy rather than a source of stress.
Why 1.5 million subscribers isn't a "get rich quick" scheme: the reality of YouTube revenue and sustaining a business.
Identity-based habits: using sleep and mindfulness to fuel professional performance.
Why one-on-one teaching still matters: using real student interaction to drive content and stay grounded

FOR MORE FROM JENNIFER LEBEDEV:

Start your series here.

2. Visit her website

3. Follow her YouTube channel

OUR PARTNER: COMMUNICATING FOR IMPACT

The Creative House for Leading Educators & Experts.

Amplify your work with high-end video and podcasts that get results. Create impactful videos and podcasts with their programmes and done-for-you production services.

SUPPORT US:

🫶 Integrate your brand with our podcast in an effort to improve language education.

⭐ Leave a review where you listen.

WORK WITH US:

1. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

2. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP

THE THRIVING TEACHERPRENEUR

Get inspired to start and grow your own education business. Weekly insights, stories, and reflections on education entrepreneurship.

The End of Traditional ELT: Why Teachers Must Unlearn Everything - Evan Frendo

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 20:11:00 -0400

"We’ve got to have a very hard look at ourselves and stop calling ourselves experts just because we have a Master's from 10 or 15 years ago. Those times are over, and we’ve really got to focus on what added value we can bring that AI can’t."

We sit down with BELF trainer Evan Frendo.

Evan Frendo is a freelance trainer and consultant based in Berlin, Germany. He has been active in corporate language and communications training since 1993, and specializes in the fields of ESP and business English. A frequent speaker at conferences, he also travels regularly in Europe and Asia to run courses or to work as a consultant.

In this episode, we chat about:

Why sticking to the syllabus is the fastest way to become irrelevant in the corporate world
Why we need to stop teaching "English" and start teaching English as a Business Lingua Franca (BELF)
Why finding your specialty is 90% luck and 10% being the only person in the room who can stand up in front of a PowerPoint
How AI is killing traditional needs analysis and why your learners are now their own content creators
Why the best "business English" happens the moment the teacher leaves the room
Why being "safe in the harbour" is the most dangerous place for your ELT career right now

*Prefer video? Watch the episode on YouTube.

FOR MORE FROM EVAN FRENDO:

1. Visit his website

🫶 Integrate your brand with our podcast in an effort to improve language education.

OUR PARTNER: WE ARE ENGLISH TEACHERS

Are you struggling to find students as a teacher entrepreneur? Join the Elevate community via the We Are English Teachers community and gain visibility through their network of learners looking for a teacher.

We Are English Teachers: https://weareenglishteachers.com/

SUPPORT US:

⭐ Leave a review where you listen.

WORK WITH US:

1. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

2. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP

THE THRIVING TEACHERPRENEUR

Get inspired to start and grow your own education business. Weekly insights, stories, and reflections on education entrepreneurship.

🫶 Integrate your brand with our podcast in an effort to improve language education.

The Imposter Syndrome Trap: The Psychological Reason You’re Not Charging What You’re Worth [and how to fix it] - Catherine Angus

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 18:05:00 -0500

"You have to get beyond the 'it’s all about me' and get over that 'non-profit mindset' to realize you have a skillset worth an investment. Don't compromise on your value." - Catherine Angus

We sit down with Catherine Angus, founder of the Hear You Go podcast, to talk about self-worth, education businesses, and standing firm on value.

In addition to the Hear You Go podcast, Catherine is an English language mentor, specializing in helping advanced speakers and teachers maintain fluency while silencing their inner critics. Through her 1:1 coaching and WILDE: The Listening Festival, she uses authentic global conversations to help learners build confidence and rediscover their love for the language.

In this episode, we chat about:

starting a podcast: confidence, doubt, and the unknown
overcoming the 7-episode dropoff [where most podcasters quit]
what perfectionism actually means
why you want to be the tortoise, not the hare
social media toxicity and discovering what clients really want
why passive income is like buying a lottery ticket
using podcasts as a lead magnet, not a product
how to pivot without abandoning your mission

*Prefer video? Watch the episode on YouTube.

FOR MORE FROM CATHERINE ANGUS:

1. Follow on Instagram

2. Her website

3. Her podcast, Hear You Go

SUPPORT US:

⭐ Leave a review where you listen.

WORK WITH US:

1. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

2. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP

THE THRIVING TEACHERPRENEUR

Get inspired to start and grow your own education business. Weekly insights, stories, and reflections on education entrepreneurship.

*Prefer video? Watch the episode on YouTube.

You Can't NOT Teach Grammar (And Why We’re Doing It Wrong) - Caitlyn Pineault

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 18:17:52 -0500

"Designing curriculum around proficiency goals for your program is a way of making them a positive, empowering tool instead of something that's punitive" - Caitlyn Pineault.

Caitlyn teaches undergraduate second language acquisition courses at Georgetown University with a dedication to connecting research and practice for language teachers. Her work can be found in the Modern Language Journal and the Foreign Language Annals. She is also the co-founder of the recurring column “Collective Wisdom: Teacher and Researchers in Dialogue” in The Language Educator.

In this episode, we chat about:

Bridging Research and Classroom Practice
The Role of Feedback in Language Learning
Student's Frustration with Language Learning
Challenges in Changing Teaching Practices
The Role of Rubrics in Reflecting Teacher Values
Assessment and Its Impact on Language Programs
Implementing TBLT in Different Educational Contexts
The Future of Language Education and Teacher Mindset

FOR MORE FROM CAITLYN PINEAULT:

1. Connect on LinkedIn

2. Visit her website

3. Collective Wisdom: Teacher and Researchers in Dialogue”

OUR PARTNER: WE ARE ENGLISH TEACHERS

We Are English Teachers: https://weareenglishteachers.com/

SUPPORT US:

🫶 Integrate your brand with our podcast in an effort to improve language education.

⭐ Leave a review where you listen.

WORK WITH US:

1. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

2. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP

THE THRIVING TEACHERPRENEUR

Get inspired to start and grow your own education business. Weekly insights, stories, and reflections on education entrepreneurship.

Don't go Viral: The real keys to creating IMPACTFUL content - Laura Wilkes

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 12:01:00 -0500

"You don't have to feel confident to be great at what you do."

We talk with Laura Wilkes, founder of Communicating for Impact, about content creation, putting yourself out there, and what it really takes to build a full-service production house.

Laura has 15 years of experience in education leadership and media production for global education brands. She started Communicating for Impact after seeing how high-quality, strategic media can accelerate growth for experts and mission-driven organizations.

In this episode, we chat about:

passions vs businesses
going from reluctant leader to confident director
the role of authenticity and creativity in content creation
Laura launching her own creative production house
how to stand out in saturated markets
understanding buyer psychology
the mechanisms needed to take the entrepreneurial leap

*Prefer video? Watch the episode on YouTube.

FOR MORE FROM LAURA WILKES:

2. Check out Communicating for Impact

3. Follow her YouTube channel

SUPPORT US:

🫶 Integrate your brand with our podcast in an effort to improve language education.

⭐ Leave a review where you listen.

WORK WITH US:

1. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

2. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP

THE THRIVING TEACHERPRENEUR

Get inspired to start and grow your own education business. Weekly insights, stories, and reflections on education entrepreneurship.

Want to monetize your skills as a teacher? Book a free 1:1 with us to see if we can help.

There's a problem with the word "INCLUSION." We should use THIS instead - Ben Goldstein

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 20:51:13 -0500

"You can be included and still not feel that you belong" - Ben Goldstein.

We sit down with Ben to talk inclusion in ELT - and what that actually means (and what it doesn't).

Ben is a writer, teacher trainer and conference speaker. He taught materials writing for many years on the online MATESOL program of the New School in New York. He has published two methodology handbooks for teachers: Working with Images and Language Learning with Digital Video. 30 Ideas on Inclusion in ELT, a pocket handbook for teachers has also just been published by Cambridge.

In this episode, Ben discusses:

defining inclusion in education
challenges and misconceptions of inclusive teaching
belonging vs inclusion
why "inclusion" isn't the best word to use
how being critical of inclusivity is alright
holistic strategies for teachers to use
engagement, representation, and action in UDL

FOR MORE FROM BEN GOLDSTEIN:

2. Ben's book "30 Ideas on Inclusion."

3. Visit his website bengoldstein.es

OUR PARTNER: WE ARE ENGLISH TEACHERS

We Are English Teachers: https://weareenglishteachers.com/

Thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you.

Collaborate with us:

Want to integrate your brand with our podcast in an effort to improve language education?

Reach out here: info@learnyourenglish.com

RESOURCES TO HELP YOU:

2. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

4. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP

Want to monetize your skills as a teacher? Book a free 1:1 with us to see if we can help.

The biggest risk isn't being WRONG, it's being CONFUSED - John Healy

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:33:00 -0500

"Make a decision about which direction you wanna head towards. Start walking and don't do anything else for 30 days" - John Healy

We chat with John Healy about education businesses, how indecision stagnates us, and what teachers can do to execute as entrepreneurs.

John Healy is the founder of My Speaking Score - an AI-powered platform that helps non-native English speakers prepare for the TOEFL Speaking test with confidence. From building a consulting business to teaching in Korea to now founding an edtech company, John's career in ELT is vast. He joins us to talk teaching and education businesses.

In our discussion, we dive into:

navigating self-doubt
analyzing risk - and why people should take more of them
why people are reluctant to make decisive decisions
outcome businesses vs hourly rates
balancing passion and profit in education
powering through early business struggles
how ideas are easy and execution is difficult
being obsessive over getting your customer their results

FOR MORE FROM JOHN HEALY:

2. Check out My Speaking Score

Thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you.

Collaborate with us:

Want to integrate your brand with our podcast in an effort to improve language education?

Reach out here: info@learnyourenglish.com

RESOURCES TO HELP YOU:

2. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

4. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP

Want to monetize your skills as a teacher? Book a free 1:1 with us to see if we can help.

You'll never feel ready: do you want to build a teaching business or not? - Mariela Mondaca

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 19:35:29 -0500

"So many people are out there doing great things and they aren't ready, either, so I asked myself: Why not me?"

We chat with teacher and entrepreneur Mariela Mondaca.

Mariela is an English teacher, teacher trainer, and entrepreneur who has turned her 25 years of classroom experience into an online business. She designs programmes that bring together speakers of English as a foreign language from around the world, creating supportive communities where wellbeing-based topics spark conversation and help learners achieve real English fluency.

She runs Fluent Connections.

In this episode, Mariela discusses:

Overcoming Self-Doubt and Taking the Leap
Believing in Your Own Path
Dealing with Self-Doubt and Anxiety
Starting and Growing a Teaching Business
Finding Your Niche and Evolving
Learning from Mistakes and Adapting
Advice for New Teaching Entrepreneur
The Turning Point: Strategy and Mindset
A Week in the Life of a Teacherpreneur
Starting Over: Key Steps and Lessons Learned
Reflecting on Personal Growth and Transformation

FOR MORE FROM MARIELA MONDACA:

2. Follow on IG: @profe_mariel

3. See her programs

Support Teacher Talking Time:

We Are English Teachers: https://weareenglishteachers.com/

Thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you.

Collaborate with us:

Want to integrate your brand with our podcast in an effort to improve language education?

Reach out here: info@learnyourenglish.com

RESOURCES TO HELP YOU:

2. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

4. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP

Want to monetize your skills as a teacher? Book a free 1:1 with us to see if we can help.

Can learning apps REALLY support language learning? The research may be surprising - Shawn Loewen

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 16:35:31 -0500

"How do we make research meaningful for the classroom? What really helps students acquire grammar? Can apps ACTUALLY support second language learning?"

These are some of the questions we tackled in our conversation with Dr. Shawn Loewen.

Shawn Loewen is Professor of Second Language Studies at Michigan State University, where he directs the doctoral program in SLS. His research focuses on instructed second language acquisition, the research-practice gap, and mobile-assisted language learning. He is the author of several influential books and serves as associate editor of The Modern Language Journal.

His new book, "Edited Volume in Instructed SLA" is out now.

In our discussion, we dive into:

whether the explicit vs implicit debate matters
if people can actually learn languages on "those apps"
pattern recognition and why some learners “just get it”
task-based language teaching vs. Instructed SLA
why most institutions don't really know what their approach to learning is
leveraging AI and technology for learning
bridging the gap between researchers and teachers
the limits and potential of communicative language teaching

FOR MORE FROM DR. SHAWN LOEWEN:

1. His book "Edited Volume in Instructed SLA"

2. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

3. His publications

4. His website

Support Teacher Talking Time:

Do you help students prepare for the TOEFL test? Check out My Speaking Score - an AI platform with data-driven feedback to help students get 26 on TOEFL speaking. Trusted by over 100,000 TOEFL test takers.

My Speaking Score: https://www.myspeakingscore.com/

Thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

Collaborate with us:

Want to integrate your brand with our podcast in an effort to improve language education?

Reach out here: info@learnyourenglish.com

RESOURCES TO HELP YOU:

1. Join our Substack community.

4. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP

It's magical to feel PROUD of something you created - Anna Aleksenko

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 10:21:00 -0400

Want to chat with us about your business? Book a free meeting here.

"I have no shame whatsoever in marketing my own courses because I feel proud. I know for sure that it works." We chat with entrepreneur Anna Aleksenko

Anna is an entrepreneur based in Georgia who runs Voice it English, a program that helps professionals turn English into their career superpower. She's been teaching for over 17 years and has had to reinvent herself many times: something every entrepreneur can relate to. With a focus on connection, community, and client results, we're thrilled to have Anna on the show.

Her mission is simple: To turn English from a daily challenge into her clients' career strong point.

In this episode, Anna discusses:

understanding that everyone has an accent
burnout and setting boundaries
expatriating and starting a new life
how language can shape identity
emotional barriers in language learning
moving from hourly to results-based pricing
focusing on ideal clients and how to identify them
leveraging LinkedIn for client acquisition
the power of community
advice for new education entrepreneurs

FOR MORE FROM ANNA ALEKSENKO:

3. Her free Friday speaking club

2. Voice It English

Thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

RESOURCES TO HELP YOU:

2. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

4. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP

Want to move away from 1:1 and build your teaching business? Book a free 1:1 with us to see if we can help.

Kids do NOT learn languages faster than adults. That's a MYTH - Dr. Karen Lichtman

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 08:28:00 -0400

"There's this myth that kids learn faster than adults. Research shows it's not true; adults are actually better language learners" - Dr. Karen Lichtman.

Dr. Karen Lichtman recently moved to Binghamton University after ten years training language teachers at Northern Illinois University. Her research focuses on instructed second language acquisition, including age differences in language learning and implicit vs. explicit language teaching. Karen presents nationally and internationally to audiences of teachers and researchers.

In this episode, we dive into:

the bad teaching that exists and how to address it
the myth of children learning faster than adults
why adults make better language learners
why easier materials is almost always better
designing a beginner course from scratch
balancing implicit & explicit teaching
addressing skeptical teachers
the role of TPRS in language learning (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling)

FOR MORE FROM KAREN LICHTMAN:

4. Her book "Teaching Proficiency Through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS): An Input-Based Approach to Second Language Instruction."

2. Her website

3. Her publications

Support Teacher Talking Time:

My Speaking Score: https://www.myspeakingscore.com/

RESOURCES TO HELP YOU:

1. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

2. Subscribe to the LYE YouTube Channel

3. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP

1. Follow her on Instagram: @msjessydays

You need to master the art of self-reinvention - Jessica Dias

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 11:06:15 -0400

*This is episode two of our series highlighting education entrepreneurs. New episodes every first of the month.

Want to chat with us about your business? Book a free meeting here.

"If it doesn't go according to plan, what is the worst thing that could happen that is the minimum I can be satisfied with?" We sit down with entrepreneur Jessica Dias to discuss growing a business.

Jessica is an English teacher and founder of Jessy Academy — an online school that helps Brazilian learners break free from the intermediate plateau and develop real communication skills in English. She started her teaching business in 2020 and has since helped more than 2,000 learners speak with more clarity, confidence, and naturalness. After years of working in traditional schools, Jessica decided to ride solo and build a business that truly reflects her teaching philosophy: practical, human, and focused on real communication.

In this episode, Jessica discusses:

Overcoming Failure and Setting Realistic Goals
The Genesis of the Itch: From School to Side Hustle
Turning Passion into a Full-Time Business
Embracing Change and Growth
Building a Sustainable Business Model
Challenges of Running a Business
Balancing Client Work and Business Operations
Delegation and Use of AI Tools
Scaling While Maintaining Quality
Advice for Handling Business Slumps

FOR MORE FROM JESSICA DIAS:

2. Jessy Academy

3. Her Clear Pronunciation Program

Thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

RESOURCES TO HELP YOU:

1. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

3. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP

Want to move away from 1:1 and build your teaching business? Book a free 1:1 with us to see if we can help.

Is a TRULY task-based curriculum possible? - Claudia Fernandez

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 16:22:13 -0400

From beginner to intermediate in 9 months: yes, it's possible and Claudia Fernandez tells us how.

Claudia runs her Spanish program at the University of Illinois-Chicago using a task-based curriculum. One result was bringing fifteen A1 students to intermediate over 9 months. She shares her story and how others can do the same.

At the University of Illinois-Chicago, Claudia is a Clinical Associate Professor, where she directs the Spanish Basic Language Program using a task-based curriculum. Her research and teaching focus on task-based language teaching, materials development, and classroom-based language acquisition. She is an award-winning educator, published author, and active contributor to both national and international professional organizations in the field of language education.

In this episode, we dive into:

Implementing task-based language teaching from scratch
Why there is still pushback against TBLT
Mindset shifts every institution needs
Aligning tasks with assessments
Claudia’s experience of helping students go from absolute beginner to intermediate in 9 months
Effective task design
How learners acquire grammar through input-based approaches
Instruction habits that get in the way of learning
How to create needs analyses in task-based learning

FOR MORE FROM CLAUDIA FERNANDEZ:

3. Her publication on moving from grammar to proficiency-driven programs

2. Her university page

Support the show:

My Speaking Score: https://www.myspeakingscore.com/

RESOURCES TO HELP YOU:

1. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

2. Subscribe to the LYE YouTube Channel

3. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP

1. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

Practice is the Price: What Teaching Taught us about Building a Business

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 08:00:00 -0400

*This launches the beginning of a new series of our show: education entrepreneurship. We'll release an additional episode monthly, highlighting entrepreneurial voices in our industry doing great things.

Want to chat with us? Book a free meeting here.

In this episode, we introduce the series and discuss what it takes to start and run your own business. Specifically, we explore the transition from traditional teaching roles to entrepreneurial ventures.

We chat about:

Why waiting until you're uncomfortable might be too late to start your business
The real difference between commitment and consistency and why one matters more
How teachers can build businesses without a one-size-fits-all model
What Andrew's beach business (and Bob the Book) taught him about resourcefulness, scrappiness, and getting started
Why belief in yourself is the most underrated strategy in entrepreneurship
Who this series is for and who it’s not for

Thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

RESOURCES TO HELP YOU:

3. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP

50% off our CPD courses for podcast listeners - click here and use the code "TTT"

The Big BEASTS of English Grammar: What we Need to UNLEARN - Graham Burton

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 23:26:52 -0400

Does the grammar that is normally taught match the evidence corpus linguistics shows? Dr. Graham Burton helps us dissect the big beasts of English grammar.

Dr. Graham Burton is assistant professor at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Italy). His main research interests are applications of corpus linguistics to language teaching, materials development, pedagogic grammar, academic writing and multilingualism.

He has two recent book publications, Grammar in ELT and ELT Materials: Evaluating its History and Current Practice and The Big Beasts of English Grammar: An Exploration of Form and Function in Conversations

*Discount codes:

40% off Grammar in ELT using code ELT40 (valid until the end of July, 2025)
25% on ebook of The Big Beasts of English Grammar via Payhip only, using code bigbeasts25 (valid for 10 downloads only)

In this episode, Graham discusses:

Corpus Linguistics in Language Teaching
Benefits of Corpus for Learners
The Big Beasts of English Grammar
Example-Driven Grammar Teaching
What Teachers Should Unlearn about Grammar
Challenges in Teaching Grammar
Prototypical vs. Natural Grammar Usage
Misconceptions in Grammar Teaching
The Evolution of Grammar Teaching
What the CELTA Should Do to "Re-do" Grammar
The History of Pedagogical Grammar
Why the word "grammar" was negative (and "structure" was used instead)

FOR MORE FROM GRAHAM BURTON:

1. The Big Beasts of English Grammar: An Exploration of Form and Function in Conversations

Discount of 25% on ebook via Payhip only, using code bigbeasts25 (valid for 10 downloads only)

2. Grammar in ELT and ELT Materials: Evaluating its History and Current Practice

Discount of 40% on hardbook or ebook, using code ELT40 (valid until the end of July, 2025)

3. Connect with Graham on LinkedIn

Thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

RESOURCES TO HELP YOU:

1. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

3. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP

Want to move away from 1:1 and build your teaching business? Book a free 1:1 with us to see if we can help.

"Don't teach AT the students. Teach OFF them" - Scott Thornbury

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 17:38:41 -0400

"Don't teach at the students. Teach off them." Scott Thornbury becomes our first repeat guest and helps us dissect this and more.

Scott Thornbury is a teacher, teacher trainer, and award-winning author in English language education. He has taught and trained teachers around the world, including on the MA TESOL program at The New School in New York, and is widely recognized for his contributions to ELT methodology and teacher development.

He co-authored Teaching Unplugged (2009) and Dogme in Practice (2025), both with Luke Meddings. His latest book is called Scott Thornbury's 66 Essentials of Lesson Design.

In our chat, Scott delves into:

tensions between planning & spontaneity
what an effective lesson design process looks like
if the communicative approach can be rehabilitated
shifting from surface-level communication to meaningful interaction
adapting teacher training and institutional expectations
the role of technology in education

FOR MORE FROM SCOTT THORNBURY:

1. Visit his website

2. Book: Domge in Practice

3. Book: 66 Essentials of Lesson Design

4. Connect on LinkedIn

Thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

RESOURCES TO HELP YOU:

1. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business

3. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP

4. Download our free guides for teacherpreneurs

5. Join our Substack community

Learner autonomy is driven by the TEACHER, not the learner - Dr. David Little

Fri, 02 May 2025 14:46:37 -0400

Want to monetize your skills as a teacher? Book a free 1:1 with us to see if we can help.

Learner autonomy is something that happens INSIDE the classroom, not out of it. Teachers can't sit back and wait for their students to become autonomous.

This is part of what the esteemed Dr. David Little shared with us in our conversation.

David Little is Fellow Emeritus at Trinity College Dublin and a leading scholar in learner autonomy, linguistic diversity, and the application of the CEFR in language education. He played a key role in developing the European Language Portfolio and has led several national and international projects focused on language support for migrants and refugees. He currently coordinates the Council of Europe’s Romani–Plurilingual Policy Experimentation and is the author of influential works on educational inclusion and language learning.

In this episode, David discusses:

Understanding Language Learner Autonomy
Defining Autonomy in Language Learning
Pedagogical Models for Autonomy
Autonomy in Diverse Educational Contexts
Challenges and Collaborative Solutions for Teachers
Language Learner Autonomy and Writing
Developing Reflective Dialogue in Classrooms
Practical Advice for Fostering Learner Autonomy

FOR MORE FROM DR. DAVID LITTLE:

1. His page at Trinity College, Dublin

2. His Research Gate page

3. Language Learner Autonomy: Theory, Practice, and Research

Thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

RESOURCES TO HELP YOU:

1. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

3. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP

Want to monetize your skills as a teacher? Book a free 1:1 with us to see if we can help.

Native English isn't Relevant to the Majority of English Users - Jennifer Jenkins

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 11:51:42 -0400

"It's such social injustice to expect people to use English like native English speakers, whichever country they're in." We dive into this and English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) with Jennifer Jenkins.

Jennifer Jenkins is a British linguist and academic. She was Chair Professor of Global Englishes at the University of Southampton until her retirement in 2019. She is a leading figure in the study of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF), and is an expert on communication in English between non-native speakers. She has published and lectured widely and is a founder editor of the Journal of English as a Lingua Franca.

In this episode, Jennifer tackles:

what English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) is
native speakers vs local speakers
why she was shunned from many rooms for her views
the cultural and linguistic bias in language testing
how tests are not predictive of academic success
the myth that ELF lowers English standards
the role of adjusting language rather than mimicking it
having a pioneer mindset even when people dismiss you
how international universities have hypocritical linguistic standards
the future of English as a global language

FOR MORE FROM JENNIFER JENKINS:

1. Her Google Scholar page

2. Her page at the University of Southampton

3. Accommodation in ELF: Where from? Where now? Where next?

Thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

RESOURCES TO HELP YOU:

1. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

3. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP

Book a complimentary meeting with us to help grow your business.

Native Teachers can't Fix Pronunciation - John Levis

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 17:24:00 -0500

Learners can think a native teacher is a vaccine against poor pronunciation. Equally, native teachers can be misinformed in thinking that students should just follow them.

We dive into pronunciation, intelligibility, and teacher effects on learner performance with the great John Levis.

John is Professor of Applied Linguistics and Technology at Iowa State University. He is founding editor of the Journal of Second Language Pronunciation and the founder of the annual Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching Conference. His research focuses on pronunciation, intelligibility, pronunciation, and accent. John has received university awards for Excellence in Graduate Teaching, for Career Achievement in Research, and was named Angela B. Pavitt Professor of English in 2018.

In our conversation, John talks about:

accent vs pronunciation
the nativeness principle vs the intelligibility principle
how he coined "the intelligibility principle"
high and low value features of pronunciation
why some vowel sounds don't matter
native and non-native teacher effects on learner performance
learners viewing native speakers as a vaccine for poor pronunciation
some native teachers believing learners should just follow them
getting "caught" with accent

For more from John Levis:

1. Pronunciation for Teachers

2. His faculty page

3. His publications

Thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

Ways we can help you right now:

1. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

3. Just starting your business? Get free guidance in our support group.

Book a free 1:1 to strategize your goals for your teaching business .

Stop Apologizing for Being Multilingual - Dr. Angelica Galante

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 01:41:00 -0500

Native speaker or non-native speaker? Monolingual or plurilingual? Why do we have a binary bias in modern society?

These are some of the questions we tackled with Dr. Angelica Galante.

Dr. Angelica Galante is an Associate Professor in Second Language Education and Applied Linguistics, and William Dawson Scholar at McGill University. As the Director of the Plurilingual Lab, Dr. Galante conducts studies with language learners, teachers and educational leaders in the areas of plurilingual education, language teaching and learning, linguistic discrimination and justice, teacher education, and curriculum design. She speaks Portuguese, English, Spanish, and a bit of French and Italian.

In our conversation, Dr. Galante talks about:

Linguistic and Cultural Discrimination
Strategies to Combat Prejudice in Education
Plurilingual and Pluricultural Competence
Navigating Binary Bias in Language Discussions
Exploring Common Ground in Controversial Topics
The Role of Language in Identity and Mental Health
Practical Applications of Plurilingualism in Education
Balancing Plurilingualism and Language Acquisition
Challenges and Facilitators of Plurilingualism

For more from Angelica Galante:

1. Her professional page

2. McGill's Plurilingual Lab

3. Her publications

Thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

Ways we can help you right now:

1. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

3. Just starting your business? Get free guidance in our support group.

Book a free 1:1 to strategize your goals for your teaching business .

A PLAN is not a STRATEGY: The 7 Cs of Teacherpreneur Success

Sat, 04 Jan 2025 11:18:38 -0500

Escaping precarity in ELT? Join our free support group here.

Why do some teachers thrive as entrepreneurs while others struggle? We dissect this question.

Many teachers want to earn more, teach online, and gain more clients - but struggle to implement a sustainable strategy. We go over seven "Cs" to help.

In this episode, we dive into the "seven Cs of success for teacher entrepreneurship" and discuss:

confidence as a skill rather than a feeling
getting granular on goals
strategizing goal achievement at both the macro and the micro
reflecting on why having a business is (or isn't) a priority
how consistency compounds over time
why getting more clients is nearly impossible if you have nothing to sell
normalizing struggle and self doubt
first steps to starting your business in 2025

Your Action Plan from this Episode:

1. Pick one “C” to focus on this week.
2. Journal daily to track your progress and reflect on your journey.
3. Share your experience in our community to inspire and be inspired.

Thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

Ways we can help you right now:

1. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

3. Just starting your business? Get free guidance in our support group.

Book a free 1:1 to strategize your teaching business goals.

We should AIM to give more STATUS to being a teacher - Audrey Rousse-Malpat

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 19:28:18 -0500

Black Friday 2024: 50% off CPD (click here).

Escaping precarity in ELT? Join our free support group here.

If you use vocabulary and grammar tests, you don't teach communicatively. Audrey Rousse-Malpat tells us why.

Audrey Rousse-Malpat is an assistant professor in second language acquisition at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. She is also an entrepreneur and leads a teacher training company called Project Frans specializing in usage-based pedagogies for French as second language. She hosts the "Je suis #profdeFLE" ("I am a French language teacher") podcast.

Her research focuses on the AIM method: the Accelerative Integrated Method. In our conversation, she argues why it's a method education should adopt.

In our conversation, Audrey talks about:

thinking like a scientist
schools as factories
AIM (Accelerative Integrated Method) and how it works
feeling like the Marry Poppins of error correction
structure-based teaching vs Dynamic usage
why teachers need to relinquish control
what went wrong with the communicative approach
tips for implementing AIM
multilingual approaches in higher education

For more from Audrey Rousse-Malpat:

1. Project Frans

1. Book a free 1:1 chat to strategize your teaching business.

Thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

Ways we can help you right now:

3. Just starting your business? Get free guidance in our support group.

Book a free 1:1 to strategize your teaching business goals.

Burnout and stress is TOO LATE for teacher wellbeing - Sarah Mercer

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 16:38:24 -0400

Escaping precarity in ELT? Join our free support group here.

Education is designed around focusing on the learner first and the teacher as a medium to support the learner. Sarah Mercer tells us why this leads to unhealthy teachers.

Sarah Mercer is a Professor of foreign language teaching at the University of Graz, Austria. Her research interests include all aspects of the psychology surrounding the foreign language learning experience. She is co-editor of Multilingual Matters’ Psychology of Language Learning and Teaching book series, currently vice-president of IAPLL, and ambassador for IATEFL.

In this episode, Sarah expounds on:

why connecting with learners is fundamental
cell phone addiction and what we CAN'T do about it
re-framing what "student-led" means
defining "engagement" and pedagogical caring
students faking engagement out of respect for their teacher
burnout and stress are the result of the systemic element of teacher well-being

For more from Sarah Mercer:

1. Visit her website

2. Read her publications

3. Her handbook "Teacher Wellbeing"

Thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

Ways we can help you right now:

1. Book a free 1:1 chat to strategize your teaching business.

3. Just starting your business? Get free guidance in our support group.

Book a free 1:1 to strategize your teaching business goals.

ELT is full of DISASTERS - Dr. Enrica Piccardo

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 17:07:17 -0400

Escaping precarity in ELT? Join our free support group here.

ELT is full of disasters, including the destruction of the communicative approach. Dr. Enrica Piccardo tells us why.

Dr. Piccardo is a Professor of Applied Linguistics and Language Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. Her research spans language teaching approaches/curricula, multi/plurilingualism, creativity and complexity in language education.

She recently published The Action-oriented Approach. A Dynamic Vision of Language Education 2019) Bristol: Multilingual Matters, co-authored with Brian North.

In this episode, Dr. Piccardo discusses:

leveraging the messiness of learning
how Headway destroyed the communicative approach
multiple disasters in ELT: the separation of languages, the native speaker model, organizing curriculum around grammar, and others
how we're still teaching in a grammatical way because it's easier
what mediation is, its role in learning, and its 3 types
updating the CEFR to include mediation
the link between mediation and plurilingualism
the action-oriented approach and its benefits
why teachers need to delegate learning

For more from Dr. Enrica Piccardo:

1. Check out her new book here.

2. Her University of Toronto profile

Thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

Ways we can help you right now:

1. Book a free 1:1 chat to strategize your teaching business.

3. Just starting your business? Get free guidance in our support group.

Book a free 1:1 to strategize your teaching business goals.

Teachers have TWO options: Earn more or leave ELT

Sat, 24 Aug 2024 11:02:16 -0400

Escaping precarity in ELT? Join our free support group here.

What do toad venom, the 5 stages of grief, and precarity all have in common? Andrew, Leo, and Mike explain.

Sustainability in the ELT industry as a teacher is pretty simple:

1. It is precarious

2. We all need to earn more money

3. It's unlikely to do that by having just one job.

In this episode, we discuss strategies to earn more by creating your own offer. Specifically, we dive into:

the 5 stages of grief pertaining to precarity
two paths teachers have: stay in ELT or move on
why earning more money is a requisite to stay in the industry
how to create a compelling offer that will actually sell
why focusing on lesson frequency is restricting
not creating solutions to problems no one cares about
toad venom and how you can apply it to your teaching business

Thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

Ways we can help you right now:

1. Book a free 1:1 chat to strategize your teaching business.

3. Just starting your business? Get free guidance in our support group.

Escaping precarity in ELT? Join our free support group here.

ELT has the WRONG input: Learners can't understand REAL people - Sheila Thorn

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 15:18:22 -0400

Want to move faster? Book a free 1:1 to strategize your teaching business.

ELT provides the wrong input: language as it should be spoken not as it is spoken. This is wrong and Sheila Thorn gives us another way.

Sheila Thorn is a teacher, teacher trainer and materials writer whose niche focuses on teaching listening. She founded The Listening Business in 1998 and is the author of countless seminal books that have moved our industry forward. She has recently embarked on a new career as an artist, specialising in portraits of people and animals.

Her latest publication, "Integrating Authentic Listening into the Language Classroom" is a must-read.

In this episode, Sheila discusses:

ELT having the wrong input
coursebooks as impoverished language
learners being scared of real language
how teacher training fails teachers as much as coursebooks fail students
the 5 listening goals every learner should have
a 3-pronged approach to teaching listening
the problem she is trying to solve in ELT

For more from Sheila:

1. The Listening Business

1. Book a free 1:1 chat to strategize your teaching business.

Thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

Ways we can help you right now:

3. Just starting your business? Get free guidance in our support group.

Join our free support group for teachers building their business.

Grammar is in the BRAIN, not on a piece of paper - Tania Ionin & Silvina Montrul

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 19:31:18 -0400

Grammar instruction or grammar learning? We dive into this with today's guests.

Tania Ionin is a Professor of Linguistics and Director of Graduate Studies in Linguistics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her areas of expertise include second language acquisition and experimental semantics, with a focus on the nominal domain.

Silvina Montrul is Marjorie Roberts Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese and Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is the director of the Second Language Acquisition and Bilingualism Lab, founder and director of the University Language Academy for Children, and former director of the Doctoral Program in Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Education (SLATE).

Together, they have written and published the book "Second Language Acquisition: Introducing Intervention Research."

In this episode, they discuss:

grammatical knowledge in the context of language acquisition
what intervention research is
why we expect too much of adult learners
how instruction contributes or doesn't contribute to grammar acquisition
efficacious conditions for grammar instruction
how educators can influence the learning of grammar
why studying monolinguals helps to understand L2 acquisition
literate vs illiterate native speakers for a study on grammatical knowledge

For more on today's guests:

1. Get their book "SLA: Introducing Intervention Research"

2. Silvina's website

3. Tania's website

Thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

Ways we can help you right now:

1. Book a free 1:1 chat to strategize your teaching business.

3. Just starting your business? Get free guidance in our support group.

Join our free support group for teachers building their business.

We CANNOT and DO NOT Control What Students Learn - Bill VanPatten

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 17:50:12 -0400

So many teachers focus on teaching when they should focus on something else. In this episode, we dive into this with the great Bill VanPatten.

Bill VanPatten is an award-winning scholar and teacher with an international reputation in the fields of second language acquisition and second language teaching. He is a requested speaker at conferences and meetings and over the course of his career he has given over 500 keynote speeches, plenaries, invited talks, and workshops.

We chat with Bill about why:

the majority of teaching is not in accordance with SLA research
Krashen was right
teachers need to get rid of the "Atlas Complex"
most people don't understand what a communicative classroom means
grammar rules are not psychologically real
many researchers don't want to talk to teachers
understanding how non-college educated L1 speakers process language shows explicit instruction's ineffectiveness
if learners can do your assignments using AI, the assignment is flawed

For more from Bill:

1. Visit his website.

2. His recent article "Krashen forty years later: Final comments"

Thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

Ways we can help you right now:

2. Just starting your business? Get free guidance in our support group.

3. Already have clients? Share your vision with us: book a free chat to strategize your business goals.

4. Follow us on IG: @learnyourenglish

The traditional pronunciation model EXCLUDES virtually every teacher - Robin Walker & Gemma Archer

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 15:03:13 -0400

Join our free support group for teachers building their business.

So many teachers feel they can't teach pronunciation if their speech doesn't sound a certain way. Listen to this episode to discover why that isn't true.

Robin Walker and Gemma Archer are pronunciation specialists who co-authored "Teaching English Pronunciation for a Global World," which aims to encourage pronunciation instruction from a lingua franca and intelligibility perspective.

We chat with Robin & Gemma about:

intelligibility, comprehensibility, and accentedness
why the Lingua Franca Core is what teachers should learn
their disdain for Jennifer Jenkins' criticism of them - before realizing she was right
how intelligibility is the thing that allows pronunciation to do its job
weak forms and why they're not necessary for intelligibility
why the goal of international intelligibility doesn't exclude other goals
how to measure intelligibility & use Linca Franca Core diagnostics with your students

Grab their book here.

For more from Gemma:

1. Follow her on LinkedIn

2. The Scottish Sound School

For more from Robin:

1. Follow him on LinkedIn

2. His website - Englishglobal.com

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

Ways we can help you right now:

2. Just starting your business? Get free guidance in our support group.

3. Already have clients? Share your vision with us: book a free chat to strategize your business goals.

4. Follow us on IG: @learnyourenglish

TBLT isn't a fad & this is why NOT using it is holding you back - Lara Bryfonski

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 22:44:25 -0500

Find your niche & get 5 new clients. Start here.

Many teachers are wary of using a task-based approach. Learn how to overcome that and start using it in your business or classrooms.

Lara Bryfonski is an applied linguist and assistant professor of linguistics at Georgetown University. Her research focuses on task-based language teaching and she is the Project Director of STARTALK-TASK, an NSA-funded task-based training program for critical language teachers. She recently co-authored the book The Art and Science of Language Teaching with Alison Mackey.

In this episode, we chat with Lara about:

if "TBLT" is a fad
the myth that novice teachers can't handle TBLT
why experienced teachers are often the most resistant to try it
using a TBL approach within a strict syllabus
where grammar instruction fits into a TBL approach
what a task is and isn't
navigating a learner's internal syllabus
task design and how to apply it in your courses tomorrow
Twitch, gaming, and asynchronous TBLT
her advice for aspiring TBLT practitioners

For more from Lara:

2. Find her new book "The art and science of language teaching"

3. Read her published works

4. Her website

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

Ways we can help you right now:

2. Sandbox your own course ideas in our free support community for teacherpreneurs.

3. Map your first course in 60 minutes or less - your free guide here

4. See our free guides for teachers starting their own business

Our 5in30 community helps you get 5 new clients in 30 days. Start here.

Donna Brinton on Content-based Instruction

Sat, 13 Jan 2024 15:34:11 -0500

Donna M. Brinton is a methodologist, trainer, author, and distinguished figure in applied linguistics. A key aspect of Donna's work is her advocacy for Content-Based Instruction (CBI). Over her five decades in the field, she has authored and co-authored many books, including the famed "Apple Book."

In this conversation, Donna expounds on:

her beginnings as a teacher & her struggles with methodology
why she decided to focus on methods as a point of emphasis
content-based instruction and how it impacts language learning
developing and using a CBI syllabus
the 6 "t's" framework & the 3 CBI prototypes
CBI case studies around the world
the problem with minimal pairs and what can be done instead
the future of methodology & teacher development

For more from Donna, connect on LinkedIn

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

Ways we can help you right now:

2. Sandbox your own course ideas in our free support community for teacherpreneurs.

3. Map your first course in 60 minutes or less - your free guide here

4. See our free guides for teachers starting their own business

Our 5in30 helps you get 5 new clients in 30 days. Start here.

2023 Wrapped: Making Next Year an Authentic One

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 19:27:31 -0500

Leo, Mike, and Andrew grab some nog, get in the holiday spirit, and chat about authenticity - Merriam-Webster's word of the year for 2023. We delve into what the word means to us and how we and anyone building a business can bring as much authenticity as possible into 2024.

Specifically, we dive into:

LYE's beginnings
our process and struggles with niching down
why the response "teachers will love that" to our first offer was a bad answer
the highs and lows of developing your own business
the "do one thing" philosophy to business growth
unconventional niche fusions
how you can develop sustainable practices in your business in 2024

Watch the Pharrell Williams/Maggie Rogers niche-fusion video mentioned in this episode.

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

Ways we can help you right now:

2. Sandbox your own course ideas in our free support community for teacherpreneurs.

3. Map your first course in 60 minutes or less - your free guide here

4. See our free guides for teachers starting their own business

We help teachers start their own online business for free. Click here to join in.

Cecilia Nobre on Using Video for Teacher Development

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 18:16:57 -0500

Cecilia Nobre is a Ph.D. student in Applied Linguistics at Warwick, has been an EFL teacher for over 20 years, and is a trainer on DipTESOL, CertTESOL, and Celta trainer. She has co-authored the book "Using Video to Support Teacher Reflection and Development in ELT" with Steve Mann and Laura Baecher.

Her research interests lie in the areas of teacher development, video reflection, and reflective practice. In this episode, Cecilia touches on:

video-based observation as a form of development
how videos can foster more critical reflection
using video recordings in both the physical and digital classroom
why every teacher should record their own lessons - and then watch them
how video observation can be incorporated into pre-service training courses
why video observation reduces the hierarchical relationship of traditional observation and how it can foster community building
advice for new educators just getting started

For more from Cecilia:

1. Follow her on LinkedIn

2. See her co-authored book "Using Video to Support Teacher Reflection and Development in ELT"

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

Ways we can help you right now:

2. Sandbox your own course ideas in our free support community for teacherpreneurs.

3. Map your first course in 60 minutes or less - your free guide here

4. See our free guides for teachers starting their own business

We help teachers start their own business for free. Click here to join in.

Geoff Jordan on ELT Now and How It Could Be

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 22:43:31 -0400

Geoff Jordan is a teacher, trainer, academic, and author. Geoff has a Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition, has worked at ESADE, Barcelona for 28 years, and recently co-authored a book with the late Mike Long called "ELT Now and How It Could Be."His main academic interests are: theories of SLA, psycholinguistics, teaching practice and computational linguistics.

Specifically, Geoff touches on:

his beginnings in the ELT industry
working alongside Mike Long, Peter Skehan and Henry Widdowson in the early days
his new book "ELT Now and How It Could Be," co-written with the late Mike Long
how commercialization has hurt the language industry
why students should be angry after 300 hours of study when they still can't "go to the pub in London"
why task-based learning is the only way to go
why "presenting" language is inefficacious
how the future of the industry is in niche courses
advising students to be more resourceful in their learning
listener questions

Paul Nation on the Four Strands, 27 years later

Sun, 10 Sep 2023 13:01:39 -0400

See our free CPD and business growth guides for teachers. Click here.

Paul Nation is an Emeritus Professor of Applied Linguistics at the University of Victoria and a renowned author and scholar in our industry. He joins us for a discussion on learning, putting research into practice, and - of course - the four strands 27 years later.

Paul touches specifically on:

his vocabulary niche
the birth of the four strands
how it's a basis for course construction, not lesson design
how he learned Greek on a 2 hour flight
why teachers who activate extensive reading in class are brave
why teachers need to believe that by not teaching, people can learn
the only 3 things that matter in learning
if there is a fifth strand

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

Ways we can help you right now:

1. Sandbox your own course ideas in our free support community for teacherpreneurs.

2. Map your first course in 60 minutes or less - your free guide here

3. See our free guides for teachers starting their own business

4. Try our TAP program free for 7 days

5. CPD: Teaching Listening Made Easy

6. Follow us on IG: @learnyourenglish

Dogme Days of Summer 2

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 12:36:24 -0400

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Deep in the Dogme Days of Summer, Mike, Leo, and Andrew get into part 2 of their series.

Here, we delve into:

using Dogme in the scope of outcome-based instruction
challenges implementing reactive teaching in different contexts
obstacles in moving from a structured approach to teaching to one of transference
using the "so you can" framework to get to the heart of your client's desired transformation
handling student objections to Dogme
utilizing self assessments and reflections so students gauge their own progress
why your course needs guiding principles and how to create them
approaching grammar as a choice, not as rules

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

Ways we can help you right now:

1. Sandbox your own course ideas in our free support community for teacherpreneurs.

2. Map your first course in 60 minutes or less - your free guide here

3. See our free guides for teachers starting their own business

4. Try our TAP program free for 7 days

5. CPD: Teaching Listening Made Easy

Dogme Days of Summer

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 17:50:40 -0400

Click here to join our free teacherpreneur support community to grow together.

Andrew, Mike, and Leo sit down and ponder Dogme....as a new approach? It certainly has experienced a resurgence since the pandemic and we are curious why that is.

We also dive into:

the role of the teacher
the shift away from planning & towards reacting
what authentic communication actually means
how teachers can model lifelong learning habits
using Dogme in your business and using the less is more philosophy

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

Ways we can help you right now:

1. Sandbox your own course ideas in our free support community for teacherpreneurs.

2. Map your first course in 60 minutes or less - your free guide here

3. See our free guides for teachers starting their own business

4. Try our TAP program free for 7 days

5. CPD: Teaching Listening Made Easy

Dylan Gates on Dogme and the RDS Method

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 15:47:52 -0400

Click here to join our free teacherpreneur support community to grow together.

Dylan was born just outside London and has been working in the ELT sector for nearly 25 years. About 12 years ago, he discovered Dogme, or as he prefers to call it “Teaching Unplugged”, and this led to his interest in deep-end learning approaches like TBLT and language coaching. When he trains teachers, he makes sure they learn how to move away from the coursebook and deal with emergent language.

In this episode, he shines a light on:

how freelancing led him to Dogme
why he includes reactive teaching in his tool kit for the modern teacher
the RDS method for dealing with emergent language
key considerations for designing materials with a reactive mindset
the future of ELT, AI, and how teachers can innovate

Nicola Prentis on Investing in your Future Self

Sun, 07 May 2023 14:03:42 -0400

Click here to grow with other teacherpreneurs in our free support community.

And click here to check out The Chilled Investor to make your money work for you.

Nicola has been in ELT for over 20 years as a teacher, materials writer, and entrepreneur. She's written many coursebooks and over 200 pages of the British Council learning English website. More recently, she helps language teachers take control of their finances.

Her interest in investing came about almost by accident when she began looking at her own woeful finances and she now supplements her income through investing and runs a course for beginner investors at The Chilled Investor.

In this episode, Nicola dives into:

how her childhood impacts her relationship with money
why many teachers sweep finances under the rug
what investing is and what it isn't
demystifying limiting beliefs about investing
why it's never too late
how "desperation is the mother of research, self study, and self improvement"
why precarity in our industry is more reason to invest in yourself, not less

Ken Lackman on the Lexical Approach

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 21:42:49 -0400

Click here to grow with other teacherpreneurs in our free support community.

Ken has been in ELT since 1995. A teacher, trainer, and author, he has written or co-written over 20 books, including the recently published Connections 3 coursebooks with Pearson.

In this episode, he dives into the lexical approach, why it never caught on and how teachers can use it in their teaching.

Specifically, we dive into:

how ELT has evolved
why Michael Lewis was "pissed"
Dogme ELT & its place
how teachers can decide which vocabulary to focus on in Dogme /TBLT
his CAT framework for Dogme
the post/no methodology era
students making "great mistakes"
the Lexical Approach
the future of ELT and AI

Teacherpreneur Challenges & Tackling Irrational Fears

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 13:44:05 -0500

Click here to grow with other teacherpreneurs in our free support community.

Leo, Mike and Andrew return to the studio to discuss the most common challenges teacherpreneurs face. They get into the three hats that a teacherpreneur needs and how to build up each one.

Specifically, they talk about:

balancing the teacher, creator, and entrepreneur in you
teaching being the only profession where we feel guilty about earning more money
why a lack of goal clarity means you won't move forward
perfectionism as an irrational fear
niching and eliminating competition
creating equity in your business
a system to charge more

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

Ways we at LYE can help you right now:

1. Sandbox your own course ideas in our free support community for teacherpreneurs.

2. Get your own clients on social media right now

3. Watch this episode on our YouTube channel

4. See our free guides for teachers

5. Book a complimentary consultation with us to look at your goal

Lessons Learned in 2022

Sat, 17 Dec 2022 14:07:22 -0500

Click here to grow with other teacherpreneurs in our free support community.

Leo, Mike, and Andrew hop in the studio to record their annual year-end audit. Here, they reflect on the lessons they learned in 2022. They run through specific lessons that drive success, failure, and resilience.

Specific lessons they touch on are:

1. It always takes longer than we think it's going to take

2. Behind mountains are more mountains

3. Knowing what success looks like

4. Starting small

5. Getting over the case of the "What ifs"

For the Indigenous Teachings book "Legends and Teachings of Xeel's The Creator" Mike mentioned in this episode, click here.

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

Ways we at LYE can help you right now:

1. Sandbox your own course ideas in our free support community for teacherpreneurs.

2. Get your own clients on social media right now

3. Watch this episode on our YouTube channel

4. See our free guides for teachers

5. Book a complimentary consultation with us to look at your goals

Danny Norrington-Davies & Richard Chinn on Emergent Language

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 17:36:38 -0500

Grow with other teacherpreneurs in our free support community.

Danny Norrington Davies and Richard Chinn have done extensive research on emergent language and have co-authored "Working with emergent language." Danny has over 25 years in the industry and is currently a CELTA and DELTA tutor. His first book "Teaching Grammar: From Rules to Reasons" was a best-seller. Richard has trained teachers all over the world and currently does pre-service and in-service training courses at IH London. He is also an associate professor at King's College London.

In this episode, Danny & Richard discuss:

the rise of emergent language
why many were resistant to the idea
the imbalance between research on error correction versus emergent language use
incidents that prevent language from emerging
the connections between emergent language and task-based learning
how teachers can develop their "emergent language muscle"
why the student's agenda supersedes the teacher's
how teachers can utilize emergent language even with beginners
why they decided to write a book on emergent language

Katarina Mentzelopoulos on Exceptionalism in Language Learning

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 19:24:56 -0400

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Katarina Mentzelopoulos is an ESRC-funded Ph.D. student at the University of Nottingham, UK. Her research interests include language learning motivation, exceptional language learning, multilingualism and learner identity.

She recently co-authored two books with the late Zoltán Dörnyei:

Stories from Exceptional Language Learners Who Have Achieved Nativelike Proficiency (50% discount code STORIES50 until 30/11)
Lessons from Exceptional Language Learners Who Have Achieved Nativelike Proficiency (50% discount code LESSONS50 until 31/10)

The books tell the stories of people who achieved native-like proficiency against all odds.

In this episode, Katarina discusses:

what exceptionalism in language learning means
the critical period hypothesis
polyglots vs mastering a language
how they selected participants for the books & their stories
why native-like isn’t necessarily the standard and what is instead
markedness versus proficiency
why forming a bond with the language is integral
working with Zoltán Dörnyei and his legacy

Read more about this episode on the LYE blog.

Chris Jacobs on Flow Theory

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 12:00:15 -0400

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Chris Jacobs joins Mike and Andrew to talk about flow theory. Chris is an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska, teaching French, Italian, Spanish, and Linguistics. He is currently working on projects exploring learning optimization through flow - flow is a state of deep focus on an enjoyable activity that is at once challenging and accessible. Research on flow and language acquisition is increasing, and Chris is at the forefront of that.

In this episode, Chris dives into:

what flow is and its balance between fun and relevance
how the theory of psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has been adapted to language learning
characteristics of flow experiences
how tasks and TBLT are innate elements of flow
activities that are more conducive to creating flow
why flow and tasks are possible with all proficiency levels

The Advantages of Disadvantages

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 23:01:12 -0400

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Leo, Mike, and Andrew talk about burnout in education, Learn YOUR English beginnings, their journey, and how teachers can overcome obstacles. Drawing parallels from stories presented in Malcolm Gladwell's David and Goliath - the beginning of French impressionism, why going to Harvard isn't necessarily an advantage, Ikea's controversial founding and more - they tackle how successful teaching businesses emerge from seeing advantages in disadvantages.

Specifically, they discuss:

creating non-obvious solutions to obvious problems
how to follow the path of most resistance
why French impressionists decided to be big fish in a small pond
Ikea as an example of the five-factor psychological model of successful enterprises
delaying gratification as one of the most important tools for a teacherpreneur
how to exercise the idea muscle
why becoming the person you want to be means challenging the person you currently are

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

Ways we at LYE can help you right now:

1. See our free guides for teachers

2. TBLT Made Easy - tasks to your inbox!

3. Grow your business with us

4. Receive a free teaching and business tip every week in your inbox

5. Book a complimentary consultation with us to look at your goals

6. Follow us on IG: @learnyourenglish

CEFR and the Dutch School System

Wed, 22 Jun 2022 13:47:59 -0400

Want to use Dogme and TBLT to grow your sustainable teaching business? Schedule a chat with us to see if we can help.

This is a very special episode of Teacher Talking Time, in partnership with the University of Groningen in The Netherlands. This episode was created as part of the final assessment of MA course "The CEFR in Context: Learning, Teaching, Assessment and Research" by Prof. Dr. Marije Michel and Dr. Audrey Rousse-Malpat. We at Learn YOUR English are thrilled to be a part of it coming to life.

Episode Description:

The CEFR is a useful tool for assessment and can be used to better align assessment across Europe. But is this what is actually happening? In this podcast episode, assessment and the CEFR in the Dutch school system will be discussed from the perspectives of experts in the field of research, secondary school teachers of English, and students studying to become teachers of English.

Interviewers:

Lize Hofman. Gerbrich Dijkstra, and Mark van der Wijk are currently doing the Educational Master track for English at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.

Guests on this episode:

Prof. Dr. Rick de Graaff works at the University Utrecht and teaches Foreign Language Didactics and Bilingual Education. His field of expertise is effective foreign language education, second language didactics, early foreign language education, and the professional development of language teachers. He has previously researched how the CEFR can effectively be implemented in second language education.

Drs. Alessandra Corda is the head of modern language undergraduate teacher training departments at the Hogeschool Amsterdam (University of Applied Sciences) and has worked in the language education field for the past 25 years. She has also researched how to effectively implement the CEFR in second language education and is very knowledgeable about the assessment of language learning in education.

Niels Amperse teaches English at a secondary school in the Netherlands. He is still in the early stages of his teaching career and followed CEFR classes during his training to become a teacher. He is interested in the development of secondary school students and has a refreshing view of second language learning in the Dutch educational system.

Podcast Creation:

This episode was created with support from Thinkific & Podbean. If you're looking to launch a course or start a podcast, we highly recommend them - and use them ourselves.

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

Ways we at LYE can help you right now:

1. Free Business Foundations Training

2. Free Dogme ELT Training

3. Get a free teaching and business tip every week

4. Book a complimentary consultation with us to look at your goals

5. Follow us on IG: @learnyourenglish

Anthony Gaughan

Sat, 14 May 2022 11:52:16 -0400

Want to use Dogme and TBLT to grow your sustainable teaching business? Schedule a chat with us to see if we can help.

Anthony Gaughan is a teacher and teacher-trainer with over 25 years of experience working in the corporate, state secondary, higher education, and private adult education sectors. He is a Cambridge English approved Assessor and Main Course Tutor for the CELTA initial teacher training qualification, as well as a Tutor for the DELTA Module 2 and the Trinity Diploma. Together with his then-colleague, Izzy Orde, Anthony first applied Dogme ELT principles to running CELTA courses in 2009, and has been advocating for simplifying initial teacher education ever since.

See his blog "Teacher Training Unplugged."

In this episode, Anthony dives into:

how a Japanese balloon pushed him towards Dogme
teaching versus teaching-like behaviours
transforming CELTA training into unprescribed, dogmatic experiences
why he was called irresponsible and dangerous at IATEFL
training as a suspension of disbelief
debunking myths about beginner students, beginner teachers, and new beginnings

Florencia Henshaw

Wed, 13 Apr 2022 06:01:00 -0400

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Florencia Henshaw has a Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Education from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, where she is now the Director of Advanced Spanish. She is an award-winning educator who has published and presented nationally and internationally on technology integration and research-based pedagogical practices. Dr. Henshaw is also the host of “Unpacking Language Pedagogy” (available as a podcast and YouTube channel), where she summarizes and discusses research articles, activities, terms, and various topics related to language teaching. Her co-authored book, "Common Ground: Second Language Acquisition Theory goes to the Classroom," aims to help educators visualize how to put principles into action.

In this episode, Florencia discusses:

if people are born teachers
classrooms as artificial environments
why empathy is required for teachers to relinquish control in the learning process
how we should prioritize learner perceptions and attitudes
the backwardness of how most assessments are set up
strategies to scaffold and increase the presence of target language
how her new book helps teachers incorporate new SLA research into the classroom

Practically Speaking: The CEFR & Plurilingualism

Thu, 31 Mar 2022 16:49:10 -0400

Want to use Dogme and TBLT to grow your sustainable teaching business? Schedule a chat with us to see if we can help.

This is a very special episode of Teacher Talking Time, in partnership with the University of Groningen in The Netherlands. This episode was created as part of an MA course "The CEFR in Context: Learning, Teaching, Assessment and Research" by Prof. Dr. Marije Michel and Dr. Audrey Rousse-Malpat. We at Learn YOUR English are thrilled to be a part of it coming to life.

Episode Description:

This episode of Moments Mediating Matters explores the influence of plurilingualism on the Dutch educational system, examines how the concept of mediation is presented in the Companion Volume, and further discusses how mediation can accompany not only teachers but also learners in their learning process. To do so, three guests with different levels of expertise were invited to converse on the influence of the CEFR, and more specifically, the concept of mediation in an increasingly plurilingual society.

Episode created with thanks to Tessa Jutstra.

Interviewers:

Amarins Jager, Michelle Leegsma, and Laura Polman are currently doing the Educational Master track for English at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.

Guests on this episode:

Prof. Piet van Avermaet is the head of the Centre for Diversity and Learning at the Linguistics department of Ghent University. His field of expertise is multilingualism and more specifically, how multilingualism can be applied in the classroom and how it can be a cause of social inequality in terms of inclusion and language assessment.

Dr. Brian North is one of the co-authors of the CEFR and the Companion Volume. He is an expert in the field of foreign language learning, applied linguistics and intercultural communication, and coordinated the 1991 Symposium that recommended the CEFR. North has been involved with the work of the Council of Europe for a long time and developed the levels and descriptors of the CEFR.

Prof. Enrica Piccardo is also co-author of the Companion Volume of the CEFR. She is a professor at the University of Toronto in the Languages and Literacies Education Program and Head of the Centre for Education Research in Languages and Literacies. Her work focuses on the acquisition and teaching of foreign languages, the structuring of curricula, and the role of multi/plurilingualism in education and she has been cooperating with the Council of Europe on the project of developing the Companion Volume

Podcast Creation:

This episode was created with support from Thinkific & Podbean. If you're looking to launch a course or start a podcast, we highly recommend them - and use them ourselves.

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

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TAP into the Future

Mon, 31 Jan 2022 22:19:05 -0500

Join Our Teacher Accelerator Program

How much lesson planning is required? Should I use a coursebook? Are teaching 1-1 or groups are the only options? How do I set up my business to be scalable? Mike, Leo, and Andrew kick off 2022 by examining the most common questions teachers going freelance ask.

They also examine teacher profiles who have joined LYE's new Teacher Accelerator Program and what they have in common. If you're a teacher looking to escape precarity, reduce lesson planning, and achieve better work-life balance, this episode is for you.

Welcome to 2022!

Podcast Creation:

This episode was created with support from Thinkific & Podbean. If you're looking to launch a course or start a podcast, we highly recommend them - and use them ourselves.

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

The Cult of Learning 18: Fear

Sun, 02 Jan 2022 11:20:47 -0500

Teach less and earn more in your teaching

CULT/K^LT/A fashionable belief, idea, or attitude that influences people’s lives/The cult of learning encourages people to find and pursue what they are passionate about/

*”The Cult of Learning” are episodes for learners of languages. These episodes will discuss tools and strategies for learning and provide opportunities for effective listening practice. These episodes are also part of our Self-directed Learning Portal, which helps thousands of people around the world improve the English skills important to them.

Leo and Mike dive into fear. What is it? Why do we have it? What are the consequences of fear? Its benefits? And, of course, how do these apply to learning a language?

As we start a new year, fear - embracing it, conquering it, coping with it - is once again on the to do list. Mike and Leo discuss three strategies for dealing with the fear holding back our potential.

For this episode, we ask you: how do you handle fear in your life?

If you are a learning a language, these Cult of Learning episodes are for you!

Thank you for listening! If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Our Blog post for this episode

Our FREE E-book on Learning. We hope it helps you learn outside the classroom!

Improve your English with our Self-directed Learning Portal

Our Self-study Master Package

Episode 37: Twenty Twenty Won

Sat, 18 Dec 2021 23:24:26 -0500

Mike, Andrew, and Leo sip some nog and reminisce on the year that was. From COVID to a corrective feedback series to interviews with amazing scholars, it was quite the year for the Teacher Talking Time Podcast. Here, the guys touch on the year's most listened to episodes, words of the year, how language has changed during the pandemic, which is ebb and which is flow, and predict what 2022 might have in store - including some work-life balance goals. Thanks for listening this year and stay tuned for many exciting things we have in store for 2022.

Happy holidays from us at Learn YOUR English!

Podcast Creation:

This episode was created with support from Thinkific & Podbean. If you're looking to launch a course or start a podcast, we highly recommend them - and use them ourselves.

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Join Our Teacher Accelerator Program

Episode 36: Ask Us Anything

Thu, 18 Nov 2021 12:49:00 -0500

Mike, Leo, and Andrew get back in the studio for a special, bizarro episode. In this "Ask Us Anything" show, the guys prepared secret questions for the others. The only rule? They can't be about teaching or education.

Of course, they're not great at following rules.

Touching on Nickelback, self doubt, being vulnerable, accepting or rejecting dinner invitations, Stephen King, pending life goals, long distance relationships - and much more - they invite you on a different type of journey.

For a non-education episode, this is very educational.

If you want to give your answer to the questions asked here, make a post in our teacher discussion forum.

To ask us your "ask me anything" question, shoot us a DM on Instagram: @learnyourenglish

Podcast Creation:

This episode was created with support from Thinkific & Podbean. If you're looking to launch a course or start a podcast, we highly recommend them - and use them ourselves.

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

The Cult of Learning 17: The Art of Noticing Language

Sun, 07 Nov 2021 14:50:18 -0500

Our Blog post for this episode

CULT/K^LT/A fashionable belief, idea, or attitude that influences people’s lives/The cult of learning encourages people to find and pursue what they are passionate about/

Leo and Mike look at an important "technique" that is crucial for those who want to learn a language: noticing. What is noticing? How does it affect language learning? How do we notice language? Why is noticing important?

More specifically, they go in-depth on how it works:

1. What noticing language means

2. Why noticing the gap between what you hear or read and what you can say is essential

3. How you should practice applying what you notice in your use of language

If you are a learning a language, these Cult of Learning episodes are for you!

Thank you for listening! If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Our FREE E-book on Learning. We hope it helps you learn outside the classroom!

Improve your English with our Self-directed Learning Portal - only $50/year

Our Self-study Master Package

Episode 35:Jane Setter

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 08:46:53 -0400

Jane Setter joins the show to talk accents, speech prosody, and her new book "Your Voice Speaks Volumes."

Jane is Professor of Phonetics at The University of Reading, UK. In addition to her new book, she is also co-editor of the Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary and the Cambridge Handbook of Phonetics. Jane's research interests include speech prosody in children from atypical populations, teaching and learning English pronunciation, and features of the suprasegmental phonology of global varieties of English, such as Hong Kong and Malay speaker English.

*there's some slight static from 5:00 - 12:00

In this episode, Jane dives into:

the influences that pushed her into a career in phonology
speech classes and how Margaret Thatcher learned to "unshrill" her voice
being the first phonetician invited to speak at the IATEFL conference
the why and how of (unconscious) linguistic judgement
the significance of four seconds in speech recognition
why television shows choose certain accents for certain roles
why men can't make their voices sound sexy
what it means to have a voice that doesn't represent who you are

The Cult of Learning 16: S.M.A.R.T. Goals for Effective Language Learning

Tue, 21 Sep 2021 14:42:30 -0400

Our Blog post for this episode

CULT/K^LT/A fashionable belief, idea, or attitude that influences people’s lives/The cult of learning encourages people to find and pursue what they are passionate about/

Many language learners get frustrated because, in their heads, they’re thinking they’re just "learning a language." Their goal is usually "to be able to speak the language they’re learning." But what does this actually mean? If you want to make progress, you really need to know right from the outset what it is that you’re trying to learn.

S.M.A.R.T. Goals help with this. Mike and Leo discuss this 5-step process to achieving goals. Listen to this episode to learn:

what is each step of the process
how each step applies to you learning a language
how you can put this into practice right away

If you are a learning a language, these Cult of Learning episodes are for you!

Thank you for listening! If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Our FREE E-book on Learning. We hope it helps you learn outside the classroom!

Improve your English with our Self-directed Learning Portal - only $50/year

Episode 34: Chris Jones

Sun, 29 Aug 2021 12:28:49 -0400

Chris Jones joins us to talk conversation, strategies, and speaking.

Chris Jones is a Senior Lecturer in Applied Linguistics and TESOL at the University of Liverpool, UK. He has been involved in English language teaching for over twenty five years and holds the Cambridge CTEFLA and DTEFLA qualifications alongside an MA and PhD from the University of Nottingham. Chris' main research interests are related to spoken language.

He joins us to talk about that and his new book called "Conversation Strategies and Communicative Competence."

Specifically in this episode, he tackles:

his early influences, including Ron Carter, Scott Thornbury, and Dave Willis
his impetus for his new book "Conversation Strategies and Communicative Competence"
his writing process
the difference between speaking and conversation
the difference between conversation strategies and communication strategies
reasons why conversation strategies are often neglected in teaching
how teachers can help their students with improving their spoken communication

Corrective Feedback 8: Exploring the Discourse with Dr. Miroslaw Pawlak

Sun, 08 Aug 2021 21:06:30 -0400

We're thrilled to announce our new partnership with Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, to produce an 8-part mini series on the topic of Corrective Feedback. The series explores the area of corrective feedback through interviews with 8 scholars in the field. All interviews are conducted by students in Dr. Eva Kartchava's MA class at Carleton University as a means of assessment to connect researchers to their audience and have her students generate a greater level of understanding and investment in the research from the course. If you are interested in having a similar series produced for your class or institute, you can contact us: info@learnyourenglish.com

Producer's note: the internet was quite tired on the day of recording. While the interweb didn't put in its best effort, the humans involved sure did, and we hope all the great content in this episode comes through from Jewel, Meghana, and Dr. Pawlak.

Dr. Miroslaw Pawlak shares his thoughts in our final episode of our series on corrective feedback. Dr. Pawlak is the Head of the Department of English Studies and part of the Faculty of Pedagogy and Fine Arts in Kalisz, Poland at Adam Mickiewicz University. Additionally, he is the editor-in chief of the journals Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, and Konin Language Studies, and the editor-in chief of the book series Second Language Learning and Teaching (Springer). His areas of research include form-focused instruction, corrective feedback, pronunciation teaching, classroom interaction, study abroad, and a range of individual difference factors such as motivation, willingness to communicate, language learning strategies and boredom. His most recent research article “Corrective Feedback, Developmental Readiness, and Language Proficiency” can be seen in The Cambridge Handbook of Corrective Feedback in Second Language Learning and Teaching.

In this episode Dr. Pawlak tells us:

how to increase teacher interest in the topic of corrective feedback (CF)
how CF affects the willingness of learners to communicate
if it's preferable to over correct or under correct
what we can learn from studying developmental readiness
the role CF plays in form-focused instruction in comparison to more prescribed learner performance approaches

*This interview was conducted by Meghana Akavoor and Jewel Little.

See his page from Adam Mickiewicz University

Throughout the series, MA students from Dr. Kartchava's class will interview leading experts in the field of corrective feedback. We thank Dr. Kartchava for joining this episode and for spearheading this initiative.

For more information on this episode, this project, and those involved:

For more about Dr. Pawlak:

His Handbook on Corrective Feedback

His Google Scholar author page

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more on what we do at LYE:

Improve your English with our Self-directed Learning Portal - only $50/year

The Cult of Learning 15: The Three Essentials of Language Learning, Part III

Thu, 15 Jul 2021 16:52:24 -0400

CULT/K^LT/A fashionable belief, idea, or attitude that influences people’s lives/The cult of learning encourages people to find and pursue what they are passionate about/

Mike and Leo finalize our series on the three essentials of language learning. In part III, they briefly recap the first two of the three essentials - Exposure and Motivation - and introduce you to the last one of the tripartite - USE. They talk about why it is important to produce output (speaking and writing) and how it contributes to your language learning and development.

More specifically, Leo and Mike talk about:

why input (listening and reading) is important when learning a language
why communication is essential to improving your language skills
the role of interaction
how taking risks with your language use is a good idea
what types of activities you should avoid when learning

If you are a learning a language, these episodes are for you!

For more information on our podcast, click here or go to: learnyourenglish.net/podcast

Also, check out our blog post for more information on today's episode for more information.

Thank you for listening! If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Our FREE E-book on Learning. We hope it helps you learn outside the classroom!

Corrective Feedback 7: Exploring the Discourse with Dr. Shaofeng Li

Mon, 28 Jun 2021 10:24:15 -0400

In episode 7 of our series on corrective feedback, Dr. Shaofeng Li joins us. Dr. Li is a prominent scholar and award-winning researcher of second language acquisition, with a focus on corrective feedback. He is currently an associate professor in the School of Teacher Education at Florida State University. Prior to this, he was a senior lecturer in the department of Applied Language Studies at Auckland University. He has an extensive list of published works on areas such as corrective feedback, task-based language teaching/learning, cognitive variables of second language learning, second language learner beliefs & motivations, and much more. More recently, Dr. Li has a number of upcoming published works focusing more specifically on associations between anxiety, working memory and corrective feedback timing.

In this episode, Dr. Li discusses:

learner and teacher beliefs on corrective feedback (CF)
how his own beliefs of CF have evolved over time
how teachers often view CF differently than learners and they impact that can have on learning gains
why teachers should take learner beliefs on CF into account
cognitive variables affecting CF
how CF fits into a Task-based Learning and Teaching (TBLT) model

*This interview was conducted by Abdi Mohamed and Neal Power.

For more information on this episode, this project, and those involved:

More from Dr. Shaofeng Li:

See his:

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more on what we do at LYE:

Download the FREE Learn YOUR English Personalized Habit Tracker:

The Cult of Learning 14: The Three Essentials of Language Learning - Part II

Mon, 14 Jun 2021 10:06:25 -0400

CULT/K^LT/A fashionable belief, idea, or attitude that influences people’s lives/The cult of learning encourages people to find and pursue what they are passionate about/

In part two of our three-part series on the "Essentials of Language Learning," Leo and Mike briefly recap the first of the three essentials - Exposure - and introduce you to the second one of the tripartite - Motivation. We will talk about what motivation is, how it works, different types of motivation and how you can use it to learn English.

Specifically, they wonder:

what is motivation?
common misconceptions about motivation
different types of motivation
how to get motivated and take action

If you are a learning a language, these episodes are for you!

Click here or go to: learnyourenglish.net/podcast

Also, check out our blog post for more information on today's episode for more information.

Thank you for listening! If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Our FREE E-book on Learning. We hope it helps you learn outside the classroom!

Improve your English with our Self-directed Learning Portal - only $5/month

Corrective Feedback 6: Exploring the Discourse with Dr. Neomy Storch

Fri, 28 May 2021 17:07:46 -0400

This is episode 6 of our corrective feedback series, featuring Dr. Neomy Storch. Dr. Storch is an Associate Professor of applied linguistics at the University of Melbourne. She teaches a range of ESL and Applied Linguistics subjects and convenes the ESL program. She is world renowned for her work on second language acquisition, collaborative writing, and academic writing. She has over 100 scholarly works published on these topics, including her 2013 book "Collaborative Writing in L2 Classrooms" and a 2016 co-authored book called "Written Corrective Feedback for L2 Development."

In this episode, Dr. Storch shares:

the drawbacks of looking at corrective feedback research in a vacuum
examples of explicit and implicit feedback
the differences between collaborative and cooperative writing
the differences between feedback and uptake
her optimism about the future of collaborative writing

*This interview was conducted by Zahra Azizi and Shrouk Abdelgafar

Her page at the University of Melbourne

For more information on this episode, this project, and those involved:

More from Dr. Neomy Storch:

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more on what we do at LYE:

Download the FREE Learn YOUR English Personalized Habit Tracker:

The Cult of Learning 13: The Three Essentials of Language Learning - Part 1

Wed, 19 May 2021 22:36:08 -0400

CULT/K^LT/A fashionable belief, idea, or attitude that influences people’s lives/The cult of learning encourages people to find and pursue what they are passionate about/

Leo and Mike bring you a brand new mini-series called "The Three Essentials of Language Learning." We will talk about what really helps folks out there learn a language - do you need a teacher? Do you need to be motivated? Should you listen to a lot of podcasts in the language you are trying to learn? What are the three essentials of learning a foreign language? The answer to these questions you will find in this new series of the Cult of Learning podcast.

In Part 1, they tackle the "first essential": exposure. When learning a foreign language, it is important to develop habits, but also to create an effective learning environment - not only inside the classroom but outside the classroom.

This episode will help you do that, and, specifically, they discuss:

what exposure is and isn't
how learners can expose themselves to language
what kind of reading or listening you should do if you're a student
is "less is more" or "more is more" more appropriate?

If you are a learning a language, these episodes are for you!

Click here or go to: learnyourenglish.net/podcast

Also, check out our blog post for more information on today's episode for more information.

Thank you for listening! If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Our FREE E-book on Learning. We hope it helps you learn outside the classroom!

Improve your English with our Self-directed Learning Portal - only $5/month

Corrective Feedback 5: Exploring the Discourse with Dr. María del Pilar García Mayo

Sun, 09 May 2021 15:25:18 -0400

This is episode 5 in our series, featuring Dr. María del Pilar García Mayo. Dr. Maria del Pilar Garcia Mayo is the director of the research group Language in speech - a multidisciplinary group at the University of the Basque country in Spain. The group focuses on the acquisition of English as a foreign language. Dr. Mayo has a PhD in linguistics from the University of Iowa and is the director of the MA program Language Acquisition in MultiLingual Settings as well as the head of the department of English and German studies at the university of the Basque Country. Her publications span the area of second and third language acquisition of English, morphosyntax, and the study of conversational interaction in EFL. She is also the editor of journal Language Teaching Research.

In this episode, Dr. García Mayo discusses:

the Spanish EFL context
recent studies revolving around language learning and the high school context in Spain
the arguments for and against self-repair, recast, and implicit & explicit feedback
why there is such a research gap with children
teacher training and corrective feedback
the role of research - and researchers - in classroom application

*This interview was conducted by Jean Charlebois and Sarah Langridge

The Language and Speech Laboratory

For more information on this episode, this project, and those involved:

More from Dr. María del Pilar García Mayo:

Her latest volumes include:

Learning Foreign Languages in Primary School: Research Insights

Recent Perspectives on Task-based Language Learning and Teaching

Working Collaboratively in Second/Foreign Language Learning

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more on what we do at LYE:

Our Online CPD Courses for Teachers

Corrective Feedback 4: Exploring the Discourse with Dr. Yucel Yilmaz

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 11:21:43 -0400

This is episode 4 in our series, featuring Dr. Yucel Yilmaz. Dr. Yilmaz is a professor of Second Language Studies at Indiana University Bloomington. He teaches and researches several areas in second language acquisition, with a focus on how to offer effective (negative) feedback to language learners in both technology-mediated and in-person environments. He is also interested in the role of cognitive individual differences in the effectiveness of corrective feedback.

In this episode, Dr. Yilmaz discusses:

the interactionist approach
explicit correction versus recast
why direct feedback being more effective needs to be taken with a grain of salt
computer versus face-to-face mediated feedback
how to implement oral and written feedback
how teachers can learn about corrective feedback research and apply it to their own contexts

*This interview was conducted by Heather Shugart, Aria Rubinoff, and Fereshteh Khaffai Azar.

Download the FREE Learn YOUR English Personalized Habit Tracker:

For more information on this episode, this project, and those involved:

The Cult of Learning 12: What are Habits and The Science Behind Them, Part III

Sun, 11 Apr 2021 16:20:09 -0400

Want to win a free subscription to habit tracking app Habitica?

1. Review Teacher Talking Time in Apple Podcasts or on Google

2. Send us a screenshot of your review via Instagram: @learnyourenglish

3. That's it!

Many thanks to our friends at Habitica for their help with today's episode. Definitely check them out if you're looking for cool ways to track your habits.

CULT/K^LT/A fashionable belief, idea, or attitude that influences people’s lives/The cult of learning encourages people to find and pursue what they are passionate about/

Leo and Mike continue our mini series “What are Habits and the Science Behind Them.” In the third and final installment of this mini series, they discuss:

five benefits of habit tracking
what habits are worth tracking
how to respond when our habits and consistency breaks down
methods for tracking habits and actually being consistent with it
how to get a free subscription to tracking app Habitica!

If you are a learning a language, these episodes are for you!

Click here or go to: learnyourenglish.net/podcast

Also, check out our blog post for more information on today's episode for more information.

Thank you for listening! If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Our E-book for FREE on our website. We hope it helps you learn outside the classroom!

Our School of Learning for Teachers & Students - only $5/month

Corrective Feedback 3: Exploring the Discourse with Dr. Rebecca Adams

Sun, 04 Apr 2021 10:48:48 -0400

Dr. Rebecca Adams joins us for episode 3. Dr. Adams is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at the University of Memphis, USA. She is an applied linguist with interests in instructed second language learning. Her research work focuses on peer communication in second language classrooms, peer corrective feedback in peer interaction and learning, second language task complexity in peer interactions, and focus on form.

In this episode, Dr. Adams highlights:

the benefits of peer feedback when compared to teacher-provided feedback
how to establish a conducive classroom environment for peer feedback to be most effective
types of corrective feedback and their effectiveness
whether students are actually hesitant to provide feedback to their peers
if teachers should wait for peer feedback to occur naturally or if providing students with training is beneficial
the connection between task-based language teaching and peer corrective feedback

*This interview was conducted by Marcel Zhang and Leo Liu.

For more information on this episode, this project, and those involved:

For more on Dr. Adams:

See her website

Her book "Peer Interaction and Second Language Learning"

Her book "Teaching through Peer Interaction"

Are you a language teacher and interested in taking part in her new study on peer interaction? Click here.

Podcast Creation:

This episode was created with support from Thinkific & Podbean. If you're looking to launch a course or start a podcast, we highly recommend them - and use them ourselves.

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Our Online CPD Courses for Teachers

Corrective Feedback 2: Exploring the Discourse with Dr. Hossein Nassaji

Sun, 21 Mar 2021 10:17:25 -0400

This is episode 2 in our series. In this episode, Dr. Hossein Nassaji joins the program to discuss corrective feedback. Dr. Hossein is an award-winning scholar and Professor of Applied Linguistics in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Victoria, Victoria, BC. He has authored over 100 articles and many books. His forthcoming handbook on corrective feedback, The Cambridge Handbook of Corrective Feedback in Second Language Learning and Teaching with Eva Kartchava, is a comprehensive volume that discusses current issues and perspectives on corrective feedback and their applications to second language teaching and learning.

Specifically in this episode, Dr. Nassaji tells us about:

the roles corrective feedback plays in language learning
how culture impacts feedback effectiveness
the debate between immediate and delayed feedback
written vs oral feedback and the efficacy of written feedback
the what, when, why, and if of explicit & implicit feedback
how teachers can learn about and implement corrective feedback in their classes

*This interview was conducted by Kelsey Ulrich-Verslycken and Lana Haj Hamid

For more information on this episode, this project, and those involved:

Corrective Feedback 1: Exploring the Discourse by Connecting Scholars & Teachers

Mon, 08 Mar 2021 10:13:46 -0500

This is the introductory episode to our series on Corrective Feedback. Here, we invite Dr. Eva Kartchava - Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies in the School of Linguistics and Language Studies at Carleton University, Canada - and Dr. Hossein Nassaji - Professor of Applied Linguistics in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Victoria, Canada - to help kick off the series.

In this episode, Dr. Kartchava and Dr. Nassaji help elucidate many questions the series aims to answer, some of which are:

what is corrective feedback?
how do you give CF?
what is the purpose of CF?
how many different types of CF are there?
when should we provide CF?

For more information on this episode, this project, and those involved:

Podcast Creation:

This episode was created with support from Thinkific & Podbean. If you're looking to launch a course or start a podcast, we highly recommend them - and use them ourselves.

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Our Online CPD Courses for Teachers

Our School of Learning for Teachers & Students - only $5/month

Cult of Learning 11: What are Habits and The Science Behind Them, Part II

Sat, 27 Feb 2021 11:46:00 -0500

/CULT/K^LT/A fashionable belief, idea, or attitude that influences people’s lives/The cult of learning encourages people to find and pursue what they are passionate about/

Leo and Mike continue our mini series “What are Habits and the Science Behind Them.” In the second installment, they discuss:

how long it takes to adopt a new habit
the story behind that magic number & where it came from
if that number is real or fabricated
a study dedicated to discovering just how habits are formed
what we can learn from all of this

If you are a learning a language, these episodes are for you!

Also, check out our blog post for more information on today's episode for more information.

Thank you for listening! If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Our E-book for FREE on our website. We hope it helps you learn outside the classroom!

Episode 33: Scott Thornbury

Sun, 14 Feb 2021 12:01:00 -0500

Scott Thornbury joins Leo, Mike, and Andrew in studio.

Scott has taught and trained in Egypt, UK, Spain, and in his native New Zealand. Until recently he taught an online MA TESOL program for The New School in New York. His writing credits include several award-winning books for teachers on language and methodology. He is also the series editor for the Cambridge Handbooks for Language Teachers, and a trustee of the Hands Up Project, which promotes drama activities in English for children in under-resourced regions of the Arab world. At present, he is working for the Mosaik Foundation, training teachers of refugees in the Middle East in how to integrate communicative activities into their online classes.

We delve into Scott's career journey, and he discusses:

his career beginnings
his early influences and the "mother goose approach"
a paradigm shift away from drills and accuracy to a fluency-based, communicative approach
views on teacher development
his writing process and how nothing on the page in front of you is alright when there's a lot behind you
Dogme and Leo Van Lier's influence on him

For more on Scott Thornbury:

His website is www.scottthornbury.com

He tweets at @thornburyscott

His highly acclaimed blog https://scottthornbury.wordpress.com/

Mosaik Foundation

Hands Up Project

For more information on this episode, see our blog post about it.

Podcast Creation:

This episode was created with support from Thinkific & Podbean. If you're looking to launch a course or start a podcast, we highly recommend them - and use them ourselves.

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Our Online Courses for Teachers

Our Sandbox of Lessons and Lesson Ideas

Improve your English with our Self-directed Learning Portal - only $5/month

Cult of Learning 10: What are Habits and The Science Behind Them, Part I

Sun, 31 Jan 2021 15:02:00 -0500

/CULT/K^LT/A fashionable belief, idea, or attitude that influences people’s lives/The cult of learning encourages people to find and pursue what they are passionate about/

In the first COL episode of 2021, Leo and Mike introduce our new mini series on habits called “What are Habits and the Science Behind Them.” In the first episode, they talk about maintaining good habits. Why are they so hard to start and seemingly impossible to keep? Our 3-part series will explore this, how it connects to learning, and much more.

In part one, Mike and Leo tackle:

why most people fail to create good habits
how long it takes to form a new habit
a technique you can use to stick to a good habit and how to track your habits effectively

If you are a learning a language, these episodes are for you!

Also, check out our blog post for more information on today's episode for more information.

Thank you for listening! If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Download our E-book for FREE on our website. We hope it helps you learn outside the classroom!

Use our LYE Discount on your Next Creative Project. Get your First Month Free when you:

Episode 32: Two Years of Teacher Talking Time

Sun, 17 Jan 2021 22:59:26 -0500

To kick off 2021, Mike, Leo, and Andrew hold Teacher Talking Time’s first ever live episode to commemorate two years of podcasting with Learn YOUR English. They invite members of the LYE community to share their experiences with podcasts and, specifically, how they use them to develop as educators.

This episode was also broadcast live on the LYE Youtube channel, and in the first episode of 2021, they guys along with their guests discuss:

why and how Teacher Talking Time came to fruition
using podcasting as a tool for CPD
using podcasting as an asset for classroom assessment
Leo’s Master’s dissertation on podcasting in ELT

We also hear from some of our listeners on how they use podcasts for their development.

We also want to give a shoutout to other ELT Podcasts that inspire us. A lot of these influenced us in our careers and in the development of our show. Please check them out:

TEFLology

Tefl Training Institute

TEFL Commute

SLB Coop Podcast

Language Testing Bytes

For more information on this episode, see our blog post about it.

Podcast Creation:

This episode was created with support from Thinkific & Podbean. If you're looking to launch a course or start a podcast, we highly recommend them - and use them ourselves.

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Improve your English Skills with our Self-directed Learning Portal - only $5

Cult of Learning 9: Our Words of the Year for 2020

Sat, 26 Dec 2020 03:11:00 -0500

/CULT/K^LT/A fashionable belief, idea, or attitude that influences people’s lives/The cult of learning encourages people to find and pursue what they are passionate about/

In the final Cult of Learning episode of 2020, Leo, Mike, and Andrew share their words of the year. From Zoom Fatigue to Cancel Culture to Social Distancing and Quarantine, our vocabularies grew enormously over the past 12 months.

What words were the most impactful this year? What relevance do they have? How did they come about?

The guys chat about this, reflect on living through a pandemic, and discuss how this year has taught us all a lot about learning.

If you are a learning a language, these episodes are for you!

Also, check out our blog post for more information on today's episode for more information.

Thank you for listening! If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Download our E-book for FREE on our website. We hope it helps you learn outside the classroom!

Use our LYE Discount on your Next Creative Project. Get your First Month Free when you:

Episode 31: 2020 Year in Review

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 12:12:40 -0500

Mike, Leo, and Andrew sit down and reflect on the year that was in 2020. In a year unlike any other in our lifetime, many things happened. They discuss:

takeaways from the top 5 most listened to Teacher Talking Time episodes of the year
lessons learned in 2020 and reflecting on their 2019 goals
what goal setting for next year looks like staring down a pandemic

For more information on this episode, see our blog post about it.

Podcast Creation:

This episode was created with support from Thinkific & Podbean. If you're looking to launch a course or start a podcast, we highly recommend them - and use them ourselves.

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

If you'd like to take your English conversation skills to the next level, check out our online lesson on just this topic.

The Cult of Learning 8: Mastering the Art of Conversation

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 11:39:27 -0500

/CULT/K^LT/A fashionable belief, idea, or attitude that influences people’s lives/The cult of learning encourages people to find and pursue what they are passionate about/

Mike, Leo, and Andrew all cram into the digital studio for the first ever Cult of Learning episode with all three musketeers. The guys talk about conversations, why they can be difficult, reasons for them breaking down, and strategies to use to increase your conversation skills.

They also present a technique they've designed called the "4 A's: Mastering the Art of Conversation." The 4 A's are:

ask
answer
add
ask

If you're looking for tips to improve your English conversation skills, this is the episode for you. Listen to the full episode for examples, analysis, how to use the A's - and a few stories, jokes, and humour along the way.

Also, check out our blog post for more information on today's episode.

Thank you for listening! If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Download our E-book for FREE on our website. We hope it helps you learn outside the classroom!

Improve your English Skills with our Self-directed Learning Portal - only $5/month

Use our LYE Discount on your Next Creative Project. Get your First Month Free when you:

Get your copy of Teaching Unplugged

Episode 30: Luke Meddings

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 11:07:26 -0500

Leo invites Luke Meddings into the digital studio. Luke is a teacher, trainer, and author with over 30 years in the ELT industry. In 2009 he co-authored "Teaching Unplugged" with Scott Thornbury, a book that represented a revolution in English Language Instruction. In 2020, Luke founded "The Context," which helps students, teachers, and institutions in the industry.

Luke reflects on the Dogme movement, why it was viewed as controversial, where it is now, and if he still views it as contentious.

In much more detail, he tells us:

his teaching beginnings and why it led him to a "teaching unplugged" approach (3:00)
the first school he started - "Explore Your English" - and why it was idealistic (18:00)
the genesis of Dogme and meeting Scott Thornbury (25:00)
why presenting on Dogme at conferences was met with both excitement and contempt (40:00)
the writing of "Teaching Unplugged" and why they didn't use the word "Dogme" (44:00)
the 10 principles of Dogme and why they chose the 3 they did for their movement (55:00)
his thoughts on progressive education and how we still need to do better (1:02:00)

For more on Luke Meddings:

Follow him: @LukeMeddings

Visit his website

Follow The Context on Instagram: @thecontext_edu

For more information on this episode, see our blog post about it.

Podcast Creation:

This episode was created with support from Thinkific & Podbean. If you're looking to launch a course or start a podcast, we highly recommend them - and use them ourselves.

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Improve your English Skills with our Self-directed Learning Portal - only $5/month

The Cult of Learning 7: Visualizing Yourself in English

Sun, 18 Oct 2020 14:40:43 -0400

/CULT/K^LT/A fashionable belief, idea, or attitude that influences people’s lives/The cult of learning encourages people to find and pursue what they are passionate about/

Mike and Leo discuss "visualization" and how it can help you become a better language learner. Visualization or "mental imagery" is is commonly used by many top performers, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Michael Phelps, and athletes when preparing themselves for a competition, a race, or a match.

How does this apply to learning a language? Mike and Leo talk about:

how important the mind is in language performance
famous athletes who use this technique
how we visualize all the time even if we don't do it on purpose
why it's important to have realistic goals in your language learning
strategies you can use to visualize your "future L2 self"

Check out our website for more information on today's episode.

Thank you for listening! If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Download our E-book for FREE on our website. We hope it helps you learn outside the classroom!

Use our LYE Discount on your Next Creative Project. Get your First Month Free when you:

Episode 29: Dr. Masatoshi Sato

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 20:50:35 -0400

Leo and Mike chat with Dr. Masatoshi Sato about academic research, second language teaching, and why a lack of implementation still exists between research and classroom pedagogy.

Dr. Sato (PhD: McGill University) is a Professor in the Department of English at Universidad Andrés Bello, Chilé. He currently teaches pre-service and in-service English teachers in Chile. His research agenda is to conduct theoretical and practical research in order to provide practitioners with evidence-based pedagogy. In particular, he has conducted research focusing on peer interaction, corrective feedback, learner psychology, teacher psychology, and research-pedagogy dialogue.

He recently published a paper titled "Do Teachers Care about Research? The Research-Pedagogy Dialogue" which is the focus of this episode.

*Note: the paper is free to read.

Dr. Sato tells us:

how he became a researcher (2:00)
misconceptions on the purpose of second language research (12:00)
what the "research-pedagogy" dialogue is and why it's important (18:00)
why he believes teachers usually don't interact with research (30:00)
what researchers need to do for their work to be more useful to teachers (34:00)
why motivation cannot be the cause of learning (47:00)
his study analyzing motivation and the "ideal self system" and its link to second language learning (52:00)

For more on Dr. Sato:

Follow him: @masatoshi_sato

Read his research

For more information on this episode, see our blog post about it.

Podcast Creation:

This episode was created with support from Thinkific & Podbean. If you're looking to launch a course or start a podcast, we highly recommend them - and use them ourselves.

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Ted Talk - 4 Reasons to Learn a Language

The Cult of Learning 6: Why Learn a New Language?

Mon, 14 Sep 2020 13:48:25 -0400

/CULT/K^LT/A fashionable belief, idea, or attitude that influences people’s lives/The cult of learning encourages people to find and pursue what they are passionate about/

*”The Cult of Learning” are episodes for learners of languages. These episodes will discuss tools and strategies for learning and provide opportunities for effective listening practice. These episodes are also part of the Learn YOUR English Learner Membership Community.

In this episode, Andrew joins Leo in studio and they discuss reasons for learning a new language, both good and bad. In the last segment, the guys talk about motivation vs discipline, and how to make language learning a habit and not a chore.

Why do you learn new languages? What habits have you developed along the way?

Resources mentioned in this episode:

James Clear - Atomic Habits

The Michelle Obama Podcast

LYE Quick Fix

LYE YouTube Channel

Download our E-book for FREE on our website. We hope it helps you learn outside the classroom!

Thank you for listening! If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show.

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Our School of Learning for Students - only $5

Read her thesis from the University of Calgary

Episode 28: Ana-Marija Petrunic

Mon, 31 Aug 2020 07:33:46 -0400

Andrew sits down with Ana-Marija Petrunic to discuss her work in post-conflict Kosovo in the late 1990's, how language & identity factor into teaching, and if there is such a thing as neutrality in education. Ana-Marija spent years in post-war Kosovo as part of a project working towards reconstructing an education system in the ethnically diverse region.

Ana-Marija is the Chair of the School of ESL at Toronto’s George Brown College. Previous to that, she spent more than a decade with the University of Calgary, serving roles as instructor, professional development advisor, and in education management. She is continuing her academic path with doctoral studies in the School of Management at the University of Bath.

In this episode, Ana-Marija delves into:

how her feeling of being "suspended in identity" led her to a career in ELT
her work in Kosovo - what it was, why she went, and how it happened
the challenges of re-constructing education in a post-war region
how identity impacts language learning and teaching
why she believes neutrality does not exist in education
why teachers need to embrace tension and discomfort in their classrooms, and have tough, meaningful, and impactful discussions with their students that will impart social change

For more information on Ana-Marija:

Follow her: @ampetrun

For more information on this episode, see our blog post on our website.

Podcast Creation:

This episode was created with support from our listeners. If you enjoy our work, consider contributing to our tip jar

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you like the show, consider subscribing on Spotify, iTunes, or Google Podcasts, and sharing it with a friend. If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Our School of Learning for Students - only $5

The Cult of Learning 5: Setting Clear Language Goals, Part III

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 13:33:14 -0400

/CULT/K^LT/A fashionable belief, idea, or attitude that influences people’s lives/The cult of learning encourages people to find and pursue what they are passionate about/

*”The Cult of Learning” are episodes for learners of languages. These episodes will discuss tools and strategies for learning and provide opportunities for effective listening practice. These episodes are also part of the Learn YOUR English Learner Membership Community.

In episode 5, Leo and Mike complete our mini series on setting clear language goals. The series looks at the 7 "Cs" of goal setting. This episode looks at the last two Cs:

The Sixth C: Character

A good CHARACTER to guide us and keep us on a proper course.

The Seventh C: Capacity

A capacity to enjoy the PROCESS along the way
Playing the long game

For each, they pose these questions:

What are they?
How do they help us learn?
Why are they important?

The LYE School of Learning:

If you would like to join our School of Learning, it’s only $5 one time. Sign up and start learning today!

Download our E-book for FREE on our website. We hope it helps you learn outside the classroom!

Thank you for listening! If you like the show, consider subscribing on Spotify, iTunes, or Google Podcasts, and sharing it with a friend. If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show.

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Read his most recent article

Episode 27: Chiara Bruzzano & Marc Jones

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 10:10:10 -0400

In Teacher Talking Time’s first round-table episode, we focus on the topic of teaching and developing listening skills. Leo and Andrew are joined by Marc Jones and Chiara Bruzzano, both researchers on the topic of listening.

Marc and Chiara help us parse what current research and findings on listening says, and discuss what strategies and approaches we as teachers can utilize in our classes to best help our students.

This episode is divided into 3 sections:

1. The Differences between teaching, practicing, and testing listening (3:20)

2. Analyzing the standard approach to teaching listening (34:00)

3. Looking at what can be improved and suggestions of how to go about it. (1:02:00)

Three questions were used to help us define this round table discussion:

1. Is there a problem that our industry faces that you would like to address?

2. How is this topic relevant to teachers?

3. What outcomes do we expect to achieve at the end of this round table?

*This episode works in conjunction with the LYE Course "Teaching Listening Made Easy."

Follow Chiara:

Twitter: @chiara_bruzzano

View her website: ETprofessional

Read her work

Chiara is also the founder of LanguagEd, a group of teachers, researchers and graphic designers producing professional development courses for teachers.

Follow Marc:

Twitter: @marcjonestyo

View his websites: Marcjones.tokyo and getgreatenglish.com

*For anyone interested in learning more about teaching listening, listen to the end of the episode for a discount code for the LYE course “Teaching Listening Made Easy.”

For more information on this episode, see our blog post on our website.

Podcast Creation:

This episode was created with support from our listeners. If you enjoy our work, consider contributing to our tip jar

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

B. The LYE School of Learning - learn for only $5 for your whole life!

The Cult of Learning 4: Setting Clear Language Goals, Part II

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 16:11:51 -0400

/CULT/K^LT/A fashionable belief, idea, or attitude that influences people’s lives/The cult of learning encourages people to find and pursue what they are passionate about/

*”The Cult of Learning” are episodes for learners of languages. These episodes will discuss tools and strategies for learning and provide opportunities for effective listening practice. These episodes are also part of the Learn YOUR English Learner Membership Community.

In episode 4, Mike and Leo continue our podcast series on Setting Clear Goals in Language Learning. In this series, we discuss the 7 Cs of Goal Setting. In Part I, we talked about the first two: conception and confidence.

In this episode, we talk about the next 3 Cs: Concentration, Consistency, and Commitment:

What are they?
How do they help us learn?
Why are they important?

Mike and Leo also talk about very exciting announcements for Learn YOUR English:

A. Free E-book for Students called "The 3 Myths of Learning" - download for free now!

C. LYE Quick Fixes: Improve one part of your language quickly and effectively.

The LYE School of Learning:

If you would like to join our School of Learning, it’s only $5 one time. Sign up and start learning today!

Download our E-book for FREE on our website. We hope it helps you learn outside the classroom!

If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show.

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Our School of Learning for Students - only $5

Episode 26: Jason Anderson

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 18:11:01 -0400

In episode 26, Andrew invites Jason Anderson into the studio. Jason is a teacher educator, educational consultant, award-winning author and researcher, working in both language teaching and mainstream education. He has published research on aspects of language teaching, multilingualism, teacher reflection, lesson planning and teacher education. His main interests include teaching methodology, translanguaging and the contextual challenges of primary and secondary teachers working in low- and middle-income contexts, where he has spent much of his career as a teacher educator.

He is a proponent for the use of multiple frameworks in language classrooms - "all of these approaches do and can work." In 2016, he published "A Potted History of PPP" in which he outlines the history of the framework and argues that research is not simply against it, as many believe. Jason also has designed a new framework called "The TATE Model."

In this episode, Jason discusses:

His recent project in India (4:00)
The history of the PPP Framework (11:00)
Why the Zone of Proximal Development is misunderstood in second language acquisition (19:00)
Lexis, Grammar, the lexical approach and a synthetic syllabus (22:00)
If TBLT is appropriate in developing world contexts (28:00)
What it means for an approach "to work" (36:00)
Creating appropriate outcome measures (39:30)
Research and practice together in a reflective model of teacher education (50:00)
The TATE model (57:30)

*For links to the resources mentioned in this interview, see our blog post about this episode on our website.

Follow Jason:

Twitter: @jasonelt

Website: jasonanderson.org.uk

Read his work

Podcast Creation:

This episode was created with support from our listeners. If you enjoy our work, consider contributing to our tip jar

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

The Cult of Learning 3: Setting Clear Language Goals, Part 1

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 07:27:00 -0400

/CULT/K^LT/A fashionable belief, idea, or attitude that influences people’s lives/The cult of learning encourages people to find and pursue what they are passionate about/

*”The Cult of Learning” are episodes for learners of languages. These episodes will discuss tools and strategies for learning and provide opportunities for effective listening practice. These episodes are also part of the Learn YOUR English Learner Membership Community.

In episode 3, Mike and Leo introduce our podcast series on Setting Clear Goals in Language Learning. In this series, we will discuss the 7 Cs of Goal Setting.

In this episode, we talk about the first 2 Cs:

1. Conception:

The first condition to success is establishing a clear conception of what we want to achieve or accomplish.

What does that mean?
What steps do we need to take to do that?

2. Confidence

The second step is developing confidence.

What kind of confidence?
How do we overcome challenges?
What's the difference between confidence and courage?

We cover this and more in Part 1 of our series on setting clear language goals. Send us a message and let us know how you plan for success.

For LYE Members: All of our members will be discussing this episode in our classes this month and performing learning activities to achieve their language goals.

Become a member now.

If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show.

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Her list of works from her personal website

Episode 25: Jane Willis

Sat, 30 May 2020 10:40:04 -0400

In episode 25, Mike and Leo chat with the great Jane Willis. Jane started her career teaching French in Ghana and has since worked extensively overseas (Cyprus, Iran, and Singapore) as an English teacher and trainer. She began writing in Iran with Teaching English Through English, for local teachers who found it difficult speaking English in their classes.

She has run teacher development courses and taken part in ELT consultancies in many countries, including China, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, the Middle East, South America, and Europe. She especially enjoys working with teachers of Foreign Languages who want to adopt a task-based approach

Jane recently completed and published "Winning the Grammar Wars – what grammar really is and how we use it" - a book her late husband Dave Willis started - which describes English in a holistic way and provides a broad overview for teachers, parents, and educators.

In this episode, Jane delves into all things teaching, including:

Her early beginnings in teaching (4:00)
One of her first books "Teaching English through English" (10:00)
The COBUILD syllabus
The restrictions course books put on training the next generation of teachers (26:00)
Why Task-based Language Teaching (38:30)
Why TBLT isn't PPP upside down (53:30)
TBLT with beginners (56:30)
If TBLT is appropriate for all teachers (1:01:30)
The latest Willis book "Winning the Grammar Wars" (1:07:30)
What an input-rich course would look like (1:33:00)
Raising Bilingual Children (1:39:00)

Contact Jane Willis:

Via her website

Read "Winning the Grammar Wars," which Jane finished after Dave's passing.

See many more resources referenced in this episode on our website.

If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show.

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

The Cult of Learning 2: Three Myths of Learning

Mon, 04 May 2020 00:00:00 -0400

/CULT/K^LT/A fashionable belief, idea, or attitude that influences people’s lives/The cult of learning encourages people to find and pursue what they are passionate about/

*”The Cult of Learning” are episodes for learners of languages. These episodes will discuss tools and strategies for learning and provide opportunities for effective listening practice. These episodes are also part of the Learn YOUR English Learner Membership Community.

In episode two, Mike and Leo talk about myths around learning. There are many beliefs about how people learn in the 21st Century - especially about how people learn languages - that are not actually true.

The guys talk about three of them:

Myth 1: We can only learn in the classroom

Myth 2: We can only learn from a textbook

Myth 3: We can only learn with a teacher

At the end of the first segment, Mike and Leo assign a reflection task. Listen for that and let us know your answers!

For LYE Members: All of our members will be discussing this episode in our classes this month and performing learning activities to achieve their language goals.

If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show.

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Episode 24: Dr. Marije Michel

Sun, 03 May 2020 08:38:42 -0400

In episode 24, Leo welcomes Dr. Marije Michel to the studio. Dr. Michel has a PhD in Applied Linguistics from the University of Amsterdam and is an associate professor and Chair of Language Learning at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. She conducts research into language learning processes in a second language, foreign language didactics, and multilingualism in educational contexts.

In this episode, Dr. Michel discusses the second language learning process, the role of input, and her most recent research on alignment.

Dr. Michel focuses on:

Learning by doing (11:00)
The role of input (17:00)
The role of grammar instruction and repetition in task-based approaches (24:00)
CAF - Complexity, Accuracy, Fluency (32:00)
Training students to give meaningful peer feedback (41:00)
An important refugee project called The English Academy for Newcomers (45:00)
Alignment - what it is, how it works, and how teachers can incorporate it (52:00)

Follow Dr. Michel:

Twitter: @marijemichel

Read her work

If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show.

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Episode 23: Fernando Rosell-Aguilar

Sun, 12 Apr 2020 13:35:47 -0400

In episode 23, Mike and Leo invite Fernando Rosell-Aguilar into the virtual studio. Fernando is an author, course designer, and currently delivers lectures at Coventry University in the UK. He is pursuing a Pd.D. in Computer-Assisted Language Learning from the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (UPV), and his research interests are online learning, with an emphasis on the integration of technologies into teaching and learning.

In the times of COVID-19, we are truly grateful for Fernando's insights and expertise into online teaching.

In this episode, he discusses:

the main differences between online and face-to-face teaching
practices to use and avoid in online teaching
if the mass move to teaching online will re-shape traditional education
what he believes the term "supplementary" means in education
the myth that a teacher is required for learning
how much teaching should be done online
techniques teachers can use to improve their online teaching

Follow Fernando:

Twitter: @FRosellAguilar

And read his research

If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show.

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

The Cult of Learning 1: Three Rules of Learning

Sat, 28 Mar 2020 10:40:58 -0400

/CULT/K^LT/A fashionable belief, idea, or attitude that influences people’s lives/The cult of learning encourages people to find and pursue what they are passionate about/

*”The Cult of Learning” are episodes for learners of languages. These episodes will discuss tools and strategies for learning and provide opportunities for effective listening practice. These episodes are also part of the Learn YOUR English Learner Membership Community.

In Teacher Talking Time’s first episode for learners, Mike and Leo introduce the Cult of Learning podcast, discuss why it’s called “The Cult of Learning,” what “Learn YOUR English” really means, and what we hope to accomplish by helping people learn the language that’s important to them.

This episode is all about learning. Mike and Leo go over the three most important rules for learning:

Effectiveness (the what)
Adherence (the why)
Efficiency (the how)

They also talk about how languages are not taught but learned, discuss several common myths about language learning, and why you shouldn’t say “sayonara” in Japanese.

If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show.

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Episode 22: Vinicius Nobre

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 06:03:13 -0400

*If you're interested in attending the Learn YOUR English webinar on March 22, 2020, please RSVP here. We'll be talking Language Awareness & Knowledge! It's free for all ELT professionals.

In episode 22, Leo pulls up a chair with Vinicius Nobre. Vinicius, a Brazilian native, has been teaching English since 1995, has worked as an instructor, trainer, coordinator, writer, and is currently the head of Troika, an ELT consultancy based out of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Vinicius has also written two methodology books “Getting into Teacher Education: a handbook” and “Teaching English Today: Contexts and Objectives.” He served as the president of the biggest association of English Language Teachers in South America, BRAZ-TESOL, where he still works as a member of the Advisory Board.

In this episode, Vinicius talks about:

learner motivation, and the role teachers play - or don’t play - in it
the deficiencies in teacher training courses
textbooks, the intention behind how they are written, and why they shouldn’t be used as recipes
the ELT context in Brazil, including the hurdles to reaching proficiency, and why the English language rarely has any tangible benefits for Brazilians
the challenges to professionalizing ELT in Brazil

Contact Vinicius or Troika:

@vinnienobre; @troika.br

Website: Troika

If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show.

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Episode 21: Neil McMillan

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 10:20:00 -0500

In episode 21, Leo chats with Neil McMillan. Neil is an experienced teacher, teacher-trainer, writer, and translator. He holds a Diploma in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) as well as a Ph.D in literature from the University of Glasgow, and has over 15 years’ classroom experience working with adults, teenagers, and children from all over the world. Neil is also the president of the Cooperative de Serveis Linguistics de Barcelona, a forward-thinking language cooperative based in Barcelona, Spain, and is an active advocate of Task-based Language Teaching.

In this episode, Neil talks about:

the gap between standardized tests and necessary performative tasks, especially in the case of immigration;
what SLB is, how it works, and how teachers elsewhere can form a cooperative;
if ELT is a genuine career given the lack of regulation in the industry;
TBLT myths, SLB's TBLT course, and how teachers can implement tasks from coursebooks;
EAP contexts and how understanding a professor's expectations is integral before creating language curriculum.

Contact Neil or SLB:

Twitter: @neil_mcm; @SLBCoop

Website: Cooperative de Serveis Linguistics de Barcelona

Follow "The SLB Podcast" in any podcast app, or stream on their website.

Read Neil's blog "Animalising ELT"

If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show.

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

And don't forget to follow us online:

Instagram: @learnyourenglish/@teachertalkingtimepodcast

Twitter: @LYEnetwork/@TTTthepodcast

Facebook: Learn Your English Network

Or shoot us an email: info@learnyourenglish.com

Episode 20: A Decade, Change, and the Three Musketeers

Tue, 07 Jan 2020 10:24:17 -0500

To kick off 2020, Leo, Mike, and Andrew take a light and casual look at the year that was. In their first roundtable episode in a while, the boys reflect on the past 12 months - and decade - and look forward to 2020. Grab a drink, go for a walk, or enhance your commute by listening to them failing to stay on topic, wandering deep into tangents, and debating the pronunciation of "vice versa."

This episode has 4 segments:

1. A review of the top 5 most-downloaded Teacher Talking Time episodes of 2019 (2:30).

2. A discussion on 3 types of change and how it applies to them (25:30).

3. What worked and didn't work in our classrooms this year and sharing their "formidable" resolutions for 2020 (59:00).

4. The Lightning Round: the boys share their goals for the year, their favourite movies of the past year, and the people who influence them every year (1:12:00).

At the end of the episode, the guys talk about LYE's new initiatives for 2020, including:

Monthly Teacher Talking Time Webinars
New podcast episodes for Learners
LYE Professional Memberships
More autonomous CPD options

If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show.

As always, thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Check out her website here

And follow us online:

Instagram: @learnyourenglish

Twitter: @LYEnetwork

Facebook: Learn Your English Network

Or shoot us an email: info@learnyourenglish.com

Episode 19: Dr. Paula Winke

Wed, 13 Nov 2019 10:22:27 -0500

In this episode, Andrew sits down with Michigan State University Associate Professor Dr. Paula Winke. Dr. Winke is a leading researcher on foreign and second language testing. At MSU, she researches if tests are valid, if tests measure what they should, methods for assessment, and differences among learners that affect assessment outcomes. She co-directs the Second Language Studies Eye-tracking Lab at MSU, and gave a plenary talk at the 2019 Task-based Language Teaching Conference in Ottawa, Canada called "We Need to Align Our Classroom Tasks with ACTFL & CEFR Can-Do Descriptors so that Our TBLT Programs are Chock-full of Proficiency Indicators."

In this episode, Dr. Winke provides insight on:

what proficiency is, the models usually used to measure it, and what problems exist in that model;
how proficiency progresses vertically, horizontally, and spherically, and questions why we usually only gauge progress on a vertical scale;
how programs can evaluate if they are assessing accurately;
why student reflection and self-assessment is crucial;
the problem with measuring proficiency across different program levels;
how course grades do not correlate to proficiency and that most assessments don't test what is being learned;
ACTFL and CEFR scales and how tasks can be great assessment tools.

*For further explanations of how language grows - or how we think it grows - check out our blog post for this episode. Dr. Winke generously provided more insight after the recording of this episode.

More About Dr. Winke:

See her list of publications here

Contact her: winke@msu.edu

As always, thank you for listening. If you like the show, consider subscribing on Spotify, iTunes, or Google Podcasts, and sharing it with a friend. If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show.

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

And follow us online:

Instagram: @learnyourenglish

Twitter: @LYEnetwork

Facebook: Learn Your English Network

Or shoot us an email: info@learnyourenglish.com

Episode 18: Why Did You Become a Teacher? Part 2

Fri, 25 Oct 2019 23:41:20 -0400

October 5 is Teacher Appreciation Day in Canada, and in over 100 countries globally. To help celebrate teachers and teaching professionals the LYE podcast - Teacher Talking Time - has organized a special two-part series called “Why did you become a teacher?” We interviewed six teachers from different countries and contexts to hear their stories, and celebrate the stories of all educators around the world.

We asked six teachers eight questions over two episodes. We talked about becoming a teacher, remaining a teacher, thinking about leaving teaching, misconceptions of teaching, rewarding experiences, and much more.

The teachers who graciously took part in this mini series are as follows. Please feel free to reach out to them and to support the projects they are working on.

Angela Barone

Angela has been teaching for over six years and now teaches 8th grade Spanish 1 and 7th grade exploratory Spanish in Columbus, Ohio. She also taught abroad in Costa Rica, delivering general and business English courses. In her school district, Angela serves as a diversity liaison, and also runs the “We Are United” club at her school, navigating discussions of race, cultural appropriation, bullying, and more with students. When she’s not teaching, she loves travelling and her cats.

Danny McGee

Danny has been teaching English since 2002. Originally from England, Danny is based in Toronto, Canada and teaches English for Academic Purposes at colleges and universities there. He is an advocate for mindfulness and meditation in pedagogy. He also does private tutoring. Visit his Facebook page @ESLTeacherDanny.

Mandy Welfare

Based in Berlin, Germany, Mandy Welfare specialises in HR English, communications and business English. She has delivered business English and multi-cultural communication training in Germany, Finland, and Spain, and is a Hueber and Cornelsen author. She has a Masters of Education and enjoys volunteering for her local teaching association. Furthermore, she is on the IATEFL BESIG publications team.

Check out all she’s doing on her website: mandywelfare.com

Marina Faquetti

Marina lives and works in Chapecó, Brazil. She runs her own business as an English tutor and translator. Marina started delivering English lessons at the young age of 14, and she has never looked back. A passionate professional, she strives to invoke the love of learning in her students in ways that are meaningful to them. Follow her on Instagram @mamorandini

Matthew Brown

Matthew lives and teaches in Toronto, Canada where he delivers English for Academic Purposes classes at Ryerson University. He has been teaching for over 20 years in a variety of different contexts. When he’s not teaching, Matthew is a graphic novel writer and artist. Check out his Instagram Page (@poopsiepenguin) and his blog “Ambient Zero Comic Book Blog.”

Mostafa Hasrati

Mostafa has been teaching for over 30 years. He received his Ph.D. from King’s College in London and has taught in many countries around the world. He is now based in Toronto, Canada where he is a professor of English, English for Academic Purposes, and Communication Studies in the Centre for Preparatory & Liberal Studies at George Brown College. Mostafa identifies as a researcher, and his most recent article “The rise of non-dissertation track master’s programmes: An academic literacies approach” can be found here.

In Part 2, we ask our instructors the final four questions:

5) What are the challenges of being a teacher? (10:00)

6) What gives you the longevity to keep going and have you ever thought about leaving teaching? (30:00)

7) Are any of the misconceptions about teaching sensitive to you? (46:30)

8) What advice do you have for a teacher starting today, and as well for yourself on your first day? (1:02:00)

If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show.

For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:

Or shoot us an email: info@learnyourenglish.com

Episode 17: End the Stigma - Global Mental Health Awareness Day

Thu, 10 Oct 2019 00:01:00 -0400

*The following episode contains subject matter pertaining to mental health. These topics may be sensitive in nature and could be triggering to some listeners. This episode is not intended to be a substitute for professional or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please visit your local emergency department or call 911.

**Please see our blog post about this episode for a list of mental health services in the Toronto, Canada area. All of these come recommended by the professionals involved in this episode.

World Mental Health Awareness Day is observed on 10 October every year, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and talking about what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for everyone.

The topic of “care” was the inspiration for this episode. The original idea was drawn from our own struggles, as teachers, in helping our students, and feelings of frustration in not knowing what our school offered in terms of help - and how the school could actually help our students. Then, we realized that probably many teachers might be in the same position. Research for this podcast has helped us immensely, and we hope teachers and institutes will find it helpful.

The episode’s focus is on post-secondary and international study, where Mental Health rates among university and college students are on the rise in Canada. Issues of Mental Health can be even tougher in a new country, in a new language, in a new culture. International students, refugees, and other newcomers experience mental health as anyone else would, perhaps moreso, with factors like stigma, shame, and survivor’s guilt lingering. '

For those of us in education, the question remains: what can we do?

There are three segments to the show to help unpack all of these questions:

In segment 1, we talk to three international students in Canada to hear their perspective on mental health.
In segment 2, Natalie Roach, the mental health coordinator for Toronto’s Ryerson University joins us to talk about strategies instructors and programs can implement.
In the final segment, we talk to Sakeena Mihar, one of the co-founders for startup Savyn Tech - an app designed to help newcomers and refugees with PTSD.

Here, we want to advocate listening, learning, raising awareness, and continuing the discussion and ending the stigma, not only on World Mental Health Awareness Day, but every day.

About the professionals involved with today’s episode:

Natalie Roach:

Natalie Roach is a wellness and mental health expert who is currently Ryerson University’s Mental Health Coordinator. She leads campus-wide initiatives on how to best serve students, staff, and faculty from a mental health and well-being perspective. She has been featured in national and Toronto conferences as a host, speaker, and moderator and delivers talks on topics such as the “intersection of mental health and inclusion” and “promoting mental health through policy change.”

Sakeena Mihar:

Sakeena is one of the founders of Savyn Tech, an online platform designed to help those with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in multiple languages. Savyn Tech uses clinically proven techniques to overcome and reduce trauma, both with panic attacks and long-term healing.

Sakeena has PTSD and is an advocate for mental health awareness, dialogue, and providing assistance to those who need it.

Contact Sakeena: sakeena@gmail.com

Contact Savyntech: savyn.tech@gmail.com

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