We ask David Crystal about standard English: why does standard English exist? How is it changing? Should students be exposed to different accents from around the world? And what role should culture play in English language teaching?
How to Challenge Yourself as a Teacher or Trainer (from IATEFL 2019 with Matt Courtois, Simon Galloway & Dave Weller)
In our second of two podcasts recorded at IATEFL Liverpool (this one recorded at the end of day one), we speak with our favorite podcast guests Matt Courtois, Simon Galloway & Dave Weller about how teachers and trainers can challenge themselves and discuss sessions by Paula Rebolledo, Adrian Underhill and Julie Choi & David Nunan.
Podcast: Highlights from IATEFL 2019 (with Dave Weller, Simon Galloway & Matt Courtois)
In a special long form episode, we talk about our highlights from IATEFL 2019 in Liverpool with our favorite guests, Dave Weller, Matt Courtois and Simon Galloway. We discuss talks by Adrian Underhill, Alan Maley, Brian Tomlinson, Rob Bolitho, John Gray, Scott Thornbury, Silvana Richardson and many more.
Podcast: Engaging and Inspiring Teenagers (with Ed Dudley)
Podcast: Discrimination in ESL - Sexism and Homophobia
What Teachers Need to Know (and What’s Stopping Them) (with Stephen Krashen)
We talk with Stephen Krashen, Professor Emeritus at the University of California, about the teacher research knowledge gap: what do teachers need to know about second language acquisition, what are the barriers stopping them and what we can do to solve this problem. We discuss open access journals, the Grateful Dead compressible input, compressible output and evidence based language teaching.
Context – Tyranny or Triumph (with Diederik Van Gorp)
All language lessons need a context. Language must be learned and practiced in context. Without context, students cannot remember or use new vocabulary. You've probably heard these arguments before (possibly on this podcast), but are they true? We discuss the pros and cons of context with our friend and teacher trainer (and former many other things!) Diederik Van Gorp.
Podcast: How not to Teach Phonics (With Debbie Hepplewhite)
Who Learns Languages Best and How Long Does it Take? (with Professor Patsy Lightbown)
How to Market Yourself or Your School
In the the words of McKinsey, "we're all marketers now". But what can teachers and schools do to better promote themselves? We interview three ESL marketing experts (David Weller, Jonny Arthur and Peter Liu) about how (if you're a teacher) you can promote yourself and (if you're a manager) how you can promote your school.
Podcast: Learning from Theory, Learning From Practice (with Dave Weller)
Everyone learns from their experiences in the classroom, and if you’re listening to this, you’ve probably learned from theory too. What are the differences and similarities between the two? Ross and Dave Weller discuss the differences between theory and practice in teacher development and the most effective was to learn from theory and learn from practice.
Podcast: What Can Neuroscience Teach Us About Language Teaching
We speak with Carol Lethaby about what neuroscience can do for language teaching. We know more about how the brain works and how learning occurs than ever before, so why does so little of it get used? Carol is an English language teacher, teacher trainer, ELT consultant and author who has coauthored Just Right Second Edition (Cengage Learning) and English ID (Richmond Publishing) as well as articles on Neuroscience in IATEFL Voices and Neuromyths in the Teacher Trainer Journal.
Podcast: Learning Through Observations (with Ray Davilia)
Episode 50: Stop Complaining and Start Adapting - How to Make Best Use Of Your Coursebook (with Professor Brian Tomlinson)
Whoever you are, whatever you teach, you’ll probably use a coursebook. How can you make the best use of the coursebook you've been given? We celebrate our fiftieth episode by interviewing world expert on language learning materials, Professor Brian Tomlinson from University of Anaheim about how teachers can better adapt their coursebooks.
Lying Less in Language Teaching (with Jessica Keller)
"By lying, we deny others a view of the world as it is. Our dishonesty not only influences the choices they make, it often determines the choices they can make—and in ways we cannot always predict. Every lie is a direct assault upon the autonomy of those we lie to" (Sam Harris). So what of lying in language teaching? How honest are we with our students? How honest are schools with their teachers? And how can we be more honest with ourselves? We discuss with ESL recruitment guru, Jessica Keller.
Applying Critical Thinking In Classes and Materials Writing (with John Hughes)
How to Apply What You Learn (with Matt Courtois and Karin Xie)
Learning is one thing. Using what you learn is something else. We speak with Karin Xie about how to bridge the gap. Find out how to help students apply their learning, how teachers can apply what they learning on teacher training courses and what trainers and teacher educators can do to encourage teachers apply more of what they learn in professional development.
Podcast: Read To Learn (With Paul Nation)
Podcast: Context - the Secret Sauce in Language Teaching & Training (with Matt Courtois)
Understanding what people in say from the sounds they make is all but impossible without context, even in our first language. So how can we make more use of this amazing tool which helps prediction, understanding, engagement and application? We discuss what context is, why it’s important and how to incorporate it when teaching adults, teaching kids and in teacher training.
