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?

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 learning a language, these episodes are for you!

Many language learners get frustrated because, in their heads, they’re thinking they’re just "learning a language." 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!

In part three of our three-part series on the "Essentials of Language Learning," Leo and Mike briefly recap the first two of the three essentials - Exposure and Use - and introduce you to the final one of the tripartite - Use. They discuss 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’re learning a new language, these podcasts are for you!

Leo and Mike bring you a brand new mini-series called "The Three Essentials of Language Learning." 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’re learning a new language, these podcasts are for you!

Leo and Mike bring you a brand new mini-series called "The Three Essentials of Language Learning." 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?

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

• 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!

Looking to develop effective language learning habits? Check out the LYE School of Learning for only $5/month.

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!

Looking to develop effective language learning habits? Check out the LYE School of Learning for only $5/month.

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:

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!

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!

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

Mike and Leo discuss "visualization" and how it can help you become a better language learner. It’s a wonderful technique, and this episode talks 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"

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?

This is the last episode in our series on Setting Clear Language Goals. In this series, we discuss the seven “Cs” of goal setting. In Part 1 and II, we discussed the first 5. In Part II, we discuss the final 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

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!

B. The LYE School of Learning - learn for only $5 for your whole life!

C. LYE Quick Fixes: Improve one part of your language quickly and effectively.

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.

2. Confidence

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.

The second step is developing confidence.

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!

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)

Subscribe to the Show

Teaching Talking Time is an English Language podcast aimed at teaching professionals and learners. Leo, Mike, and Andrew bring you discussions, interviews, and debates on English language training and learning. From approaches, misconceptions, and successful and failed case studies, each episode is dedicated to their vision: continual growth. They interview teachers and learners from around the world, and also debate the merits of common teaching approaches.

We release two episodes a month: one for teachers and one for students.