Katarina Mentzelopoulos joins Leo and Andrew to talk about exceptionalism in language learning. She co-authored two books with the late Zoltán Dörnyei called “Stories from Exceptional Language Learners Who Have Achieved Nativelike Proficiency” and “Lessons from Exceptional Language Learners Who Have Achieved Nativelike Proficiency.”

In this episode, Katarina discusses:

• what flow is and how it leads to language acquisition

• 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

Chris Jacobs joins Mike and Andrew to talk about flow theory. Flow is a state of deep focus on an enjoyable activity that is at once challenging and accessible.

In this episode, Chris dives into:

• what flow is and how it leads to language acquisition

• 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

Leo, Mike, and Andrew talk about burnout in education, Learn YOUR English beginnings, their journey, and how teachers can overcome obstacles.

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

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:

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

Anthony Gaughan is a teacher and teacher-trainer with over 25 years of experience. 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.

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 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.

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

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.

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 and venture into starting or scaling your own tutoring service, this episode is for you.

Welcome to 2022!

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?

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 a great 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.

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.

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!

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

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!

Chris Jones joins us to talk speaking. Specifically, 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

In the final episode of our series on corrective feedback, Dr. Miroslaw Pawlak joins us. 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.

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!

In episode 7 of our series on corrective feedback, Dr. Shaofeng Li joins us. 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.

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!

This is Episode 6 in our Corrective Feedback series in partnership with Carleton University. In this episode, In this episode, Dr. Neomy 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