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Teacher Talking Time is a podcast for language teachers who want more: more clarity, more autonomy, and more lasting impact, both inside and outside the classroom.
Hosted by Leo and Andrew, each episode features thoughtful, in-depth conversations with the educators, researchers, and teacherpreneurs shaping the future of language education. Guests have included Scott Thornbury, Bill VanPatten, David Little, Jennifer Jenkins, John Levis, Angelica Galante, Sarah Mercer, Enrica Piccardo, Claudia Fernández, Shawn Loewen, Paul Nation, Sheila Thorn, and many more.
From the latest in second language acquisition research to honest stories of teachers building lives and businesses on their own terms, every conversation invites you to think deeper, teach more intentionally, and take charge of your professional path.
We release two episodes each month - with full video versions on YouTube - to help you reflect, stay inspired, and grow as a teacher and changemaker.
Subscribe, listen, and join a global community of educators leading with intention.
Episodes
5 days ago
5 days ago
"It’s 5,000 metres high, and I promise you: it is much scarier to launch a business than it is to jump out of a plane. When you launch, you are open to being judged, and you can fail, but that 80% fear is exactly what drives you to succeed."
We chat with Smart Cookie co-founder Martina Montreal.
Martina is a language educator and the co-founder of SmartCookie. Since 2016, she has taught over 1,000 students, using that experience to go all-in on building a "second brain" that eliminates administrative chaos for teachers. Martina advocates for the power of patience and taking professional leaps, even when launching a business feels scary.
In this episode, we chat about:
- The power of "nàixīn" [耐心]: why patience is the most demanding requirement for both language learning and business.
- Overcoming the cost of inaction: how saying "yes" to an unplanned Spanish class changed Martina’s entire career.
- How a background in abstract logic fueled the creation of a "second brain" for teachers,
- Why Smart Cookie focuses on eliminating administrative fat rather than overcomplicating with features.
- Why true professional strength is built through failure, not playing it safe.
- Why rest is not a luxury: the role trashy television plays in entrepreneurship.
*Prefer video? Watch the episode on YouTube.
FOR MORE FROM MARTINA MONREAL:
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.
Tuesday Apr 14, 2026
Tuesday Apr 14, 2026
"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.
*Prefer video? Watch the episode on YouTube.
FOR MORE FROM CHARLINE ROUFFET
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.
SUPPORT US:
🫶 Integrate your brand with our podcast in an effort to improve language education.
⭐ Leave a review where you listen.
WORK WITH US:
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.
Tuesday Mar 31, 2026
Tuesday Mar 31, 2026
"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
*Prefer video? Watch the episode on YouTube.
FOR MORE FROM JENNIFER LEBEDEV:
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. Download our free guides for teacherpreneurs.
THE THRIVING TEACHERPRENEUR
Get inspired to start and grow your own education business. Weekly insights, stories, and reflections on education entrepreneurship.
Saturday Mar 14, 2026
Saturday Mar 14, 2026
"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:
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:
🫶 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. Download our free guides for teacherpreneurs.
THE THRIVING TEACHERPRENEUR
Get inspired to start and grow your own education business. Weekly insights, stories, and reflections on education entrepreneurship.
Saturday Feb 28, 2026
Saturday Feb 28, 2026
"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:
2. Her website
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. Download our free guides for teacherpreneurs.
THE THRIVING TEACHERPRENEUR
Get inspired to start and grow your own education business. Weekly insights, stories, and reflections on education entrepreneurship.
Tuesday Feb 17, 2026
Tuesday Feb 17, 2026
"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
*Prefer video? Watch the episode on YouTube.
FOR MORE FROM CAITLYN PINEAULT:
3. Collective Wisdom: Teacher and Researchers in Dialogue”
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:
🫶 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. Download our free guides for teacherpreneurs.
THE THRIVING TEACHERPRENEUR
Get inspired to start and grow your own education business. Weekly insights, stories, and reflections on education entrepreneurship.
Saturday Jan 31, 2026
Saturday Jan 31, 2026
"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
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. Download our free guides for teacherpreneurs.
THE THRIVING TEACHERPRENEUR
Get inspired to start and grow your own education business. Weekly insights, stories, and reflections on education entrepreneurship.
Wednesday Jan 14, 2026
Wednesday Jan 14, 2026
Want to monetize your skills as a teacher? Book a free 1:1 with us to see if we can help.
"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
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/
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:
1. Connect with us on our Substack.
2. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.
3. Follow the LYE YouTube Channel
Thursday Jan 01, 2026
Thursday Jan 01, 2026
Want to monetize your skills as a teacher? Book a free 1:1 with us to see if we can help.
"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:
1. Connect with us on our Substack.
2. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.
3. Follow the LYE YouTube Channel
Tuesday Dec 02, 2025
Tuesday Dec 02, 2025
Want to monetize your skills as a teacher? Book a free 1:1 with us to see if we can help.
"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
Support Teacher Talking Time:
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/
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:
1. Connect with us on our Substack.
2. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.
3. Follow the LYE YouTube Channel