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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
Tuesday Oct 14, 2025
Tuesday Oct 14, 2025
"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:
2. Her website
4. Her book "
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/
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
Tuesday Sep 30, 2025
Tuesday Sep 30, 2025
*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:
1. Follow her on Instagram: @msjessydays
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.
2. Follow the LYE YouTube Channel
3. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP
Friday Sep 19, 2025
Friday Sep 19, 2025
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:
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Implementing task-based language teaching from scratch
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Why there is still pushback against TBLT
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Mindset shifts every institution needs
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Aligning tasks with assessments
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Claudia’s experience of helping students go from absolute beginner to intermediate in 9 months
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Effective task design
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How learners acquire grammar through input-based approaches
- Instruction habits that get in the way of learning
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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
Support the show:
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/
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
Monday Sep 01, 2025
Monday Sep 01, 2025
*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:
1. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.
2. Follow the LYE YouTube Channel
3. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP
Wednesday Jul 09, 2025
Wednesday Jul 09, 2025
50% off our CPD courses for podcast listeners - click here and use the code "TTT"
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.
2. Follow the LYE YouTube Channel
Thursday Jun 19, 2025
Thursday Jun 19, 2025
"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:
3. Book: 66 Essentials of Lesson Design
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
2. Follow the LYE YouTube Channel
3. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP
Friday May 02, 2025
Friday May 02, 2025
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:
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Understanding Language Learner Autonomy
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Defining Autonomy in Language Learning
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Pedagogical Models for Autonomy
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Autonomy in Diverse Educational Contexts
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Challenges and Collaborative Solutions for Teachers
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Language Learner Autonomy and Writing
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Developing Reflective Dialogue in Classrooms
-
Practical Advice for Fostering Learner Autonomy
FOR MORE FROM DR. DAVID LITTLE:
1. His page at Trinity College, Dublin
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.
2. Follow the LYE YouTube Channel
Sunday Mar 30, 2025
Sunday Mar 30, 2025
Want to monetize your skills as a teacher? Book a free 1:1 with us to see if we can help.
"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:
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.
2. Follow the LYE YouTube Channel
Friday Feb 28, 2025
Friday Feb 28, 2025
Book a complimentary meeting with us to help grow your business.
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:
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.
2. 5in30: Get 5 clients in the next 30 days
3. Just starting your business? Get free guidance in our support group.
Wednesday Jan 29, 2025
Wednesday Jan 29, 2025
Book a free 1:1 to strategize your goals for your teaching business.
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:
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.
2. 5in30: Get 5 clients in the next 30 days
3. Just starting your business? Get free guidance in our support group.