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Want to teach more reactively and in line with what SLA research says? Join LYE founders Leo, Mike, and Andrew for monthly long-form interviews with language acquisition experts so you can throw that textbook away. Whether you’re building your own business, working for a school, or just love learning about trends in language teaching, this is your bridge between the research lab and practical classroom.
Episodes
Thursday Oct 10, 2019
Thursday Oct 10, 2019
*The following episode contains subject matter pertaining to mental health. These topics may be sensitive in nature and could be triggering to some listeners. This episode is not intended to be a substitute for professional or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please visit your local emergency department or call 911.
**Please see our blog post about this episode for a list of mental health services in the Toronto, Canada area. All of these come recommended by the professionals involved in this episode.
World Mental Health Awareness Day is observed on 10 October every year, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and talking about what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for everyone.
The topic of “care” was the inspiration for this episode. The original idea was drawn from our own struggles, as teachers, in helping our students, and feelings of frustration in not knowing what our school offered in terms of help - and how the school could actually help our students. Then, we realized that probably many teachers might be in the same position. Research for this podcast has helped us immensely, and we hope teachers and institutes will find it helpful.
The episode’s focus is on post-secondary and international study, where Mental Health rates among university and college students are on the rise in Canada. Issues of Mental Health can be even tougher in a new country, in a new language, in a new culture. International students, refugees, and other newcomers experience mental health as anyone else would, perhaps moreso, with factors like stigma, shame, and survivor’s guilt lingering. '
For those of us in education, the question remains: what can we do?
There are three segments to the show to help unpack all of these questions:
- In segment 1, we talk to three international students in Canada to hear their perspective on mental health.
- In segment 2, Natalie Roach, the mental health coordinator for Toronto’s Ryerson University joins us to talk about strategies instructors and programs can implement.
- In the final segment, we talk to Sakeena Mihar, one of the co-founders for startup Savyn Tech - an app designed to help newcomers and refugees with PTSD.
Here, we want to advocate listening, learning, raising awareness, and continuing the discussion and ending the stigma, not only on World Mental Health Awareness Day, but every day.
About the professionals involved with today’s episode:
Natalie Roach:
Natalie Roach is a wellness and mental health expert who is currently Ryerson University’s Mental Health Coordinator. She leads campus-wide initiatives on how to best serve students, staff, and faculty from a mental health and well-being perspective. She has been featured in national and Toronto conferences as a host, speaker, and moderator and delivers talks on topics such as the “intersection of mental health and inclusion” and “promoting mental health through policy change.”
Sakeena Mihar:
Sakeena is one of the founders of Savyn Tech, an online platform designed to help those with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in multiple languages. Savyn Tech uses clinically proven techniques to overcome and reduce trauma, both with panic attacks and long-term healing.
Sakeena has PTSD and is an advocate for mental health awareness, dialogue, and providing assistance to those who need it.
Contact Sakeena: sakeena@gmail.com
Contact Savyntech: savyn.tech@gmail.com
As always, thank you for listening. If you like the show, consider subscribing on Spotify, iTunes, or Google Podcasts, and sharing it with a friend. If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com
If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show.
For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:
Our catalog of online courses on Thinkific
Or shoot us an email: info@learnyourenglish.com
Saturday Oct 05, 2019
Saturday Oct 05, 2019
October 5 is Teacher Appreciation Day in Canada, and in over 100 countries globally. To help celebrate teachers and teaching professionals the LYE podcast - Teacher Talking Time - has organized a special two-part series called “Why did you become a teacher?” We interviewed six teachers from different countries and contexts to hear their stories, and celebrate the stories of all educators around the world.
We asked six teachers eight questions over two episodes. We talked about becoming a teacher, remaining a teacher, thinking about leaving teaching, misconceptions of teaching, rewarding experiences, and much more.
The teachers who graciously took part in this mini series are as follows. Please feel free to reach out to them and to support the projects they are working on.
Angela Barone
Angela has been teaching for over six years and now teaches 8th grade Spanish 1 and 7th grade exploratory Spanish in Columbus, Ohio. She also taught abroad in Costa Rica, delivering general and business English courses. In her school district, Angela serves as a diversity liaison, and also runs the “We Are United” club at her school, navigating discussions of race, cultural appropriation, bullying, and more with students. When she’s not teaching, she loves travelling and her cats.
Danny McGee
Danny has been teaching English since 2002. Originally from England, Danny is based in Toronto, Canada and teaches English for Academic Purposes at colleges and universities there. He is an advocate for mindfulness and meditation in pedagogy. He also does private tutoring. Visit his Facebook page @ESLTeacherDanny.
Mandy Welfare
Based in Berlin, Germany, Mandy Welfare specialises in HR English, communications and business English. She has delivered business English and multi-cultural communication training in Germany, Finland, and Spain, and is a Hueber and Cornelsen author. She has a Masters of Education and enjoys volunteering for her local teaching association. Furthermore, she is on the IATEFL BESIG publications team.
Check out all she’s doing on her website: mandywelfare.com
Marina Faquetti
Marina lives and works in Chapecó, Brazil. She runs her own business as an English tutor and translator. Marina started delivering English lessons at the young age of 14, and she has never looked back. A passionate professional, she strives to invoke the love of learning in her students in ways that are meaningful to them. Follow her on Instagram @mamorandini
Matthew Brown
Matthew lives and teaches in Toronto, Canada where he delivers English for Academic Purposes classes at Ryerson University. He has been teaching for over 20 years in a variety of different contexts. When he’s not teaching, Matthew is a graphic novel writer and artist. Check out his Instagram Page (@poopsiepenguin) and his blog “Ambient Zero Comic Book Blog.”
Mostafa Hasrati
Mostafa has been teaching for over 30 years. He received his Ph.D. from King’s College in London and has taught in many countries around the world. He is now based in Toronto, Canada where he is a professor of English, English for Academic Purposes, and Communication Studies in the Centre for Preparatory & Libeal Studies at George Brown College. Mostafa identifies as a researcher, and his most recent article “The rise of non-dissertation track master’s programmes: An academic literacies approach” can be found here.
In Part 1, we ask our teachers the first four questions:
- What are the reasons you became a teacher, and do you feel that you have always been one? (10:30)
- What did you want to be growing up? (22:15)
- Did you have a favourite teacher when you were younger? If so, what made them that? (32:00)
- Have you had a “lollipop moment” in your teaching career *”lollipop moment” explained in episode. (38:30)
Thank you for listening to Part 1! Part 2 of the mini series will be released on October 26.
As always, thank you for listening. If you like the show, consider subscribing on Spotify, iTunes, or Google Podcasts, and sharing it with a friend. If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com
If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show.
For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:
Our catalog of online courses on Thinkific
Or shoot us an email: info@learnyourenglish.com
Sunday Sep 15, 2019
Sunday Sep 15, 2019
In this episode, Leo talks to teacher, trainer, and author Brett Reynolds. Brett has almost thirty years in the ELT industry, getting his start in Japan in 1992. Since 2003, he has worked at Toronto, Canada's Humber College, in the EAP and TESL programs. Brett was also the editor for TESOL Ontario's Contact Magazine from 2012 until 2019.
In this episode, Brett talks to Leo about his recent publication in the ELT Journal called "Against Teaching Collocations."
- Are collocations connected to language acquisition?
- Are they actually a beneficial strategy for vocabulary building?
- Does it matter if students can notice and identify collocations?
- Should they only be for receptive practice?
- Are collocations simply another form of native speakerism?
Brett gives us his insights on these questions and much more in this episode. We thank Brett for his generous time and for sharing his knowledge with all of us.
Contact Brett:
Email: brett.reynolds@humber.ca
Twitter: @brettrey3
As always, thank you for listening. If you like the show, consider subscribing on Spotify, iTunes, or Google Podcasts, and sharing it with a friend. If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com
If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show.
For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:
Our catalog of online courses on Thinkific
Or shoot us an email: info@learnyourenglish.com
Friday Aug 16, 2019
Friday Aug 16, 2019
In episode 13, Leo sits down with Dr. Susan Hunston. Dr. Hunston is a professor at the university of Birmingham, where she has taught applied linguistics and English language since 1986. She also did her PhD at Birmingham, and her thesis is titled "Evaluation in experimental research articles." Dr. Hunston won the Fellowship of of the Academy of Social Science Award in 2010, and the Officer of the most Excellent Order in 2017.
Her main research areas are in Corpus Linguistics and Discourse Analysis. Some of her more popular books include:
- 2002 Corpora in Applied Linguistics. Cambridge University Press.
- 1999 Pattern Grammar: a corpus-driven approach to the lexical grammar of English. Benjamins. (with G. Francis)
Her projects on pattern grammar can be found here, and her main research page can be found on the University of Birmingham website. She also works in conjunction with Collins Dictionary to bring pattern grammar to the fore.
In this episode, Leo talks with Dr. Hunston about pattern grammar and how it is associated with language acquisition. She argues that patterns enable the expedition of acquisition - especially in the area of lexis - and emphasizes that it is the teacher's responsibility to activate and seek those patterns in texts and curricula, even if they are not explicitly stated.
We thank Dr. Hunston for being generous with her time and expertise. We invite her back any time.
As always, thank you for listening. If you like the show, consider subscribing on Spotify, iTunes, or Google Podcasts and sharing it with a friend. If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com
If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show.
Contact Dr. Hunston:
Email: s.e.hunston@bham.ac.uk
For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:
Our catalog of online courses on Thinkific
Or shoot us an email: info@learnyourenglish.com
Tuesday Jun 18, 2019
Tuesday Jun 18, 2019
In this episode, Leo chats with Dr. Patsy Lightbown, PhD. Dr. Lightbown has been in ELT for over forty years, and her research has focused on the teaching and learning of second and foreign languages in classroom contexts.
Professor Lightbown is co-author of How Languages Are Learned, one of - if not the - most renowned books in the industry. There are now 4 editions in the award-winning series.
Lightbown also wrote Focus on Content-based Language Teaching and numerous articles, many of which can be found in Learning a Second Language Classroom.
She is currently a distinguished Professor Emerita at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and continues her work as a writer, editor, consultant, teacher, adviser, policy maker, conference presenter, and curriculum developer in our field.
Her complete bio can be seen here.
In this episode, Dr. Lightbown talks to Leo about How Languages are Learned, and how that continues to shape second language teaching twenty years after being published. They also discuss:
- second language acquisition and if there is a "best way"
- the strengths and weaknesses of Paul Nation's Four Strands of Language Acquisition;
- the micro elements of teaching and learning;
- the role of textbooks;
- Dr. Lightbown's teaching experience and inspiring career.
We thank Dr. Lightbown for her generous time and endless expertise. We invite her back any time.
As always, thank you for listening. If you like the show, consider subscribing on Spotify, iTunes, or Google Podcasts and sharing it with a friend. If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com
If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show.
Contact Dr. Lightbown:
Email: patsy.lightbown@verizon.net
For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:
Our catalog of online courses on Thinkific
Or shoot us an email: info@learnyourenglish.com
Sunday Jun 09, 2019
Sunday Jun 09, 2019
LYE's Leo and Andrew jumped across the atlantic recently to attend the annual ELT conference at International House, Barcelona. Teacher Talking Time is happy to present a mini series chronicling their travels, the conference, and all teaching related (and some non-teaching related) takeaways from the journey.
The final installment looks at Scott Thornbury's plenary on a performance-based approach to language teaching. Mike, Leo, and Andrew ponder the differences between competence and performance, or, as Chomsky says, the difference between "knowing" about a language and the ability to put it in to use. The guys then discuss if it's important for teachers to distinguish between the two, and what impact that has - or should have - on the classroom. They also wonder why many curriculum and syllabi do not focus much on performance (as Thornbury defines it) and what the implications of that are.
This episode also includes some interviews with teachers and soundbites of speakers from the International House Conference. It ends with the boys answering rapid fire questions on re-thinking the use of performance in the classroom and perhaps why the industry has strayed slightly - and, of course, how to get back on track.
As always, thank you for listening. If you like the show, consider subscribing on Spotify, iTunes, or Google Podcasts and sharing it with a friend. If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com
If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show.
Show Notes:
What's the difference between competence and performance? - 5:30
Chomsky's Distinction between competence and performance - 11:50
Errors: Competence or Performance? - 15:00
Performance, Syllabi, and Marketing - 22:30
Interview with teachers from Ukraine - 32:40
What makes a good production stage? - 40:00
Adding psychological stress to the classroom - 43:30
Rapid Fire Questions - 52:05
For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:
Our catalog of online courses on Thinkific
Or shoot us an email: info@learnyourenglish.com
Monday May 20, 2019
Monday May 20, 2019
In this episode, Leo chats with teacher and teacher trainer Neil McCutcheon. Neil lives in Strasbourg, France and is the head of CELTA and DELTA training at the ELT Hub in both Strasbourg and Leon. He began teaching in 1991 and has taught in Ghana, Hungary, the UK, and now in France. His main interests are teacher education and developing materials that reflect what we know about second language acquisition.
On this note, one of Neil's areas of focus is TBLT: Task-based Language Teaching, sometimes referred to as Task-based Learning. He strongly believes this approach is one of the most effective in terms of language acquisition, and he encourages more teachers and programs to adopt it. In this episode, he sits down with Leo about the approach, how it works, why it is effective, and why he thinks many teachers are apprehensive about implementing it in their classrooms.
Neil has also recently published a book on TBLT, co-authored by Neil Anderson, called "Activities For Task-Based Learning." It's a fantastic book on TBLT, not only because it outlines the approach and activities used therein, but it allows novice teachers to use it includes language that is likely to emerge from each proposed task - a common apprehension among instructors with low levels of language awareness, Neil explains.
Pick up your copy on Amazon today.
Neil McCutcheon and Neil Anderson also founded an enterprise called "Fluency First ELT" where they believe that learning is prompted by the need to communicate, and that out of fluency comes accuracy.
As always, thank you for listening. If you like the show, consider subscribing on Spotify, iTunes, or Google Podcasts and sharing it with a friend. If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com
If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show.
Contact Neil:
Email: neil.mccutcheon@theelthub.com
On Twitter: @NeilJMcCutcheon
Website: Fluencyfirstelt.com
Show Notes:
Challenges in Teacher Training - 6:00
Most don't Identify TBLT in Training Courses - 16:00
Experienced Teachers too Reluctant to Change - 20:00
Value of Tasks and "deep end" teaching - 22:00
Focus on Form vs Focus on Forms vs Focus on Meaning - 32:00
Why PPP Doesn't Work - 35:00
Neil's book motivation - 38:00
Tips for Implementing TBLT in your classroom - 48:30
For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:
Our catalog of online courses on Thinkific
Or shoot us an email: info@learnyourenglish.com
Sunday May 05, 2019
Sunday May 05, 2019
In this episode, Mike, Leo, and Andrew discuss the theme of a recent Learn YOUR English workshop: Language Awareness. What is Language Awareness? Does it matter? Is it only important for teachers? For students? Does it actually improve proficiency? Do conventional textbooks advocate language awareness and choices or only "McNuggets"? Are there drawbacks to having a high level of language awareness? How can teachers increase their language awareness?
The boys tackle all of these questions and more. As always, they ask the listeners to ponder the question "why do we do what we do?" There are many approaches to teaching language, but to what extent can those approaches be implemented without language awareness?
As always, thank you for listening. If you like the show, consider subscribing in Spotify or on iTunes and sharing the podcast with a friend. If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com
If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show.
Show Notes:
What is Language Awareness and how does it apply to teachers: Beginning - 24:30
Language Awareness for students: 32:00
Discussion on Josh Waitzkin's book The Art of Learning: 33:30
Four benefits of Language Awareness for students: 36:30
Limitation of Language Awareness: 37:40
Classroom tasks to apply Language Awareness: 41:30
For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:
Our catalog of online courses on Thinkific
Or shoot us an email: info@learnyourenglish.com
Saturday Apr 20, 2019
Saturday Apr 20, 2019
LYE's Leo and Andrew jumped across the atlantic recently to attend the annual ELT conference at International House, Barcelona. Teacher Talking Time is happy to present a mini series chronicling their travels, the conference, and all teaching related (and some non-teaching related) takeaways from the journey.
This is part III, and is dedicated to a talk by Dr. Angi Malderez. Malderez is an Honorary Senior Fellow of the School of Education, the University of Leeds, and her bio and many works can be seen here. Her research area is mostly in the practices of supporting teacher learning.
At the IH Conference in Barcelona, she spoke about the need for teacher's to be able to respond in real time to what is happening in the classroom. She highlighted that this is something that needs to be developed, and is much more difficult than it seems. Maldarez identified common "blinkers" and touched on the difference between observing and noticing, and how teachers very rarely give "feedback" in the conventional sense.
In this episode, Mike, Andrew, and Leo sit down to discuss the topic and how we as teachers can learn to apply it in our classrooms. Dr. Malderez was also kind enough to sit down with us to give us a 1-1 interview (14:35). Many thanks to Angi for her generous time!
For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:
Our catalog of online courses on Thinkific
Or shoot us an email: info@learnyourenglish.com
If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show.
Sunday Mar 31, 2019
Sunday Mar 31, 2019
In this episode, Andrew talks to language teacher and advocate Aileen Bowe. Aileen is from Ireland and advocates for fairness and regulation in the ELT industry. As a result of her work with ELT Advocacy and Manchester Advocacy, she has seen legislation pass which will provide language teachers in Ireland and the UK with the working conditions they have long been waiting for. Aileen shares her stories of below-average working conditions, job loss, and questions why the industry has so few regulations globally. Her message? If teachers work together, they can achieve not only what they want, but what they deserve.
Contact Aileen:
Email: eltmanchester@protonmail.com
Twitter: @eltmanchester; @eltadvocacy
For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:
Our catalog of online courses on Thinkific
Or shoot us an email: info@learnyourenglish.com
If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show.