

Teacher Talking Time
teachertalkingtime
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.
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
Mentioned books

Aug 17, 2023 • 1h 1min
Dogme Days of Summer 2
The podcast delves into topics such as using Dogme in outcome-based instruction, challenges in implementing reactive teaching, obstacles in transitioning to a transference approach, handling student objections to Dogme, self-assessments and reflections for student progress, creating guiding principles for courses, and approaching grammar as a choice.

Jul 21, 2023 • 53min
Dogme Days of Summer
Click here to join our free teacherpreneur support community to grow together.
Andrew, Mike, and Leo sit down and ponder Dogme....as a new approach? It certainly has experienced a resurgence since the pandemic and we are curious why that is.
We also dive into:
the role of the teacher
the shift away from planning & towards reacting
what authentic communication actually means
how teachers can model lifelong learning habits
using Dogme in your business and using the less is more philosophy
As always, 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. Sandbox your own course ideas in our free support community for teacherpreneurs.
2. Map your first course in 60 minutes or less - your free guide here
3. See our free guides for teachers starting their own business
4. Try our TAP program free for 7 days
5. CPD: Teaching Listening Made Easy

Jun 21, 2023 • 1h 17min
Dylan Gates on Dogme and the RDS Method
Dylan Gates, a seasoned professional in the ELT sector for nearly 25 years, dives into the world of Dogme and deep-end learning approaches. He shares how freelancing introduced him to reactive teaching, emphasizing the RDS method for addressing emergent language. The conversation also touches on the future of English language teaching, the impact of AI, and offers innovative strategies for material design. Dylan’s insights inspire educators to adapt their methods in a rapidly changing educational landscape.

May 7, 2023 • 1h 4min
Nicola Prentis on Investing in your Future Self
Click here to grow with other teacherpreneurs in our free support community.
And click here to check out The Chilled Investor to make your money work for you.
Nicola has been in ELT for over 20 years as a teacher, materials writer, and entrepreneur. She's written many coursebooks and over 200 pages of the British Council learning English website. More recently, she helps language teachers take control of their finances.
Her interest in investing came about almost by accident when she began looking at her own woeful finances and she now supplements her income through investing and runs a course for beginner investors at The Chilled Investor.
In this episode, Nicola dives into:
how her childhood impacts her relationship with money
why many teachers sweep finances under the rug
what investing is and what it isn't
demystifying limiting beliefs about investing
why it's never too late
how "desperation is the mother of research, self study, and self improvement"
why precarity in our industry is more reason to invest in yourself, not less
More on Nicola:
1. Follow her on LinkedIn
2. Check out her Chilled Investor program
As always, 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 at LYE can help you right now:
1. Sandbox your own course ideas in our free support community for teacherpreneurs.
2. Watch this episode on our YouTube channel
3. See our free guides for teachers
4. Book a complimentary consultation with us to chat about your business

Apr 18, 2023 • 1h 23min
Ken Lackman on the Lexical Approach
Ken Lackman, an experienced teacher, trainer, and author of over 20 books in English Language Teaching, discusses the lexical approach and its impact on education. He explores why this methodology hasn’t gained traction despite its potential, touching on topics like Dogme ELT, 'great mistakes' in learning, and his innovative CAT framework. Lackman emphasizes the evolving landscape of English Language Teaching and the role of AI in enhancing, rather than replacing, the connection between educators and students, urging a shift towards practical language use.

Feb 20, 2023 • 1h 2min
Teacherpreneur Challenges & Tackling Irrational Fears
Discover the hurdles faced by teacherpreneurs as they balance their roles as educators and entrepreneurs. The discussion dives into overcoming perfectionism and tackling the guilt of earning more as a teacher. Learn why clear goals are essential for progress and how niching down can help eliminate competition. The hosts share insights on creating equity in your business to achieve financial freedom. Tune in to explore practical strategies for managing overwhelm and building wealth beyond a traditional salary.

Dec 17, 2022 • 1h 9min
Lessons Learned in 2022
Click here to grow with other teacherpreneurs in our free support community.
Leo, Mike, and Andrew hop in the studio to record their annual year-end audit. Here, they reflect on the lessons they learned in 2022. They run through specific lessons that drive success, failure, and resilience.
Specific lessons they touch on are:
1. It always takes longer than we think it's going to take
2. Behind mountains are more mountains
3. Knowing what success looks like
4. Starting small
5. Getting over the case of the "What ifs"
For the Indigenous Teachings book "Legends and Teachings of Xeel's The Creator" Mike mentioned in this episode, click here.
As always, 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 at LYE can help you right now:
1. Sandbox your own course ideas in our free support community for teacherpreneurs.
2. Get your own clients on social media right now
3. Watch this episode on our YouTube channel
4. See our free guides for teachers
5. Book a complimentary consultation with us to look at your goals

Nov 16, 2022 • 1h 21min
Danny Norrington-Davies & Richard Chinn on Emergent Language
Danny Norrington-Davies, a CELTA and DELTA tutor with over 25 years of experience, teams up with Richard Chinn, a global teacher trainer and associate professor at King's College London. They dive into the concept of emergent language, discussing why it's often met with resistance and the imbalance between error correction and its use. Their insights reveal how teachers can better harness emergent language, even with beginners, and the significance of students' needs over traditional lesson plans. Plus, learn about their motivation for writing their book on this transformative approach to teaching.

Oct 17, 2022 • 1h 31min
Katarina Mentzelopoulos on Exceptionalism in Language Learning
Join our free teacherpreneur community.
Katarina Mentzelopoulos is an ESRC-funded Ph.D. student at the University of Nottingham, UK. Her research interests include language learning motivation, exceptional language learning, multilingualism and learner identity.
She recently co-authored two books with the late Zoltán Dörnyei:
Stories from Exceptional Language Learners Who Have Achieved Nativelike Proficiency (50% discount code STORIES50 until 30/11)
Lessons from Exceptional Language Learners Who Have Achieved Nativelike Proficiency (50% discount code LESSONS50 until 31/10)
The books tell the stories of people who achieved native-like proficiency against all odds.
In this episode, Katarina discusses:
what exceptionalism in language learning means
the critical period hypothesis
polyglots vs mastering a language
how they selected participants for the books & their stories
why native-like isn’t necessarily the standard and what is instead
markedness versus proficiency
why forming a bond with the language is integral
working with Zoltán Dörnyei and his legacy
Read more about this episode on the LYE blog.
More on Katarina Mentzelopoulos:
Follow her on Twitter
Book 1: Stories
Book 2: Lessons
As always, 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 at LYE can help you right now:
1. Get your own clients on social media right now
2. Watch this episode on our YouTube channel
3. See our free guides for teachers
4. Book a complimentary consultation with us to look at your goals

Sep 12, 2022 • 1h 5min
Chris Jacobs on Flow Theory
Join our free teacherpreneur community.
Chris Jacobs joins Mike and Andrew to talk about flow theory. Chris is an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska, teaching French, Italian, Spanish, and Linguistics. He is currently working on projects exploring learning optimization through flow - flow is a state of deep focus on an enjoyable activity that is at once challenging and accessible. Research on flow and language acquisition is increasing, and Chris is at the forefront of that.
In this episode, Chris dives into:
what flow is and its balance between fun and relevance
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
More on Chris Jacobs:
His University of Nebraska Page
His most recent publication on flow
Read more about this episode on the LYE blog.
As always, 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 at LYE can help you right now:
1. See our free guides for teachers
2. TBLT Made Easy - tasks to your inbox!
3. Grow your business with us
4. Get a free tip in your inbox every week to grow your teaching business
5. Book a complimentary consultation with us to look at your goals
6. Follow us on IG: @learnyourenglish
7. Watch this episode on our YouTube channel


