

Teacher Talking Time: The Learn YOUR English Podcast
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 of Learn YOUR English, 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 of Learn YOUR English, 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

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
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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

Jul 15, 2022 • 1h 24min
The Advantages of Disadvantages
Join our free teacherpreneur community.
Leo, Mike, and Andrew talk about burnout in education, Learn YOUR English beginnings, their journey, and how teachers can overcome obstacles. Drawing parallels from stories presented in Malcolm Gladwell's David and Goliath - the beginning of French impressionism, why going to Harvard isn't necessarily an advantage, Ikea's controversial founding and more - they tackle how successful teaching businesses emerge from seeing advantages in disadvantages.
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
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. Receive a free teaching and business tip every week in your inbox
5. Book a complimentary consultation with us to look at your goals
6. Follow us on IG: @learnyourenglish

Jun 22, 2022 • 57min
CEFR and the Dutch School System
Want to use Dogme and TBLT to grow your sustainable teaching business? Schedule a chat with us to see if we can help.
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 the final assessment of 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.
Interviewers:
Lize Hofman. Gerbrich Dijkstra, and Mark van der Wijk are currently doing the Educational Master track for English at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.
Guests on this episode:
Prof. Dr. Rick de Graaff works at the University Utrecht and teaches Foreign Language Didactics and Bilingual Education. His field of expertise is effective foreign language education, second language didactics, early foreign language education, and the professional development of language teachers. He has previously researched how the CEFR can effectively be implemented in second language education.
Drs. Alessandra Corda is the head of modern language undergraduate teacher training departments at the Hogeschool Amsterdam (University of Applied Sciences) and has worked in the language education field for the past 25 years. She has also researched how to effectively implement the CEFR in second language education and is very knowledgeable about the assessment of language learning in education.
Niels Amperse teaches English at a secondary school in the Netherlands. He is still in the early stages of his teaching career and followed CEFR classes during his training to become a teacher. He is interested in the development of secondary school students and has a refreshing view of second language learning in the Dutch educational system.
Read more about this episode on the LYE blog.
Podcast Creation:
This episode was created with support from Thinkific & Podbean. If you're looking to launch a course or start a podcast, we highly recommend them - and use them ourselves.
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. Free Business Foundations Training
2. Free Dogme ELT Training
3. Get a free teaching and business tip every week
4. Book a complimentary consultation with us to look at your goals
5. Follow us on IG: @learnyourenglish

May 14, 2022 • 1h 27min
Anthony Gaughan
Want to use Dogme and TBLT to grow your sustainable teaching business? Schedule a chat with us to see if we can help.
Anthony Gaughan is a teacher and teacher-trainer with over 25 years of experience working in the corporate, state secondary, higher education, and private adult education sectors. He is a Cambridge English approved Assessor and Main Course Tutor for the CELTA initial teacher training qualification, as well as a Tutor for the DELTA Module 2 and the Trinity Diploma. 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.
See his blog "Teacher Training Unplugged."
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
Read more about this episode on the LYE blog.
More on Anthony Gaughan:
Follow on LinkedIn
His Blog
Hamburg School of English
Podcast Creation:
This episode was created with support from Thinkific & Podbean. If you're looking to launch a course or start a podcast, we highly recommend them - and use them ourselves.
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
For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:
Want to Grow your Teaching Business? Book a Call with us
Join Our Weekly Newsletter
Join our Self-directed Learning Portal
Follow Learn YOUR English
Follow Teacher Talking Time

Apr 13, 2022 • 1h 20min
Florencia Henshaw
Take the LYE Free 120-hour training on growing your teaching business in 5 days. Click here to enroll free.
Want to talk about how to grow your business? Schedule a chat with us to see if we can help.
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. She is an award-winning educator who has published and presented nationally and internationally on technology integration and research-based pedagogical practices. Dr. Henshaw is also the host of “Unpacking Language Pedagogy” (available as a podcast and YouTube channel), where she summarizes and discusses research articles, activities, terms, and various topics related to language teaching. Her co-authored book, "Common Ground: Second Language Acquisition Theory goes to the Classroom," aims to help educators visualize how to put principles into action.
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
Read more about this episode on the LYE blog.
More from Dr. Henshaw:
Her YouTube channel "Unpacking Language Pedagogy"
Her website "Technology for Language Teaching and Learning"
Her book "Common Ground: Second Language Acquisition Theory Goes to the Classroom"
Follow her on Twitter: @Prof_F_Henshaw
Follow her on LinkedIn
Podcast Creation:
This episode was created with support from Thinkific & Podbean. If you're looking to launch a course or start a podcast, we highly recommend them - and use them ourselves.
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
For more info on what we do at LYE, check out:
Want to Grow your Teaching Business? Book a Call with us
Take our free 120-hour training on how to overcome common obstacles in your business
Join Our Weekly Newsletter
Join our Self-directed Learning Portal
Follow Learn YOUR English
Follow Teacher Talking Time


