teaching and learning
Ross Thorburn
The Downsides to Speaking (with Professor ...

Students need to speak to learn a language and the more students talk, the more they learn. Not according to Professor Stephen Krashen. For 40 years he has championed the concept that what students should be doing in class is reading (and listening), not speaking. In this episode, Stephen tells Ross some of the arguments against forcing students to speak, something which might not just be inefficient, but in some cases counterproductive.

The Downsides to Speaking (with Professor Stephen Krashen)
Ross Thorburn
Remembering More, Forgetting Less (with Lesley ...

In this episode, I  had the privilege of speaking with Professor Lesley Painter Farrell about how we can help students retain more language lessons for the long haul. During the podcast, Lesley outlines the difference between short-term learning and long-term memory. We discuss evidence-based techniques teachers can implement to optimize retention. Lesley also shares some simple but effective techniques such as recycling content across lessons, building in reflection time, avoiding cognitive overload, and using retrieval practices. Listen now to uncover how we can help our students remember more.

Remembering More, Forgetting Less (with Lesley Painter-Farrell)
Ross Thorburn
Teacher Evaluation - A Double Edged Sword (with ...

Professor Kathi Bailey joins us to discuss teacher evaluation. Teacher evaluation can do so much good, but it can also end up doing even more harm. Professor Bailey tells us about what supervisors can do to earn trust, why supervision and evaluation is important, and how everyone can make the most out of the process.

Teacher Evaluation - A Double Edged Sword (with Professor Kathleen Bailey)
Ross Thorburn
Using Corpora (with Michael McCarthy)

Professor Michael McCarthy joins me to talk about using corpora in language teaching. Mike tells us how teachers should use corpora when planning lessons, the advantages and disadvantages of showing corpora to students. We discuss how teachers can create their own corpora and how to use corpora to create better materials.

Using Corpora (with Michael McCarthy)
Ross Thorburn
Episode 200! Best and Worst Common and Uncommon ...

We talk to friends and experts and ask two questions about changes they’d like to see in classrooms: what common teaching practices would you like to see less? And, which less common teaching practices would you like to see more? Guests include Penny Ur, Karin Xie, Ian McGrath, Kathleen Baily, Donald Freeman, Rod Bolitho, Anne Burns and Tessa Woodward.

Episode 200! Best and Worst Common and Uncommon Teaching Practices

training

What Motivates Teachers to Develop? (With Amol Padwad)

What Motivates Teachers to Develop? (With Amol Padwad)

I speak with Amol Padwad from Ambedkar University Delhi about teacher motivation and teacher development. What incentives make sense for teachers at different stages of their career? What demotivates teachers from wanting to develop? And how can schools encourage all their teachers to develop without forcing them?

, ,

Podcast: Is "Less" Sometimes "More" In Teaching, Training and Management? (Matt Courtois)

, ,
Podcast: Is "Less" Sometimes "More" In Teaching, Training and Management? (Matt Courtois)

We look at minimalist approaches to teaching, training and management and discuss examples of when less busy means more efficiency.

Podcast: Personalizing Learning, Development and Work

Podcast: Personalizing Learning, Development and Work

Personalization is in every aspect of our lives; the clothes we wear, the TV we watch, the podcasts we listen to. But what about in language teaching? In this episode we discuss how teachers can personalize lessons and materials for students, how trainers can personalize development for teachers and how managers can personalize work for their staff.

,

The Spaces We Teach In

,
The Spaces We Teach In

There are more or less three constants present in every educational setting: students, teachers and classrooms. This episode we focus not on the participants, but on the spaces for English language learning. We discuss how to set up a classroom, how seating can support your students (or sabotage your lesson) and how teachers and students can benefit from moving their class outside the classroom (from time to time).

What Can Podcasts Do For English Language Teaching? (with the TEFLology Podcast's Matthew Turner and Robert Lowe)

What Can Podcasts Do For English Language Teaching? (with the TEFLology Podcast's Matthew Turner and Robert Lowe)

More than a quarter of adults in the US now listen to podcasts. But how can podcasts help teachers and students?We interview Matthew Turner and Rob Lowe from the TEFLology Podcast about how podcast can positively influence teacher development and be help students inside and outside the classroom.