Language Fuel Podcast

This week, we conclude our three-part mini-series on classroom management, which I have framed as a leadership issue. I propose that with great leadership skills, you can engage students in your lessons, and see results. We have been looking at classroom leadership through the lens of John C. Maxwell's "5 Levels of Leadership", as you can read about here: http://www.johnmaxwell.com/blog/5-levels-of-leadership As part of your leadership journey, why not consider becoming a premium member of Language Fuel? Go to www.languagefuel.com/join to see what is on offer.

This week, we continue our three-part mini series on classroom management, which I am framing as a leadership issue. I propose that with great leadership skills, you can engage students in your lessons, and see results. We are looking at classroom leadership through the lens of John C. Maxwell's "5 Levels of Leadership", as you can read about here: http://www.johnmaxwell.com/blog/5-levels-of-leadership Last time, we looked at levels 1 and 2 (Position and Permission) and discussed what that meant for classroom teachers. In this episode, we focus on level 3, Production, which is where most of the traditional techniques for classroom management lie.

Classroom management is an issue that I have seen many teachers ask about in various online communities I'm part of. Given how frequently this comes up, I have decided to record a mini 3-part podcast series on it. I'd like to suggest that rather than focusing their attention on how to "manage" a class, teachers should think about how to engage students, and I propose this is a leadership issue. So our mini series will look at classroom leadership through the lens of John C. Maxwell's "5 Levels of Leadership" as published here : http://www.johnmaxwell.com/blog/5-levels-of-leadership In this first episode, we talk about levels 1 and 2, which are Position and Permission.

If you want to be a better language teacher, be a language learner. In this episode, I first share some reflections on a teacher training day I recently attended. It's always great to have input with fresh ideas, and to be able to discuss things with other teachers. While pursuing ongoing professional development is important, my number one tip for language teachers is actually: Practice language LEARNING. Through language learning, we are reminded first hand, and get to know deeply, what it's like to acquire language. I reflect on my recent experiences in continuing my language learning practices in Spanish, German and Maori. These experiences have reminded me about some core language acquisition principles, and they have highlighted how easy it can be to get access to other languages with the use of modern tools.

Most teachers teach new words in every single lesson, so it pays to have a really great system in place. In this episode, I outline a great 6-step process for teaching new words, and list a couple common pitfalls to avoid. This is actually part of a series of mini courses we've developing in our ELT Training Library, so feel free to go check them out! Download the process summary here, so you can prepare your next lesson with confidence!

Pete is somewhat of an expert in preparing students for the International English Language Testing System Exam, also known as the IELTS exam. He is the author of a free IELTS course online, located at http://www.freeieltscourse.com/ and he also has a YouTube Channel where he gives feedback on students' IELTS speaking activities, which is an excellent resource for both English learners and teachers alike. This work has gained him a nomination in the ELTons awards, the only international awards that recognize great practice in the English Language Teaching industry worldwide. We talk about how he got into the IELTS scene, what is on his website and YouTube channel, and we hear about some fun stuff, like the rap he created with Fluency MC.

This week for our podcast, we've got something a little different. My youngest daughter, Tessa, has recently been working on a speech to give at her primary school. Of her own accord, she chose the topic of "why everyone should learn a new or second language". I thought you might enjoy hearing a 10-year-old's perspective on a few language learning ideas, including what it has been like learning Spanish via Duo Lingo at home. (You may recall in one of our earlier episodes I mentioned that we're using Duo Lingo as a family to learn Spanish.) It's a super-short episode this week (5 minutes). Enjoy!

It's the beginning of the school year for folks in the northern hemisphere. Amidst all the angst and excitement, we bring to you 8 key classroom management tips for teachers to remember as you get started with new groups of students. These tips are written by teachers, for teachers, so if you're just starting out, learn from those who have gone before! In one tip, a teacher mentions body language for confidence. Find out more at: https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are To download a summary of these 8 classroom management tips, click here.

Do you ever get stuck planning your lessons? In this episode, we present a lesson planning process which can apply to all different kinds of lessons; whether skills based (reading, writing, listening or speaking) or vocabulary or grammar based. The lesson planning process involves 6 steps. While it can be a lot of work to start off with, over time, it will become very easy. Click here to download a summary of the lesson planning process. There are two versions for you. You can use one to stick on the inside of your planning notebook, and the card can serve as a reminder in your wallet, or stuck to the side of your computer monitor.

Using your teacher talk wisely is an important skill for language teachers to develop. Teachers use language for giving instructions as well as for providing a model of the target language. When giving instructions, it's very important to make good choices around which language you will use, how many words you will use, and what gestures you will use to accompany your instructions. By being consistent with your teacher talk and body language, you can very successfully teach a language without needing much input in the students' mother tongue. This is certainly important for teachers teaching their local language to migrants, but just as important for teachers teaching a foreign language to students who share a language with them. I suggest recording yourself, either with audio or video where possible, to really see how you perform as a teacher.

Are you thinking of becoming a language teacher? Or are you a language teacher thinking of changing jobs? Today, we talk about transferable skills that language teachers have, which can be used in any profession. It's worth giving language teaching a try, to develop these skills, and if you chose to leave the profession at any time, you can be confident that you have a bunch of skills to take with you in your next career move. The skills you develop as a language teacher include organization skills, people skills, personal skills and language skills. Of course you won't have them all when you first start out, so make an effort to improve yourself whenever you can. We encourage you, of course, to check out the courses on offer at the Language Fuel Academy. 

Today I follow up on our previous podcast, and complete the review of Duolingo, including some information about what it CAN'T do for language learners. Last time, we talked about some great features of the Duolingo app, in terms of software design, e-learning features, and second language acquisition ideas.  While I love the app, there are some things it can't do, and I go into these by looking at a variety of lenses through which one can view language, from phonetics right through to historical linguistics and seeing what aspects of language Duolingo is teaching, and recognize what it is not teaching. 

Have you ever tried Duolingo? Over 100 million people have, including my whole immediate family. I have been surprised at how good this app is, after initially dismissing it. In this episode, I share with you a bunch of great features of the app, including software design features, e-learning features, and second language acquisition features which all combine to make this a winning product. I recommend learners use it to supplement other language practice activities, and teachers should check out Duolingo for schools, where they can set up their own class on it. No, I'm not affiliated with Duolingo in any way, I've just been mighty impressed by the product, and wanted to share.

What criteria should you use to choose a new textbook for your language class? We talk through a list, and explain why each criterion is important. We look at pedagogical issues around listening, speaking, reading and writing, and we look at practical issues, such as online components, price and availability. Download the criteria checklist today, and make sure you put it to good use next time you are responsible for selecting new textbook to use in your language class.

Ever wanted to teach English overseas? Meet Jackie Bolen. Jackie is from Canada, and spent over 10 years teaching English in South Korea. Although she originally went to Korea without any formal teaching qualification, during her time, she went ahead and qualified with a CELTA and a DELTA, both internationally recognized qualifications for teaching English to Adults. Now she spends her time, among other things, supporting English teachers with great resources online, and also providing information on the English teaching scene in Korea. Jackie's websites include www.jackiebolen.com and www.eslactivity.org and www.eslspeaking.org and www.teachinginkoreanuniversity.com. Listen to the interview to hear about Jackie's experiences teaching abroad, and her tips for anyone else considering doing the same.

Matariki is here! Matariki is the Maori new year, the season of the winter solstice, or summer solstice, if you are in the Northern Hemisphere. In line with this solar occasion, we reflect on rhythms, both macro and micro rhythms, and we look at ways that we as language teachers can make use of these rhythms, so they work for us, not against us. Take time out today to reflect on how you can become more in tune with your own personal rhythms, at both the macro and micro levels.

What different networks do you belong to? Networking can be a powerful tool for your professional and personal life. We discuss the different types of networks, different social roles that people play in networks, and some tips for networking. Why not connect with us on social media, too, as a first step towards increasing your own professional network? We're on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Should you allow your language learners to use dictionaries in their assessments? Does it matter whether students use electronic dictionaries or apps, or a printed one, in book format? How much should a student rely on dictionaries? What dictionary skills should teachers teach their students? We discuss these questions today, and also let you know about some cool courses we've just finished at the Language Fuel Academy. Check them out at www.languagefuelacademy.com and if you are looking for a great set of class dictionaries for your students, feel free to browse www.resourceroom.co.nz for ideas, or contact us at [email protected].

Today we talk about conflict – in particular, understanding causes of conflict, and 5 styles of conflict resolution. All teachers at some point have to manage conflict both within their classes, and with colleagues and managers. We look at a very quick overview of 'Face Negotiation Theory' which talks about 6 core identities that can be threatened, which leads to conflict. Then, when looking at 5 styles of confict resolution, we look at some examples of when each style is called for, and when to recognise that you're using that style too much. To read more about the ideas in this podcast, start with: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Face_negotiation_theory To download a summary document with these ideas, click here

Immersion experiences can be hugely instrumental for language learners, providing a big boost to their language capability, and they are often described as life changing. But what if immersion experiences are simply unrealistic, due to distance and expense? I suggest that all language learning experiences can be put on an 'immersion continuum', and I encourage teachers to think about how they can push their activities one notch further along that continuum, in order to create more authentic and closer-to-immersion experiences as possible for their students. Download the infographic which accompanies this podcast HERE.