Shows / Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Welcome to the Languages & Pedagogy Podcast, your go-to resource for language educators and enthusiasts. Join us as we explore innovative teaching methods, share valuable tips for mastering new languages, and discuss the latest trends in language education. Whether you're an experienced teacher looking to enhance your classroom techniques or a language learner eager to deepen your understanding, our podcast offers insightful conversations with experts, practical advice, and inspiring stories…
Episodes
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep202. ft. Andrea Bitner - Beyond Survival Mode: Teaching English Learners with Impact, Equity, and Real Classroom Strategies (Part 2)
What does equity really look like for multilingual learners when real classrooms are under pressure? In Part 2 of this rich and deeply practical conversation…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep201. ft. Andrea Bitner - Beyond Survival Mode: Teaching English Learners with Impact, Equity, and Real Classroom Strategies (Part 1)
Too many multilingual learners are still being asked to survive school instead of fully thrive in it. In Part 1 of this powerful conversation, Andrea Bitner…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep.200. ft. Jane Maria Harding - From Exposure to Ownership: The MMM Framework (Part 2)
What does real language learning actually look like inside the classroom? And how do teachers create it under pressure, inside systems that often value…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep199. ft. Jane Maria Harding - From Exposure to Ownership: The MMM Framework (Part 1)
What if exposure to language is not enough? What if the real breakthrough happens when learners stop repeating English… and start owning it? In Episode 199…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep198. ft. Judy Thompson - The Fear Factor in Language Learning: Why Knowledge Doesn’t Turn Into Speech (Part 2)
What actually happens when we stop treating student silence as laziness and start seeing it as a signal? In Part 2 of this eye-opening conversation with Judy…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep197. ft. Judy Thompson - The Fear Factor in Language Learning: Why Knowledge Doesn’t Turn Into Speech (Part 1)
Fear is not just a feeling in language learning. It is often the invisible wall between knowing and speaking. In this first part of a powerful conversation…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep196. ft. Francoise Rault - Why Adults & Teenagers Struggle to Learn Languages (Part 2)
Why can students pass exams… but freeze in real conversations? In Part 2, we dive into the deeper psychological and systemic barriers that hold learners back…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep195. ft. Francoise Rault - Why Adults & Teenagers Struggle to Learn Languages (Part 1)
Why do adults and teenagers struggle so much with language learning… even after years of study? In this episode, we uncover a truth most schools never address…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep194. Why Good Teachers Burn Out and Great Ones Walk Away
Why do some of the most passionate, talented educators eventually walk away from the profession they once loved? In this episode, we explore the quiet crisis…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep193. The Emotional Weight of Teaching: What Educators Carry Home
Teaching doesn’t stop when the bell rings. In this episode, we explore the hidden emotional reality of the profession, the worries, reflections, and…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep192. ft. Rachel Paling - Fear, Identity, and Fluency (Part 2)
Identity, Coaching, and the Myths of Language Learning What if some of the most common rules in language teaching are actually myths? In Episode 192 of the…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep191. ft. Rachel Paling - Fear, Identity, and Fluency (Part 1)
Fear, Identity, and the Brain: Why Language Learners Freeze Why do learners freeze when speaking a language they already know? In Episode 191 of the Languages…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep190. ft. John Freeman - It’s Not Your English, It’s Your Nerves – The Hidden Psychology of Speaking Confidence (Part 2)
Confidence is not a personality trait. It’s a trained response. In Part 2 of this powerful conversation, John Freeman reveals the practical strategies he uses…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep189. ft. John Freeman - It’s Not Your English, It’s Your Nerves – The Hidden Psychology of Speaking Confidence (Part 1)
What if the real problem was never your English? What if the words were always there… but your nervous system shut them down? In Episode 189, Part 1 of the…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep188. ft. Esther Vazquez - The Brain, the heart and the system (Part 2)
What happens when education ignores how the brain actually learns? In Part 2, Mike and Esther Vazquez go deeper into the ethical responsibility of teaching in…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep187. ft. Esther Vazquez - The Brain, the heart and the system (Part 1)
What if the biggest obstacle to learning… isn’t the student but the system itself? In Part 1 of this powerful conversation, Mike sits down with renowned…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep186. ft. Jose V Torres - The Ethics of Language Teaching: Power, Access, and Responsibility(Part2)
Can ethical teaching survive inside unequal systems? In Part 2, we confront the tension between standardized frameworks and human dignity. They discuss the…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep185. ft. Jose Torres - The Ethics of Language Teaching: Power, Access, and Responsibility (Part1)
Language teaching is often framed as neutral, helpful, even benevolent but what if it isn’t? In this episode, we explore the uncomfortable ethical realities…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep184. ft. James Perucca - Embracing Cognitive Load: Optimizing Your Brain for New Languages (Part 2)
In Episode 184 (Part 2), the conversation deepens and gets uncomfortable in the best possible way. We examine how cognitive load, anxiety, culture, and exams…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep183. ft. James Perucca - Embracing Cognitive Load: Optimizing Your Brain for New Languages (Part 1)
What if the frustration you feel while learning a language isn’t failure but evidence that learning is actually happening? In Episode 183 (Part 1) of the…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep182. ft. Valentina Gallina -Beyond the Score: IELTS, Pressure and the Skills No One Trains(Part 2)
In Part 2, we go deeper into the mechanics of IELTS success—especially listening and academic writing—and why different age groups struggle in different ways…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep181. ft. Valentina Gallina -Beyond the Score: IELTS, Pressure and the Skills No One Trains(Part 1)
In this first part of a powerful two-episode conversation, we sit down with Valentina Galina, founder of WA IELTS Academy, to unpack what IELTS really…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Season 5 Trailer
Season 5 begins not with a reset—but with a reckoning. In this opening episode, we step into a deeper, more reflective space to ask what language education…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep180. What We Learned When We Slowed Down: A Season 4 Finale Reflection
Season 4 wasn’t about methods — it was about meaning. In this season finale, we slow down and look back at the ideas, questions, and shifts that shaped an…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep179. ft. Nicole Alves - Your English Is Better Than Your Score (Part 2)
In the second part of this conversation, we examine a trap that quietly destroys exam performance: overcontrol. When learners obsess over accuracy, structure…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep178. ft. Nicole Alves - Your English Is Better Than Your Score (Part 1)
What if your exam score isn’t the truth — just a snapshot taken on a difficult day? In this episode, we explore the powerful idea that language exams function…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep177. Rethinking Homework in Language Education
Homework has long been treated as a non-negotiable in language education—but what if it’s time to rethink it? In this episode, we take a deep, honest look at…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep176. Parental Involvement in Language Learning
Parents play a powerful role in language learning—but where is the line between support and pressure? In this episode, we explore how parental involvement can…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep175. ft. Rachel Tobol - The Mindset Shift Every English Learner Needs (Part 2)
In Part 2, we go deeper—from mindset into daily practice and identity. Rachel and I explore concrete strategies that actually work: journaling, mirror…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep174. ft. Rachel Tobol - The Mindset Shift Every English Learner Needs (Part 1)
What if fluency had less to do with grammar—and everything to do with mindset? In Part 1 of this conversation, I sit down with Rachel Tobol, a multilingual…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep173. Wrapped up 2025
2025 challenged everything we thought we knew about teaching, learning, and communication. In this reflective year-end episode, we slow down to unpack the…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep172. Translators and Interpreters: What Teachers Can Learn
What if language teachers thought like translators and interpreters? In this episode, we explore the hidden parallels between teaching, translating, and…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep171. From Research to Practice: Staying Updated
Educational research is everywhere — but how much of it actually makes it into real classrooms? In this episode, we explore the often-messy journey from…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep170. Building a Professional Learning Network
Teaching can feel isolating—but it was never meant to be that way. In this episode, we dive deep into what a Professional Learning Network (PLN) really is, why…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep169. Dealing with Burnout as a Language Teacher
Burnout is one of the most silent yet destructive realities in language teaching—and too many educators carry it alone. In this episode, we unpack what burnout…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep168. Teacher Identity: Native, Non-Native, and Everything in Between
This powerful episode dives into one of the most emotional and misunderstood issues in language education: teacher identity. From native-speaker privilege to…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep167. The Role of Humor in the Language Classroom
Humor isn’t just a classroom extra—it’s a pedagogical superpower. In this episode, we explore how laughter lowers the affective filter, strengthens memory…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep166. Music as a Tool for Memorization and Pronunciation
What if the key to better memory and clearer pronunciation isn’t more study time — but more music? In this powerful, research-driven episode, we explore how…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep165. Mindfulness and Anxiety Reduction in Language Learning
In this powerful episode, we explore how mindfulness can transform the emotional experience of language learning. Anxiety, fear of judgment, and self-doubt…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep164. Creating a Safe Speaking Environment
Creating a safe speaking environment isn’t about warm-up games or friendly decorations — it’s about building a psychological climate where learners feel brave…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep163. Self-Assessment and Learner Autonomy
This episode takes a profound dive into the heart of self-assessment and learner autonomy — two pillars of modern language education that transform not only…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep162. ft. Rachel Ballantyne - Tutoring: Is your child really safe? (Part 2)
Part II goes even deeper into the heart of safeguarding as Mike and Rachel unpack Edify’s Living Safeguarding Charter — a dynamic, scenario-based framework…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep161. ft. Rachel Ballantyne - Tutoring: Is your child really safe? (Part 1)
In this powerful first installment of a two-part conversation, The Languages Pedagogy Podcast dives into a topic that affects millions of families worldwide —…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep160. Formative vs Summative Assessment in Languages
In this episode of The Languages Pedagogy Podcast, we unpack the delicate balance between formative and summative assessment in language teaching. Discover how…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep159. Blended and Hybrid Learning Models
In this episode, we explore the art and science of blended and hybrid learning — the powerful fusion of face-to-face teaching and digital education. From…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep158. Project-Based Language Learning
What if your students didn’t just learn the language — but used it to change something? In this reflective and research-driven episode, we dive deep into…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep157. Backward Design for Language Courses
What if the best way to plan a language course is to start at the end? In this episode, we explore backward design — a powerful approach that begins with…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep156. Scaffolding: Supporting Without Spoon-Feeding
How do we guide without taking control? In this episode, we explore the art and science of scaffolding — the subtle, powerful balance between support and…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep155. Intercultural Competence: Teaching Respect with Language
In this heartfelt and thought-provoking episode, we explore what it truly means to teach respect through language. “Intercultural Competence: Teaching Respect…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep154. ft. Anna Beregovaia-Breaking the Bias: The Real Cost of Nativism in Language Teaching (Part2)
In this second part of a raw and eye-opening conversation, we dive deeper into the uncomfortable truths of discrimination in the language-teaching world. From…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep153. ft. Anna Beregovaia-The Unspoken Struggle of Native and Non-Native Teachers (Part1)
In this eye-opening episode, Anna and I dive into one of the most controversial and emotional topics in language education — nativism, bias, and inequality in…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep152. The Art of Questioning in the Language Classroom
Questions are the soul of learning—but not all questions are created equal. In this episode, we dive into the art of questioning in the language classroom: how…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep151. Peer Feedback: Training Students to Help Each Other
What if your students could become each other’s best teachers? In this episode of the Languages Pedagogy Podcast, we explore the art of peer feedback—how to…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep150. Fostering Speaking Confidence in Timid Learners
Many students understand perfectly—but struggle to speak. In this heartfelt episode, Mike explores the art of fostering speaking confidence in timid learners…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep149. Writing for Purpose: Beyond Essays and Tests
What happens when writing goes beyond grammar rules and essay rubrics? In this episode, we explore how purposeful writing transforms learners into…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep148. Reading Strategies for Second Language Learners
Reading in a second language can feel like climbing a mountain—or like opening a door to a whole new world. In this episode, we dive into practical…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep147. Designing Effective Listening Activities
Listening is one of the hardest skills for language learners to master—but also one of the most powerful. In this episode, we explore how to design listening…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep146. Bridging the Digital Divide in Language Education
What does it really mean to bridge the digital divide in language education? In this episode, we unpack the layers of inequality that affect learners…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep145. Mobile-Assisted Language Learning: Do Apps Really Work?
Language apps promise fluency at your fingertips—but do they really deliver? In this episode, we explore the world of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL)…
- Languages Pedagogy Podcast
Ep144. Language Learning Through Social Media
In this episode, we explore how platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X are transforming the way we learn languages. From memes to micro-lessons…