TESOL Pop

Expert in assisting freelance language teachers in building successful businesses, Ola Kowalska , tackles misconceptions about using social media in English Language Teaching (ELT). In this episode, Ola focuses on three key points: ✅ Foundations Over Instincts: Ola shares her journey, emphasising the significance of establishing relationships within the ELT community before diving into social med...

Author Gregory Diehl examines the challenges of teaching English for practical purposes versus test results. Gregory reflects on his experience and suggests how to engage and support teenage students in using English for authentic communication. In this episode, Gregory talks about: ✅ Realigning Teaching Goals: Gregory emphasizes connecting language learning to students' interests, not just test...

Kyle Larson , a seasoned teacher and the founder of AIR Language , an English reading platform for secondary school students, shares the challenges he has faced in sourcing tailored texts and building a reading habit with learners. In this episode, Kyle talks about: ✅ Text Selection: Kyle emphasizes the importance of offering students choice in reading materials, catering to individual preference...

Organisational Coach Shane Leaning dispels common self-limiting beliefs that often deter educators from pursuing leadership roles. In this episode, Shane talks about: ✅ Leadership Realities: Shane challenges the misconception that leadership is solely about charisma, highlighting its multifaceted nature. ✅ Strengths and Weaknesses: Shane shares experiences, emphasizing the importance of leveragi...

English teacher and fellow podcaster Tommy Bradford shares how he uses songs and music with adult language learners in his classes. In this episode, Tommy talks about: ✅ What inspired him to use music in his classes with his adult students ✅ Why it’s crucial to factor in learners’ level and interests when choosing songs ✅ Supporting learners in developing a deeper understanding of a song throug...

Inclusive ELT Consultant Lottie Galpin talks about the importance of inclusive representation in teaching materials and suggests ways to make textbooks more inclusive. In this episode, Lottie talks about: ✅ The importance and impact inclusive representation can have on learners ✅ How to include teenage and adult learners in analysing existing materials ✅ How small adaptations, such as changing...

Jennifer Murray, founder of Best Words Copywriting , discusses the key ingredients in planning and authoring great content. In this episode, Jennifer talks about: ✅ The purpose of content versus copy and why we need a combination of the two ✅ How a digital portfolio can benefit teachers, freelancers, and business owners ✅ The importance of knowing our audience , how we help them, and our unique...

Founder of Mooncake English , Jema Perry, talks about stages of child development and shares three recyclable games that we can use with our very young (ages 2-4) language learners. In this episode, Jema talks about: ✅ Motor skills and emotional regulation at this stage of child development ✅ How we can drill new words and phrases in a fun way using our voice and Total Physical Response (TPR) ✅...

Teacher Trainer and Educator Sarah Omar shares the story of her career in teaching so far and what motivated her to take a break. In this episode, Sarah talks about: ✅ How we can support our ongoing learning and build our network ✅ The value of building a professional development portfolio ✅ How setting personal learning goals can propel us forward ✅ Ways we can tackle self-doubt and uncertain...

Business owner Rob Howard shares his experience and tips on teaching one-to-one English language classes. In this episode, Rob talks about: 1. Challenges we may encounter in moving from teaching groups to one-to-one 2. The multiple skills a one-to-one practitioner needs 3. The difference between teaching, facilitating and coaching 4. The value in using student-sourced materials to plan and deliver...

Renewable English Founder Harry Waters shares three fun and simple activities we can use in our face-to-face classes to help raise students' awareness about Climate Change. In this episode, Harry talks about: How we can connect the activities to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Activity 1: A Climate Board Race to engage learners in reviewing language Activity 2: A Snowball 'fight’ as...

Author and teacher Adrian Bethune shares his experience with stress in his career and how this inspired him to find ways to support teacher self-care and wellbeing. In this episode, Adrian talks about: 1. Normal versus chronic stress he has experienced in his career 2. The difference between passive and active stress management strategies 3. How to create a bank of wellbeing activities for better...

This special episode features soundbites from the English Teachers Association Switzerland (ETAS) Professional Development (PD) Day in Bern on 2 September 2023. We interviewed attendees Elizabeth Hirst, Veronique Vouilloz, presenters Samvidha Srinath, Ian McMaster, and ETAS members Rumana Yasin and Yuval Shomron about their experience of the event. In this episode you will hear: - Lizzie describe...

Teacher and Examiner Ruth Brewer shares how she uses TikTok to support her students’ English studies. In this episode, Ruth talks about: - What inspired her to start using TikTok to create bite-sized learning - Examples of content she creates to help students review and prepare for exams - The impact her TikTok account @steertosuccess has had on students - What to keep in mind when creating educat...

PhD candidate Blair Hongzhi Wang shares highlights from her studies on Mandarin English speakers’ pronunciation and teaching strategies that can help learners develop their intelligibility. In this interview, Blair talks about: 1. Vowel sounds Mandarin English speakers find challenging and why 2. The meaning of intelligibility and its relevance to research and teaching 3. How similar sounds betwee...

Teacher Training Manager Jane Kaskova shares her best practices for giving feedback to teenage or adult language students to power their learning and motivate them. In this episode, Jane shares tips on: 1. How to tailor feedback for lower-level versus higher-level students. 2. What to prioritise when facilitating error correction in class. 3. The different ways we can communicate feedback to our s...

Event Design Consultant and Executive Zoom Producer Robbie Samuels shares best practices from his latest book 'Break Out of Boredom: Low-Tech Solutions for Highly Engaging Zoom Events'. In this episode, Robbie walks through how to set up, manage, and wrap up breakout room tasks to keep the lesson's pace moving forward. To learn more about Robbie's work and latest publications, visit his website or...

Director of Studies Jenny Galligan reflects on her recent experimentation with Task-Based Learning (TBL) with her teenage language students. Jenny summarises task-based learning, how she structured a lesson using this approach, and how her students responded to the lesson. Lastly, Jenny shares her teaching tips on using Task-Based Learning so you can experiment with this approach in your classes t...

ESL and EAL specialist Adrienn Szlapak shares her personal journey of discovering the benefits of using L1 as a supportive tool for English language learning. In this episode, Adrienn explores various scenarios where L1 can be celebrated and leveraged to enhance students' learning. You can find out more about Adrienn's work by reading her blog EAL Diaries here or following her on LinkedIn here . Y...

In celebration of our fifth birthday here at TESOL Pop, we are revisiting and remastering episodes from the archives to make the audio clearer and easier to listen to. This episode is from our Season 1 archive, which was recorded back in 2018 in Hong Kong. In this episode, Teacher Trainer and Language Examiner Bryan reflects on his experience in finding LGBTQIA+ inclusive communities while travell...

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant Peter Fullagar talks about the importance of including LGBTQIA+ identities in English language teaching materials. Peter shares three practical tips on adapting existing teaching materials to make our classes more inclusive. Check out Peter's library of inclusive teaching materials here . Stay up to date with his latest publications by following him on Li...

Independent Languages Consultant Joe Dale demonstrates how Immersive Reader, Voice Typing, and Closed Captioning in Microsoft and Google tools can support learners to make lessons more accessible and inclusive. Watch the podcast recording here for demonstrations of these tools in use. For more tips on technology for teaching, follow Joe on LinkedIn , Twitter and YouTube . Watch the podcast recordi...

Returning and new guests of the TESOL Pop podcast share their experience of the 56th IATEFL International Conference and Exhibition in Harrogate. Listen to guests Marcus James, Gina Rodriguez , Fiachra McCleary , and Claire from Englii_Insta for insights into the conference and talks. References Ichaporia, N 2023, ‘What is the teacher’s role in increasingly automated online education?’ 56th IATEFL...

ELT Marketing & Education Consultant  Gina Rodriguez  talks about the benefits of building a personal brand on a site like LinkedIn for teachers. Gina unpacks how to set up and maintain a LinkedIn profile in three steps and provides tips on following netiquette for different social media platforms. If you want content inspiration for your LinkedIn page, share this episode with your r...

Teacher Thu Thu Naing talks about her recent experience studying for a master’s degree in TESOL with Educational Technology. Thu shares how she chose a course and provider, what the course was like, and what she plans to do next in her career. Catch Thu Thu Naing’s talk at IATEFL in Harrogate on Adapting Materials to Teach Speaking in a Virtual Reality Environment on Tuesday, 18th April 2023. SUPP...