The Kate Languages Podcast

In this episode, I talk about my online courses for MFL teachers. I go into some of the background behind why I teach them, explain the different levels and what we cover in the classes, to help you work out which one is right for you! To sign up to one of the courses, head to https://katelanguages.co.uk/courses/ or follow me on social media and/or sign up to my mailing list to find out when regis...

In today's episode, I talk about how I came to be a teaching resources writer - from setting up my website (with the help of my very talented stepmum!) to selling over 2500 of my most popular resource (at the last count). I also go into quite a lot of detail about my process when it comes to creating each resource, even down to the reasoning behind my font choices! This episode has come about as I...

This is my 3rd episode featuring a guest and this time I'm chatting to the brilliant and very inspiring Dr Liam Printer. As well as having a PhD in Motivation, Liam is a Spanish teacher in Switzerland and also has his own podcast, The Motivated Classroom ( https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-motivated-classroom/id1525120086 ). We actually had this chat last year (2021) as an Instagram live (...

My first Q&A episode! In this episode, I answer 5 questions that my lovely friends and followers on Instagram asked me this week. The first one is about teaching my son languages; the 2nd and 3rd are about improving MFL take up from Year 9 to GCSE and getting SLT/other staff to support MFL; the 4th question is about my opinion of schools I've worked in (obviously no naming and shaming, but I a...

In this episode (which was originally an Insta live, recorded in February 2021), I chat to the lovely Bex (@pagepracticepodcast on Instagram) about workload, educational reading and research, setting boundaries and lesson planning in general. She shares some great tips about how to work smarter, not harder, and how to switch off from teaching. As this was recorded in the middle of the Covid pandem...

My first podcast guest is Adeline (aka @teaching8to4 on Instagram), amazing French teacher, mum of one gorgeous toddler and founder of the Fulfilled Teacher Academy (FTA). In this episode, we discuss the FTA's mission to help teachers take control of their workload, set boundaries and achieve a better school-life balance. Adeline gives some great tips in this episode, and if you want to dive deepe...

In this episode, I talk about the things you need to bear in mind when designing an MFL curriculum (particularly at KS3). I discuss starting from the end and ensuring that every task, lesson and unit feeds into the 'big picture' i.e. what you want pupils to know and to be able to do by the end of the key stage. I also talk about embedding repetition, building on key concepts throughout the key sta...

In this episode, I discuss the fascinating book 'The Danish Way of Parenting' by Jessica Joelle Alexander and Iben Dissing Sandhal, and look at ways of implementing their ideas in the language classroom. It's all about creating a warm atmosphere, being authentic and empathetic, allowing children to play and make mistakes, and focusing on the process/effort rather than achievement. Probably not wor...

Listen to my top tips for improving your language skills as an MFL teacher! Whether you're learning a new language to be able to teach it, or have a degree in the language but need to update your vocabulary, I have lots of ideas about how to keep your language skills fresh as a busy MFL teacher. If you've got any other ideas about how to improve your language skills, get in touch on Facebook, Twit...

In this episode, I discuss my own burnout and how I've recovered from it. I talk about what led me to burn out a few years ago, how it felt, and the tools I've used to help me recover. Hopefully there will be some useful tips for anyone who is also feeling stressed and struggling. I also describe the work I do now on teacher wellbeing, including running a teacher support community called The Staff...

My thoughts and ideas about using GCSE-style activities at KS3, including quite a lot about how weird the GCSE role-plays are! The PowerPoint from my ALL Language World presentation is here: https://katelanguages.co.uk/using-gcse-style-activities-at-ks3/