The Kate Languages Podcast: Recent Episodes
Kate Languages
The Kate Languages Podcast covers a wide range of education-related topics, from teacher wellbeing, to classroom management and ideas on teaching and learning foreign languages. While the majority of my content focuses on the experiences of MFL teachers in the UK, it is not exclusively for languages teachers - many of the broader themes are relevant to all teachers all over the world. For more information about me and my work, head to katelanguages.co.uk or check out my Instagram, Twitter and/or Facebook pages. I'm @katelanguages on all 3.
In this episode, I'm talking about how to make money while you sleep! More specifically, how to generate some passive income to supplement your teaching salary, or income from tuition.
I explain what is meant by passive income, how it has enabled me to grow my business, and I also outline 5 great ideas for making passive income of your own, from selling resources and digital courses, to online workshops that you can upload and sell time and time again, and there’s even a mention of investing in the episode, too!
I also talk about affiliate marketing, including my own affiliate link to the platform I use to host my website and online resources/workshops, Kajabi. Click here to get a 30-day free trial with Kajabi.
My podcast producer is Joe Dale and the music is by Coma Media from Pixabay.
In this episode, I outline three great activities that you can do to practise dictations with your students. These low-prep activities work with beginners and more advanced students alike, and can be easily adapted for any language and topic.
The activities I talked about in the episode were: paired reading aloud/dictation, running dictation and picture dictations.
If you’d like to delve deeper into all things dictations, I’m running an online CPD workshop on Monday 14th October 2024 where I will outline many more activities for practising dictations in an engaging way. You can access the workshop by purchasing my 2024-25 workshops bundle here.
As always, I would love to hear your thoughts on the episode, so get in touch on Facebook and Instagram (I’m Kate Languages on both) or email me through my website https://katelanguages.co.uk/
Joe Dale is my podcast producer and the music is by Coma-Media from Pixabay.
This was my second conversation with the brilliant Joe Dale (check out Season 5 Episode 2 for the first interview with him) all about AI in MFL lessons.
Joe needs little introduction to the majority of MFL teachers, particularly in the UK, but to those who don't know him, he is an independent ICT/MFL consultant. He's the go-to expert for anything to do with tech in the MFL classroom, and has presented at conferences and webinars all over the world. He also edits and produces this podcast!
In this episode, he answered lots of great questions from my social media community on a range of topics. From creating vocabulary lists and knowledge organisers using ChatGPT, to making the best use of image generators for GCSE photo cards and writing tasks, and even a discussion of how the curriculum will need to adapt in the future to reflect the growth of AI.
During the conversation, we referenced lots of fantastic online tools, such as:
A tool for checking your texts against the new GCSE prescribed vocab lists - MultilingProfiler
Padlet’s “I can’t draw” feature - I can't draw
The Language Show 2023’s YouTube channel - The Language Show - YouTube
The Arizona State University image accessibility generator - Image Accessibility Generator - Teach Online
Perplexity AI - Perplexity
Find Joe on YouTube, Twitter/X and LinkedIn, and join his Facebook group here: Language Teaching with AI | Facebook
Joe Dale is my podcast producer and the music is by Coma-Media from Pixabay.
Season 8 of the Kate Languages podcast is here! As always, the first episode of the season is a Q&A episode. Let me know if you agree or disagree with any of my answers - get in touch on social media (I’m Kate Languages on Facebook and Instagram) or through my website https://katelanguages.co.uk/
In this episode, you can find out my “new year” resolutions (I always set intentions for the academic year in September) and a bit of a roundup of what’s been going on at KLHQ (Kate Languages HQ!) over the summer.
Plus, lots of great questions from members of my new Facebook group about the new MFL GCSEs, which come into force in England this year. From a few quick fire questions about the speaking exams, to more detailed thoughts about A Level transition, curriculum design and teaching grammar according to the new prescribed grammar lists.
Joe Dale is my podcast producer and the music is by Coma-Media from Pixabay.
This was my 4th live podcast recording and is absolutely packed to the brim with fantastic advice about running a school trip abroad!
Claire has tons of experience running trips to France and Germany, and we talked about so many essential (if seemingly minor) details about how to plan and execute a brilliant trip.
During the recording, we answered lots of great questions from the audience - have a listen to find out whether your question was included!
You can find Claire on Instagram - she's @_leolanguages on there.
This is a bit of a different episode of the Kate Languages Podcast. I have been running my education business for 7 years now and I wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on my top 5 tips for making it a success!
If you’re thinking of leaving teaching and want to set up your own business, you need to have a listen to this first! From figuring out your niche, to being prepared to invest in yourself and do some “inner work”, these are the key things that I think you need to know.
If you’re wondering about life after teaching and would like to talk it through with me, I offer one-off mentoring sessions. Email me through my website and we’ll see what we can do to help!
As always, I would love to hear your thoughts on the episode, so get in touch on Facebook and Instagram (I’m Kate Languages on both) or email me through my website https://katelanguages.co.uk/
Joe Dale is my podcast producer and the music is by Coma-Media from Pixabay.
The new MFL GCSE specification is almost upon us! I’ve spent a LOT of time this academic year reading, researching and making resources for the new specs (AQA and Edexcel) and in this episode, I outline three of the key things I think you need to know.
I talk about how it’s not actually as different as I had initially feared, which textbooks are now available and my thoughts on them, plus what I believe you need to be doing in KS3 right now to help prepare your students.
For more depth on individual exams and the prescribed vocab list, have a listen to my episode from last year (season 4 episode 6). Plus, you can still sign up to my New GCSE series of online workshops. The 3rd one is on 22nd June - https://katelanguages.co.uk/product/the-new-gcse-online-cpd-series/
As always, I would love to hear your thoughts on the episode, so get in touch on Facebook and Instagram (I’m Kate Languages on both) or email me through my website https://katelanguages.co.uk/
Joe Dale is my podcast producer and the music is by Coma-Media from Pixabay.
In this episode, I outline my five favourite activities to get students talking in MFL lessons.
From whole class games like Connect 4 to pair activities like trapdoor, have a listen for details of some great activities that you can try in your own lessons today!
As always, I would love to hear your thoughts on the episode, so get in touch on Facebook and Instagram (I’m Kate Languages on both) or email me through my website https://katelanguages.co.uk/
Joe Dale is my podcast producer and the music is by Coma-Media from Pixabay.
I really enjoyed this conversation with the amazing Helen Myers and I really hope you will, too! We discussed how important it is to connect with other teachers through organisations such as ALL, Facebook groups and of course, the Kate Languages Buy Everything community!
Connect with Helen on X (she’s @HelenMyers on there) or LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-myers-6111148/
To find out more about ALL, head to their website https://www.all-languages.org.uk/
Join the Secondary MFL Matters Facebook group here (don’t forget to answer the questions to be allowed to join!): https://www.facebook.com/groups/secondarymflmatters/
Join the Kate Languages Buy Everything community here: https://katelanguages.mykajabi.com/offers/jCzaVQCn
As always, I would love to hear your thoughts on the episode, so get in touch on Facebook and Instagram (I’m Kate Languages on both) or email me through my website https://katelanguages.co.uk/
Joe Dale is my podcast producer and the music is by Coma-Media from Pixabay.
Season 7 is here! As always, the first episode of the series is a Q&A episode. I had some amazing questions for this season and I really hope you’ll find my answers helpful! Let me know if you agree or disagree with what I’ve said for any of them - get in touch on my social media (I’m Kate Languages on Facebook and Instagram) or through my website https://katelanguages.co.uk/
In this episode, you can find out my thoughts on GCSE uptake and motivating reluctant learners, which fun/cultural elements I recommend including in your curriculum, my take on different MFL teaching pedagogies, how to maintain a work-life balance when you have a child… and many more!
Joe Dale is my podcast producer and the music is by Coma-Media from Pixabay.
CW: This episode contains discussion of panic attacks and stress at work.
This was my third ever live podcast recording and it was such a great conversation! Bex is a fellow ex-MFL teacher, who is now working as the MFL Subject Adviser for Pearson Edexcel, and we discussed everything from what made us want to quit the classroom to what we are doing now. We also gave some (hopefully helpful!) advice for those of you who are thinking of leaving teaching.
We had lots of great questions and comments from the live audience, which added so much to the discussion. We also answered some questions from our Instagram followers - have a listen to find out if we answered yours!
Bex can be found on Instagram @pagepracticepodcast or LinkedIn as Rebecca Waker. Her website is https://learninglinguist.co.uk/
During the episode, we mentioned the Facebook groups “Life after teaching” and “Adventures after teaching”. I am not a member of either of these Facebook groups, so can’t verify the content of them, however. We also referred to the website https://www.didteach.com/ as a useful resource for those thinking of leaving teaching.
As always, I would love to hear your thoughts on the episode, so get in touch on Facebook and Instagram (I’m Kate Languages on both) or email me through my website https://katelanguages.co.uk/
Joe Dale is my podcast producer and the music is by Coma-Media from Pixabay.
In the penultimate episode of season 6 of the Kate Languages Podcast, I’m talking all about checking for understanding in MFL lessons. More precisely, I’m telling you what NOT to do… and then giving you my thoughts on what you should be doing instead.
For example, you shouldn’t be explaining a grammar point or task and then asking “OK, any questions?” and then expecting students to just get on with the work if no hands go up. I also don’t think you should be cold-calling students without giving them time to think of answers/questions, or praising outcomes without focusing on the process. I don’t think you should be giving feedback on specific errors without linking to the bigger picture, and I definitely don’t think you should be allowing half-formed answers as final answers.
To find out what I mean by all that and what my solutions are, have a listen to this episode!
I have delivered CPD on this topic and am available for bespoke CPD on topics such as this one or any of the other topics I discuss in the podcast. Get in touch to find out more!
As always, I would love to hear your thoughts on the episode, so get in touch on Facebook and Instagram (I’m Kate Languages on both) or email me through my website https://katelanguages.co.uk/
Joe Dale is my podcast producer and the music is by Coma-Media from Pixabay.
In today’s episode of the Kate Languages Podcast, I describe my ideas for how to stretch and challenge your students in MFL lessons. If you’re hoping for an episode on differentiation and creating lots of different worksheets for individual learners, I’m afraid you’re in the wrong place!
I really believe that stretch and challenge is for everyone, and in the episode, I explain why. I also outline why I think the traditional labels of “high ability”, “middle ability” and so on might not be fit for purpose anymore, and how we can stretch and challenge all students, while ensuring that every student feels supported and able to achieve.
Sounds impossible? I really don’t think it is! Listen to the episode to find out why!
And if you’d like to dive deeper, sign up to my online workshop “Stretch and Challenge - Effective Extension Tasks” on 25th March 2024: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stretch-and-challenge-in-mfl-online-cpd-workshop-registration-844612577957
As always, I would love to hear your thoughts on the episode, so get in touch on Facebook and Instagram (I’m Kate Languages on both) or email me through my website https://katelanguages.co.uk/
Joe Dale is my podcast producer and the music is by Coma-Media from Pixabay.
CW: This episode contains discussions about mental health and thoughts of self harm.
In this episode of the podcast, I outline five warning signs that might mean it’s time to think about quitting or changing/reducing your work.
From feeling physically ill, to constantly procrastinating and daydreaming, to feeling out of alignment with your values, these are my own red flags when it comes to knowing when to quit.
As always, I would love to hear your thoughts on the episode, so get in touch on Facebook and Instagram (I’m Kate Languages on both) or email me through my website https://katelanguages.co.uk/
Joe Dale is my podcast producer and the music is by Coma-Media from Pixabay.
This was such a great conversation with the brilliant Emily Armstrong about real teacher well-being. And I’ll give you a clue… it’s not about cakes in the staffroom or mandatory yoga sessions after school!
In this episode, we discussed strategies to actually improve teacher well-being. Whether it’s genuine workload management (meaning working how and when it suits you best), or learning to be assertive, embracing mistakes and dialing down the perfectionism, Emily gave so many amazing tips for teachers and school leaders to start working on straight away.
Listen right to the end for some fantastic advice on how to overcome imposter syndrome as a teacher - especially those MFL teachers who are teaching a language they don’t feel confident with. And don’t forget that my team and I are here for you if you need to learn a new language and/or improve a language to be able to teach it confidently.
Connect with Emily on Instagram, where she is @emilyarmstrongeducation.
In the episode, I mentioned a previous podcast episode where I answered a question about teacher resilience. It’s Season 5 Episode 1 - Q&A Episode 4.
As always, I would love to hear your thoughts on the episode, so get in touch on Facebook and Instagram (I’m Kate Languages on both) or email me through my website https://katelanguages.co.uk/
Joe Dale is my podcast producer and the music is by Coma-Media from Pixabay.
Season 6 is here! As always, the first episode of the series is a Q&A episode. I think you’ll agree that there were some really good questions this time, including a couple of fun ones at the start!
Find out my thoughts about why students struggle with instructions, my preferred exam board, why MFL GCSEs and A Levels are getting less popular, whether languages should be compulsory and whether we should teach more than one language. Plus, I have a bit of a rant about what I would change about MFL GCSEs! Lastly, I reveal what I wanted to be when I was a kid… and I’m afraid to say, it wasn’t an MFL teacher!
I would love to hear your ideas on any of these questions, so get in touch on Facebook and Instagram (I’m Kate Languages on both) or email me through my website katelanguages.co.uk
Joe Dale is my podcast producer and the music is by Coma-Media from Pixabay.
In this final episode of season 5, I talk about teaching phonics in MFL. Namely, what teaching phonics is NOT! I talk you through 3 misconceptions about teaching phonics in MFL and explain my ideas about what it actually is.
To dive deeper into all things teaching phonics in MFL, head to https://katelanguages.co.uk/product/teaching-phonics-in-mfl-online-cpd/ to access my online workshop on this exact topic!
Joe Dale is my podcast editor and producer.
Music is by Coma Media from Pixabay.
This week’s podcast episode (the penultimate one in this series!) is all about teaching with family, featuring the wonderful Claire and Jen. We recorded the episode with a live “audience” on Zoom back in September and it was such a great conversation 😃 It was both hilarious and inspiring, and I can’t wait for you all to hear it too! Joe Dale is my podcast editor and producer. Music is by Coma Media from Pixabay.
In this episode, I'm talking about money! More specifically, how you can make a bit of extra cash on the side as an MFL teacher. From private tuition, to selling resources and monetising your other skills and hobbies, this is a rundown of my top 5 ways of making yourself some extra income.
My podcast producer is Joe Dale and the music is by Coma Media from Pixabay.
In this episode, I walk you through how to exploit one text in lots of different ways in an MFL lesson. From listening, to reading and translation, grammar, speaking and writing, I talk about how to cover every skill with just one text, instead of trying to find a different text for each skill.
If you would like to dive deeper into this, I am running a 2-hour workshop on 3rd February 2024. For more info and to sign up, head here: https://katelanguages.co.uk/product/exploiting-one-text-online-cpd/
Joe Dale is my podcast producer and the music is by Coma Media from Pixabay.
In this episode, I interviewed the very fabulous Joe Dale about all things AI and ChatGPT for MFL teachers. We had a fascinating chat about what AI and ChatGPT actually are, plus how to use them effectively in your lesson planning and teaching.
Joe needs little introduction to the majority of MFL teachers, particularly in the UK, but to those who don't know him, he is an independent ICT/MFL consultant. He's the go-to expert for anything to do with tech in the MFL classroom, and has presented at conferences and webinars all over the world.
I am so fortunate to not only have had the opportunity to pick his brains about AI/ChatGPT, but he is also editing and producing this season of the podcast!Find Joe on YouTube, Twitter and LinkedInSign up to the Avant Assessment Webinar Series here: https://avantassessment.com/chat-gpt-for-language-teachers
Join the Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/languageteachingwithai
Music is by Coma-Media from Pixabay.
Season 5 is here! And I think you'll agree, sounding better than ever, thanks to my new podcast producer, Joe Dale! As always, I'm kicking off the season with a Q&A episode, with questions taken from a survey I did with my email list a couple of months ago.
Find out my thoughts on teacher resilience, reading as an MFL teacher to keep your languages fresh, finding authentic texts and differentiating for a mixed GCSE class. Plus, I'll tell you what my September resolutions are this year... and whether I actually stuck to last year's resolutions! More on my resolutions can be found here: https://katelanguages.co.uk/september-resolutions-2023/
To let me know your thoughts on the podcast, you can tag me on social media - I'm @katelanguages on Facebook and Instagram - or email me through my website katelanguages.co.uk
Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe to make sure that all episodes are delivered straight to your device as soon as they're released!
Music is by Coma-Media from Pixabay.
Just a quick episode to let you know that season 5 is on its way! Make sure you've subscribed to get episode 1 straight onto your device on Monday 18th September 2023!I'm kicking off with a Q&A episode as always, then we have a fab interview with Joe Dale (who is also my podcast producer now!), a couple of episodes with just me, plus a live podcast recording about teaching with a family.Hope you enjoy - please rate and review if you haven't already done so and let me know your thoughts on any of the episodes.Music is from Pixabay by Coma-Media.
In this episode, I discuss the changes that are coming with the new GCSE and my thoughts and opinions of it. At the time of recording, only the French Specifications and SAMs had been released, so I have only been able to comment on the French, but it's well worth a listen even if you only teach Spanish and/or German.As always, let me know your thoughts on Instagram or Facebook (I'm @katelanguages on both) or email me using the contact form on my website katelanguages.co.ukMusic is from Pixabay by Coma-Media
In this episode, I discuss social media for teachers... the good stuff, the not so good stuff and the downright awful stuff!
This is a topic I feel quite strongly about (which may come across in the episode haha!) and I'd love to hear your thoughts as well. Get in touch on Facebook or Instagram (oh, the irony!) - I'm @katelanguages on both. Or you can email kate@katelanguages.co.uk
Music is from Pixabay by Coma-Media
In this episode, Erica and I talk about our upcoming CPD on Positive Behaviour Management (https://katelanguages.co.uk/product/positive-behaviour-management-with-erica-sanchez-online-cpd/).
The conversation was originally an Insta Live, so apologies for the sound quality, which isn't as good as my usual podcasts! Even if you're too late to join us for the CPD, I still think this episode is well worth a listen, as Erica has some great tips and ideas on how to develop positive relationships with your students, which ultimately leads to more settled classes, better progress and less stress for everyone!
Music is from Pixabay by Coma-Media
My first ever live podcast recording! This was such a great conversation with Debs - very funny but also such an important topic to discuss and we loved getting the feedback from the other women on the Zoom call as we were chatting.During the episode we mentioned a few things that I promised to put in the show notes so here they are:1. Davina McCall's Channel 4 programme about the menopause https://www.channel4.com/programmes/davina-mccall-sex-myths-and-the-menopause 2. Mariella Fristrup's book Cracking the Menopause https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/mariella-frostrup/cracking-the-menopause/9781529059052 3. Dr Louise Newson's Balance app and podcast https://www.balance-menopause.com
Music is from Pixabay by Coma-Media
This episode is the recording of an online CPD session I ran in December 2022 on Games in MFL. It was a show and tell CPD session in which 7 people (including myself) presented our favourite games to play in MFL lessons.
The video of the recording and the PPT are available on my website for free: https://katelanguages.co.uk/games-in-mfl-show-and-tell-cpd/Hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed presenting our ideas!
Music is from Pixabay by Coma-Media
Season 4 is here! I'm kicking off with a Q&A episode in which I answer some questions from my lovely Instagram followers. Find out how I'm doing, my thoughts and plans for resources for the new GCSE, who my favourite teacher was and the most interesting place I've used my language skills!
Music is from Pixabay by Coma-Media
Just a quickie to let you know that Season 4 is FINALLY on its way on 17th April 2023!Join me and some fab guests for all things MFL, plus a couple of LIVE podcast recordings on teaching through the menopause and teaching with a young family. Can't wait for lots of you to join us for those - head to https://katelanguages.co.uk/product/live-podcast-recording-with-debs-teaching-through-the-menopause/ to sign up for the first one for FREE now!As usual, I'll be kicking off with a Q&A episode, so get your questions in now and listen on 17th April to find out if I answer them!Music is from Pixabay by Coma-Media
For the last episode in season 3, I spoke to the very lovely Janina Klimas (@reallifelanguage on Instagram) about reading to learn languages. It was such an interesting chat and we covered so many fascinating areas, such as language acquisition, learning to read, comprehensible input and how 'reading' can incorporate so many more modalities than simply looking at words on a piece of paper.
Here are links to some of the things we discussed...
- Stephen Krashen's 2017 paper on polyglots
- Steve Kaufmann - polyglot featured in Krashen's work
- https://lingua.com and https://www.yabla.com
- Journal en français facile
- An explanation of 'movie talk'
- SQ3R
- My blog post on authentic resources for language learners
- The MFL Virtual Book Club on Facebook
You can find lots more of Janina's ideas and work on her website, YouTube channel and podcast.
To join any of my upcoming CPD courses, head over to my website and do let me know if you'd like to join me on the podcast or co-host a CPD session with me!
Music is from Pixabay by Coma-Media
Let's talk about workload! And a whole lot more!
In this episode, I chat to Deborah Young, my old head of department from my second year of teaching, which was... er... about 15 years ago now! We had such a good chat, most of which wasn't recorded or fit for public consumption, sorry... but the bits we did record were absolute gold, I'm sure you'll agree.
From teacher workload, to building great relationships with students, to accidentally teaching the wrong vocabulary items (this anecdote actually had me crying with laughter), Debs and I discuss all the important bits of work-life balance.
The title of the episode "it's just a job" is something she said to me all those years ago and is not meant to be a flippant dismissal of the importance of being a teacher... quite the opposite! It's a positive statement for teachers to understand that teaching, while being an extremely important job, is, at the end of the day, just a job and not worth sacrificing your entire life and health for.
As always, I'd love to know what you think so get in touch through my website katelanguages.co.uk or on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter (I'm @katelanguages on all 3).
In this episode, I had a fascinating chat with Elizabeth Swan (@Elizabeth_swan_uk on Instagram or https://elizabethswan.co.uk) about teaching MFL to people with ADHD and autism.
Elizabeth Swan is a teacher, coach and consultant, who draws upon lived experience and professional expertise from over 20 years as a qualified teacher, SENDCo, and headteacher in secondary and special schools as well as postgraduate study of psychology. Lizzy’s work is rooted in research-informed approaches to raising awareness and understanding of neurodiversity, with a particular focus on girls and women with ADHD.
We covered a range of topics, from the advantages of keeping students with SEND in MFL lessons, to her top tips for making the classroom ADHD/autism-friendly. We also chatted about using rewards and sanctions with ADHD/autistic learners, and the importance of keeping parents/carers fully in the loop.
As always, I'd love to know your thoughts on this episode, so do get in touch on my socials (@katelanguages on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter) or through my website katelanguages.co.uk
During the episode, Elizabeth mentioned Paul Dix, who is best know for his books including 'When the adults change, everything changes', research on the benefits of bilingualism for autistic people (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.741182/full) and Tuff bags (of which there are many different varieties available online!).
In this episode, I discuss topics that we regularly teach in MFL that are potentially difficult for some students and need to be handled sensitively. I outline the reasons why these topics, such as family, food and holidays can be hard for some students to talk about and give my ideas on how to deal with them mindfully and sensitively. As always, I'd love to hear your ideas, so do get in touch on social media - I'm @katelanguages on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter - or via my website katelanguages.co.uk
In this episode, I chat to the wonderful Julie (@teachingplanninglanguages on Instagram) about how to plan your lessons in the most efficient way possible. We talk about finding reliable teaching resources, classroom routines, PowerPoint slide templates and her amazing backwards planning method, with which she can plan 6 weeks of lessons with a class in just 20 minutes!
During the chat, we reference Spanish and Umbrellas (the fabulous Erica, who teaches all of my Spanish online courses for MFL teachers and features in my bonus episode from June 2022) and MFL resources (the lovely Alba, who I did an Insta live with a couple of years ago). We also mention the Positive Teacher Company's PowerPoint slides, which are well worth checking out!
Season 3 is here! I'm kicking off this season with my 2nd ever Q&A episode, in which I talk about my September resolutions and answer a couple of great questions from my lovely Instagram followers! Listen out to find out if you question was chosen for this episode!
In the podcast, I reference my online CPD and language courses, which can all be found here: https://katelanguages.co.uk/courses/
In the fifth and final episode of this mini-series, I talk about ending a lesson well. I discuss why it's important and describe some of my favourite plenary activities to do at the end of an MFL lesson.
Keep an eye on my website https://katelanguages.co.uk and social media (I'm @katelanguages on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter) for details of upcoming CPD, including more chances to join me for some Lesson Planning 101 workshops in the future!
Music is from Pixabay by Coma-Media
In the fourth episode of this mini-series, I discuss some great ideas for speaking and writing in the languages class, from how to bridge the gap between the passive and active skills, to my favourite ways of scaffolding and extending for students of differing abilities!
In the episode, I mention Mary Myatt's amazing Curriculum book (again!) and also my CPD course, which I ran on 7th May 2022. Although the inaugural one is over and done with now, keep an eye out for future CPD courses on my website https://katelanguages.co.uk!
Music is from Pixabay by Coma-Media
In the third episode of this mini-series, I discuss listening and reading in MFL lessons and talk you through how to exploit one text in lots of different ways. I go through various listening and reading tasks that you can do in lessons, and what pitfalls to avoid when you're choosing appropriate texts and activities for your students!
If you want to go into this in more depth, then join my Lesson Planning 101 CPD day! The first one is this Saturday, 7th May 2022 (sign up here: https://katelanguages.co.uk/product/mfl-lesson-planning-101-online-cpd/) or if you're listening to this after May 2022, then keep an eye on my website for more chances to join a CPD day with me!
Music is from Pixabay by Coma-Media
In the second episode of this mini-series, I talk about how to introduce vocabulary and phrases in MFL lessons. I describe different effective activities you can do on a whiteboard and on paper, and give some examples of my own favourite ways of introducing new language to your pupils.
In the episode, I mention a sample lesson about pets in French, which can be found on my website: https://katelanguages.co.uk/les-animaux-a-year-7-lesson-plan-with-new-gcse-style-questions/
And I also reference my Mastering the Basics series of resources, which are all here: https://katelanguages.co.uk/?s=Mastering+the+Basics
If you want to go into this in more depth, then join my Lesson Planning 101 CPD day! The first one is on 7th May 2022 (sign up here: https://katelanguages.co.uk/product/mfl-lesson-planning-101-online-cpd/) or if you're listening to this after May 2022, then keep an eye on my website for more chances to join a CPD day with me!
Music is from Pixabay by Coma-Media
In this episode, I talk about how to start an MFL lesson effectively. I give some tips on getting the students settled, which type of starter activities I think are the best and what to avoid!
In the episode, I mention Kate Jones' excellent Retrieval Practice book, which you can get here: https://www.johncattbookshop.com/retrieval-practice
If you want my MFL version of Kate Jones' retrieval practice placemat, then it's here: http://katelanguages.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Retrieval-practice-placemat-Fatskinny-font.pdf
And for more ideas on retrieval practice/starters in MFL, here's a blog post I wrote at the end of 2020: https://katelanguages.co.uk/retrieval-activities/
If you want to go into this in more depth, then join my Lesson Planning 101 CPD day! The first one is on 7th May 2022 (sign up here: https://katelanguages.co.uk/product/mfl-lesson-planning-101-online-cpd/) or if you're listening to this after May 2022, then keep an eye on my website for more chances to join a CPD day with me!
Music is from Pixabay by Coma-Media
Just wanted to let you know what's coming up in season 2 of The Kate Languages Podcast and try out my new jingle!
Season 2 is a mini-series of 5 episodes dedicated to the fundamentals of lesson planning in MFL - starters, introducing vocabulary, listening/reading, speaking/writing and finishing a lesson effectively.
Subscribe now to make sure you get each episode the minute they are released!
Music is from Pixabay by Coma-Media
In the last episode of season 1, I'm talking about saving time! If feels like there is simply not enough time in the day to do everything you need to do... so here are my top 5 tips to avoid wasting time. Hopefully, they will also help you to be more productive and, more importantly, allow you to spend precious time with loved ones, rest and recharge! From saying "no" to being confident that good is good enough, I wish I'd known these tips (and been assertive enough to implement them) when I was starting out as a teacher!
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 registration is open for the next block of lessons.
Do get in touch if you have any more questions!
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 200 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've received a lot of messages and emails recently about writing resources and setting up a website, so I'm hoping I've answered some of the most burning questions! As always, while it will be most useful for MFL teachers in England, I also believe that teachers in all subjects and Key Stages, and hopefully even from around the world, will find some helpful takeaways here... after all, writing resources is the essence of lesson planning, regardless of where you are and what you're teaching!
I wrote a blog post on this a few years ago as well, which also contains links to the photo websites I use in my resources - https://katelanguages.co.uk/a-guide-to-creating-and-selling-teaching-resources/
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 (so there are a couple of references to the pandemic and lockdowns) and it was so great, I just had to upload it here as a podcast episode so more people can hear it!
We chatted about all things motivation (of course), both teacher and student; TPRS; the importance of unpredictability in teaching; some great ideas for fun lessons... and so much more!
As always, I can't wait to hear what you thought of the episode, so get in touch on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook - I'm @katelanguages on all 3!
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 am quite honest about some of the difficulties I faced in a couple of schools); and then in response to the last question, I give some ideas for what jobs are good for ex-teachers, in case you're pondering leaving the classroom!
I'd love to do more of these in the future, so let me know if you have any more questions for me!
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 pandemic, we do talk about some ideas in relation to life in lockdown, but they can all be implemented in 'normal' times as well!
During the chat, we talked about a couple of different podcasts and books, including...
From Page to Practice - Bex's own podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/from-page-to-practice/id1478303084
Tiny Voice Talks podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-with-rebecca-nobes/id1526852152?i=1000506973960
Mary Myatt's Curriculum book (let's be honest, when have I NOT talked about this book in an episode haha!)
Simplicity Rules by Jo Facer
Teach Like Nobody's Watching by Mark Enser
Making Every Lesson Count by Andy Tharby and Shaun Allison
As always, I'd love your feedback on this episode, so get in touch on the socials (I'm @katelanguages on Insta, Facebook and Twitter) or email kate@katelanguages.co.uk
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 deeper with her, check out her Instagram feed and sign up to her FREE workshop on 25th Jan 2022!
We discussed a few books in the episode that we couldn't quite remember the names of! After a bit of googling, here are the details...
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Feel Better in 5 by Dr Rangan Chatterjee
7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg
As always, let me know what you think of the podcast! Can't wait for your feedback!
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 stage, planning culture into your curriculum, challenge with low threat and plenty of scaffolding, making it relevant and enjoyable... and lots more!
To download a free PowerPoint with my key ideas, go to my blog https://katelanguages.co.uk/blog/
As always, I'd love your feedback on this episode. I'm @katelanguages on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook or you can contact me through my website.
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 worth listening to if you're hoping for tips on how to scare children and the best way to yell at them!
For more information on this way of parenting and engaging with young people in general, have a look at their amazing website http://thedanishway.com and follow them on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thedanishway/
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, Twitter or Instagram - I'm @katelanguages on all 3!
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 Staffroom (https://katelanguages.co.uk/staffroom/) and my teacher planner that incorporates wellbeing, gratitude and positivity into your daily and weekly planning (https://katelanguages.co.uk/planners/).
As always, let me know your thoughts on social media (Katelanguages on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) or get in touch via my website.
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/