THIS IS THE LAST PODCAST (for the foreseeable future).

I’m hardly prolific with podcast releases but this will be the last one for the foreseeable future. I’ve decided to concentrate more on the YouTube side of things.

YouTube Channel – www.youtube.com/channel/UCKbariMdEytYHdmkpXiILnQ

The channel will have materials, concept videos and general useful teaching stuff! Please do all the usual YouTube stuff so I can be more visible on the site and you know when new videos are released (plus, it’s a digital pat on the head for me).

With Sam Hellmuth of York University, England, we think about these questions:

• With language acquisition, which comes first – production or perception?

• Why do your students sound angry when they aren’t?

• How much does accent affect comprehension?

• Can we learn to ‘de-accent’?

• Should we bother teaching English stress patterns?

Sam smoothly mixes theory and practical tips with some excellent real-world examples. Something for everyone.

We make a few references to the Lingua Franca Core, which is a topic that was covered way back in episode 4. If you need a refresher, you can find it here – https://mastersoftesol.wordpress.com/2015/02/13/04-questioning-the-native-english-norm-jennifer-jenkins/

Sam Hellmuth York University Bio – www.york.ac.uk/language/people/academic-research/sam-hellmuth/

Sam Hellmuth Twitter – twitter.com/samhellmuth?lang=en

Sam Hellmuth Site – samhellmuth.com

Masters of TESOL website – https://mastersoftesol.wordpress.com/

Masters of TESOL – @MOTcast

{bleep bloop bleep} I booted up cyborg teacher Stafford Lumsden to talk about online learning and the changing perception of what exactly a classroom is. We are more connected than ever and this shift in technology is changing the options that students have and how we teach. We discuss….

• distance learning
• e-learning vs online learning
• Is online education as ‘good’ as offline?
• Basics of having a repository
• LMS – Learning Management System – create assignments, give feedback, students upload and interact with each other and the instructor
• The pros and cons of a fully online classroom
• No one-size-fits-all with online teaching

Useful resources:

Google – heard of it? add dot com. It’s quite good.

Google Sites – make your own web pages

classroom.google.com – education specific ‘classrooms’. Students can submit and track assignments. Teachers can receive and give feedback on assignments all within the Google eco-system.

wix.com – make your own web pages

moodle.org – open source LMS. Requires some computer savvy to use

Blackboard.com – pricy. Would require financial support from your department

I am branching out into video.

First Video

Channel

Please watch, subscribe, like and all those things that everyone on YouTube is begging you to do! This is the first step of an expansion of MOT with the aim of eventually making materials for you to use in your own classes.

Please smash “subscribe”, pummel “like” and all that other YouTube stuff.

First Video – https://youtu.be/FWE2JPBf-PI

Channel – http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKbariMdEytYHdmkpXiILnQ/

Keywords: Bloom, Thinking Skills, Bloom’s Taxonomy, ESL, EFL, TESOL, TEFL, CELTA, DELTA, linguistics, language, second language, teaching, learning, English, bilingual, multilingual, cognition,

“Oh googie…dictation….”

Possibly one of the most misused input/output techniques. The dreaded dictation. How can we move beyond playing a CD or reading and having students just write down what they hear? Oksana Kharley takes us through some useful approaches and techniques for practicing listening and writing that don’t include playing audio a couple of times and then handing out a script. Her ideas can help open up some new avenues for activities that the word and a new way of thinking about “dictation” (eg, does it NEED to include writing?)

Some of these activities come from:

Paul Davis & Mario Rinvolucri. (2006). Dictation. New methods, new possibilities. CUP.

I caught up with Roger Fusselman after his KOTESOL conference presentation on using TED talks and videos in general for language teaching. This is a MUST listen for anyone using visual media in the classroom.

We cover the DOs and DON’Ts of choosing videos as well as his principles of using media:

Challenge / Meaningful / Support / Choice / Integration (connecting ideas) / Variety / Application

Video Sites referenced:

http://www.ted.com/talks

http://bigthink.com/

http://www.ideacity.ca/watch-talks/

Specific videos referenced:

How to start a movement

Power poses for confidence

The self-styled ‘bad boy’ of language teaching, Thomas Farrell, dropped by my office to take about self reflection. What do we do in the classroom and, importantly, WHY do we do it? Who are YOU as a teacher and what do YOU bring into the classroom?

Start adding this reflective practice regularly to your professional life and you’ll be surprised at the difference it can make to your personal and professional development.

Also a good lesson about having a safety net. I recorded this with my fancy MICs but the recordings failed for some reason, so this is based on my phone back-up recording. Phew….

Well, discourse markers are kinda a feature of, like, natural speech in, you know, basically every language. Jon Campbell-Larsen takes us through the how and why of teaching Discourse Markers. Here is a link to an example of how to scaffold students practicing these markers (based on Jon’s KOTESOL hand out). Feel free to adapt it for your own classes.

Discourse Markers HO2

Keywords: ESL, EFL, TESOL, TEFL, CELTA, DELTA, discourse markers, discourse, markers, linguistics, language, second language, teaching, learning, English, bilingual, multilingual, cognition, students, education,

How effective is using English language TV in helping students improve their pronunciation? Well, Reichmuth & Hanf actually did some research and the results are in. How I Met Your Mother!

Another quickie from the last KOTESOL conference.

Keywords: ESL, EFL, TESOL, TEFL, CELTA, DELTA, pronunciation, pronouncing, TV, linguistics, language, second language, teaching, learning, English, Israeli, , bilingual, mulitlingual, cognition,

The literal meaning (semantics) and the meaning of the use (pragmatics) of the language is a vital part of how we communicate in real life. So, let’s a show like this is chomping at the bit to dig down into this topic.

Keywords: ESL, EFL, TESOL, TEFL, CELTA, DELTA, pragmatics, semantics, linguistics, language, second language, teaching, learning, English, Israeli, Hebrew, bilingual, mulitlingual,  York, University of York, UK, England, cognition, Eytan Zweig,

In the first of this batch of hit-n-run quickie interviews from the KOTESOL conference in Seoul at the end of 2016, I spoke to Justin McKibben about how we can expand students roles. By giving students certain speaking tasks the traditional classroom would consider a teacher’s job, we can vastly increase student talk time and give them a broader sense of control in their own classroom.

Justin takes us through some of the techniques we can use in our classrooms to shift away from the traditional teacher-fronted classroom. You can start using these techniques immediately.

STT, TTT, ESL, EFL, TEFL, TESOL, CELTA, DELTA, teacher-fronted classroom, teaching, English,

We cover accidental phallic drawings, mistranslations, unintended puns, uncontrollable sweating…

If you have a good story, you can be part of a future episode. Record it and send it to mastersoftesol@gmail.com .

IG: mastersoftesol

Twitter: @MOTcast

Cool people subscribe on:

Google Play

https://play.google.com/music/m/Ithao3qppoidll3hfgekmbusswi?t=Masters_of_TESOL

iTunes

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/masters-of-tesol/id933226826?mt=2

EFL, ESL, English Teaching, TESOL, TEFL, CELTA, EIL,

I’m making a Christmas episode of the podcast and I need your help. Yes, YOU. The person reading this right now. Don’t look around, I’m talking to you~!

As serious, devoted education professionals, we all love hearing about things going wrong or weird in a lesson, so the end-of-year episode is going to be a collection of funny stories from the classroom. I’ve already recorded a few with the recent interviewees. If you’d like to contribute, I’d love to have your story.

This episode, we start with a little experiment and get more interactive. Let us know what country you thought the music originated in at @MOTcast with the hashtag #motesol . I’ll put up the results on www.mastersoftesol.com

Andrew Ewan MacFarlane is a lecturer at University of York in the Department of Language and Linguistic Science and a sociolinguist. We spent a while flipping back and forth between accents and dialects, reminiscing about Margaret Thatcher, thinking about unobtrusive kiwis and kangaroos, gettin’ daaaan wit da yoof o’ London innit, and playing “Name That [Country of Origin] Tune”.

This was one of my favourite interviews so far and hopefully inspires more than a few listeners to get deeper into the subject.

Footnotes:

Margaret Thatcher’s voice – before and after

Multicultural London English

MOT on Instagram

@MOTcast

Now on Instagram!

Once again, I got lost in the labyrinthian corridors of the University of York Language & Linguistic Science department, this time to speak to Tamar Keren-Portnoy about first language acquisition. There’s a lot of similarities between how we learn our first language and how we acquire our second language, so it’s a useful topic for ESL / EFL / second language teachers.

She gives us insights into such things as how babies develop syntax/grammar norms, why they learn some words earlier than others, how babies are not simply mimicking their caretakers and, through her own research with Rory DePaolis & Marilyn Vihman, how babies learn through listening and the sounds they themselves make.

You may remember Marilyn Vihman from episode 9 of MOT.

Later in the year, I’ll release a mini-episode about the developmental stages of babies.

Links:

Marilyn Vihman Interview on MOT

“Travel Broadens the Mind” – Campos et al (2000)

Key words: baby, babies, acquisition, teaching, learning, babbling, language, babbling, cooing,

This episode, I speak to University of York’s Heather Marsden about the controversial Critical Period hypothesis. This theory suggests that there is a limited age at which we can learn a second language, after which it grows increasingly difficult. Anecdotally, we assume this to be true – kids are sponges for language while older people struggle – but what does the research say about this?

This episode is simply a bite-sized introduction to a much larger topic, so I encourage you to search around for other perspectives on this subject.

Heather Marsden @ University of York

Follow me on @MOTcast

Now on Instagram!

Noob glossary:

L1 – first/native language

L2 – second language

input – any exposure to the L2

interference – where the L1 grammar, vocab or pronunciation affects or negatively influences L2 production

@MOTcast

www.mastersoftesol.com

Subscribe on iTunes

I’m alive! Back after five months with a quickie that (hopefully) gives us a foundation for a deeper look at this topic later this year with a real expert.

We’re looking at TESTING & EVALUATION – The main priciples in this episode:

• Practicality
• Reliability
• Validity
• Authenticity
• Washback

Lots of info comes from this excellent book:

Language Assessment: Principles and Classroom Practices – Brown & Abeywickrama

Subscribe on iTunes

Follow me on Twitter – @MOTcast

To a monolingual, being bilingual or multilingual seems magical. More than one language in one head – no one can live at that speed! As a result, some unusual misconceptions have grown around linguistic phenomena that, globally, is far more common than speaking a single language.

Marilyin Vihman has significant experience in bilingualism both personally and academically. In this episode, recorded in her office at the University of York, we look at some of the myths about bilingual development and which are outright wrong and which lean closer to the truth than others.

The myths we bust – or, in some cases, bruise – are:

1. Bilinguals are two monolinguals in one head
2. Bilinguals start to speak later than monolinguals
3. Babies soak up languages like sponges
4. Some languages are more primitive than others, so are easier to learn
5. English is widely spoken (as a second language) because it has less grammar
6. Parents pass on mistakes and non-native accents to their children
7. There’s one right way to raise a bilingual child

(Adapted from Pearson (2008))

Marilyn Vihman at University of York

[This episode follows up on issues first covered in episode 4 with Jennifer Jenkins.]

English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) is a perplexing thing. It’s not an approach. It’s not a methodology. It’s a perspective. So there’s nothing for teachers to really get solid a grip on. This can get frustrating for teachers and can leave us more confused than enlightened.

In this episode, Martin Dewey of King’s College London towels off this slippery subject with a classroom perspective. Rethink how much attention we give certain language aspects in our classes, moving away from the native speaker norm, focusing on how students adapt their speech for the specific situation.

M’Kay…

Due to the time difference, I was up at dawn for this Skype interview so I was a little sleepy and, yes, I do say “curriculums” at one point!

If you like the show, SUBSCRIBE! Questions, comments, requests to…

@MOTcast

www.masterofTESOL.com

Further reading:

V.O.I.C.E  – Vienna Oxford International Corpus of English

“Understanding English as a Lingua Franca” on Amazon

“Exploring ELF” on Amazon

Martin Dewey’s Research

Jennifer Jenkins on Amazon

In this episode we hear from TESOL methodology trainer Tom Randolph about some of the reasons ESL / EFL lessons don’t succeed, and how to avoid it happening. I chip in with my own experience as a teacher trainer based on the classes I have monitored that didn’t go well.

There’re plenty of solid tips and even activity ideas in this conversation, so there’s something for everyone, regardless of experience.

I’d love to hear your ideas too. Don’t be shy!

@MOTcast

www.mastersofTESOL.com

As teachers, we need to be aware of how students are learning. Different brain systems need to work together in order to retain information and, most importantly, integrate it into existing systems. So, what is the best approach for teachers to give the best chance for students to improve? Stephen van Vlack slices open the brain (metaphorically) to show us how the different brain systems interact and the most effective ways for students to improve.

This is one of the more difficult subjects we’ve tackled on MOT, but Stephen breaks it down into an understandable view of how information and perception affects language learning and retention.

This is a slimmed down version of the full interview. To hear an extra 8 minutes (I say 15 minutes on the show, but it’s not that long!), including how learning an L2 affects L1, click here. Absolutely free. I’m so good to you…

Be cool and subscribe on iTunes or your podcast catcher of choice, and get the episodes without lifting a finger (more than once!).

@MOTcast

www.masterofTESOL.com

Some terms used in this episode:

L1 / L2 – Language 1 (native / first language), Language 2 (second/additional language)

SLA – Second Language Aquisition

Links:

Stephan van Vlack’s page

Teaching with the brain in mind – Jenson – on Amazon

A Users Guide to the Brain – Ratey – on Amazon

Learning: Principles and Applications – Klein – on Amazon

One of the most overlooked elements of teaching spoken language is intonation. Yet it’s extremely important for conveying meaning. Traditional methods of teaching intonation tended to be simple listen-and-repest drills.

Our guest for this episode, Prof. Dorothy Chun, has researched using visualisation to teach intonation, where students are able to see the contours of a native speaker and compare it to their own production.

I spoke to Dorothy Chun over Skype, defying the 16-hour time difference, to get the expert opinion on the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of teaching intonation.

If you never do any intonation practice, this will be a useful guide for how to introduce it to your classes.

@MOTcast

www.mastersofTESOL.com

Dorothy Chun

PRAAT Visualization software (free) (Windows and Mac)

Jazz Chants

English as a Lingua Franca – ELF – is English as a shared language (usually) between non-native speakers.

As English becomes more and more globalised, we question whether the Native Speaker model should be the goal in the classroom. Prof. Jennifer Jenkins first broached this idea back in 2000 and was met with excitement and resistance.

Native Speaker teachers may feel threatened. Non-native teachers may feel empowered.

Maybe it’s time to reconsider correcting students with “Well, I understand what you mean, but we say it like this…”

The ELF Core

If you like the show, SUBSCRIBE! Questions, comments, requests to…

@MOTcast

www.masterofTESOL.com

Further reading:

V.O.I.C.E  – Vienna Oxford International Corpus of English

“Understanding English as a Lingua Franca” on Amazon

Jennifer Jenkins on Amazon

“Exploring ELF” on Amazon

Martin Dewey’s Research

Hands up if you’ve been properly trained on giving feedback on students’ writing… Yep, not many of us.

Ahmar Mahboob gives a valuable insight into the most effective approach. Below are some links where you can get a more in depth look at his approaches. Is peer assessment any good? How and when should we focus on grammar?

Also, we have a saucy classroom story from @michaelegriffin (find him at eltrantsreviewsreflections.wordpress.com) about an unexpectedly forward question from a student. You can get involved too by sending your story to me (details at www.mastersofTESOL.com)

Important Links:

https://www.academia.edu/1055042/Providing_effective_feedback_in_an_online_environment

sydney.academia.edu/AhmarMahboob

newengland.academia.edu/DevoYDevrim

Music: Les Juanitos – “Black Samba”

This podcast is for ESL, EFL, TESOL, TEFL, ELT teaching

In class, we point behind us to represent the past. Forward for the future. But, other than Total Physical Response, how else can we use gestures?

Scott Thornbury is the second of my “ambush interviews”. His current workshop revolves around using gestures beyond the simple physical references, going deeper into how they affect cognition and strengthen recall.

For example, using gestures to represent the present perfect is a weird idea that a lot of teachers – and students – might be hesitant to use at first. However, there is evidence that using gestures to teach this tense, which can be extremely confusing for learners whose first language doesn’t have a similar form, has a more profound impact than regular teaching techniques.

Also, what’s the strangest question a student has asked you? Record me a short file and let me know – www.mastersoftesol.com – Shy types can tweet me and I’ll read it.  @MOTcast  Let’s hear what weird things people wanted to know!

Useful links:

Scott Thornbury’s books on Amazon

Louder Than Words – Bergan

Music: Les Juanitos – “Soul Walking”

This podcast is for ESL, EFL, TESOL, TEFL, ELT teaching

Here is the first episode of the MOT podcast. If you like it, please SUBSCRIBE!

Follow the podcast on @MOTcast

Now, us teachers use a lot of visual media in our classes, but have you ever thought about how you’re phrasing the questions? A pretty standard question is “tell me about the picture [on page XX]”. In this episode, I speak to Gabriel Diaz Maggioli from The New School, NYC, about Visual Thinking Strategy (VTS) and how to get the best answers from students.

Gabriel was very nice and very generous with his time. If you want to imagine him while you listen, he looks a bit like early-Apple pioneer Steve Wozniak! I caught him outside the KoTESOL conference in Seoul after he’d given a workshop about VTS. He agreed to the interview so long as he could smoke while we talked.

This is a fascinating subject precisely because using visual media in class is so common, and yet we often skirt over it quite quickly, treating it simply as a schema activating tool. However, as Gabriel explains, it can be – and is – so much more than just a way of easing into a new unit in the textbook. The way in which we handle the 3 VTS questions has benefits that extend beyond just getting a better answer in the moment.

Find more on Gabriel at

http://www.newschool.edu/facultyexperts/faculty.aspx?id=88352

Music: Les Juanitos “Soul Walking”