The Kate Languages Podcast

This episode is all about writing! Specifically, how to ensure your students are acing their writing in MFL lessons.Taken from my self-paced online course "Structuring an Outstanding MFL Lesson" (https://www.katelanguages.co.uk/offers/joEeNHLn/checkout), this episode outlines how to use a model answer as a basis for a writing task in a lesson. I also describe why it's so important to allow students to redraft their writing, and as always, I have some low-prep ideas for activities that you can do to help students to improve their writing skills immediately.Keep an eye on my social media (I'm @katelanguages on Instagram and Facebook) for details of my workshop about writing, delivered by the fabulous Abbie Stratford (@whynotlanguages_ on Instagram)!Music is by Coma Media from Pixabay.

This episode is the recording of my show and tell webinar, from December 2024.In the webinar, lots of amazing people shared their ideas for activities to help teach phonics in MFL. We had some great AI ideas from Joe Dale, Crista Hazell shared some brilliant tips, and Jerome Nogues popped along at the end to share more fab ideas as well! Plus, lots more wonderful teachers, and a few games and activities from me, too.To watch the recording of the webinar, head over to katelanguages.co.uk and sign up for my free resources. The recording is there, along with 2 other show and tell workshops and loads of great resources and other free CPD.Music is by Coma Media from Pixabay.

In this episode of the Kate Languages Podcast, I talk about the things I would do differently if I were to start a new business, knowing what I know now.From niching down more quickly, to showing up more confidently on social media and sorting out my pricing, I describe some of the mistakes I've made along the way and give you advice on setting up your own business or side hustle.If you'd like more business and marketing content from me, head over to Instagram and request to join my close friends list, where I share weekly tips and insights about running an education business.Music is by Coma Media from Pixabay.

In this episode of the Kate Languages Podcast, I talk about how important it is for us as educators to continue on a journey of lifelong learning. Not only for our own interest and enjoyment, but as role models for your students as well.I outline 5 ways in which I continuously learn - while none of them are groundbreaking, I think it's good to have a reminder sometimes of the simple things we can do to ensure our own lifelong learning.Resources mentioned in this episode are:My online course, Structuring an Outstanding MFL Lesson https://www.katelanguages.co.uk/offers/joEeNHLn/checkoutMartha Brook's online course about Instagram https://www.businesssecretsclub.com/a/2148004140/gQpcWSJ2 (affiliate link)Language Show Live (access to recordings) https://languageshowlive.co.ukMy podcast producer is Joe Dale and the music is from Coma Media from Pixabay.

In this brilliant chat with Dylan and Hayden from the Teach Sleep Repeat podcast, we discussed all things MFL in primary schools. What's actually going on with language teaching in primary schools? How do primary teachers feel about languages? Is there a solution?!We also talked about leaving teaching and setting up your own tuition business, which is something Dylan and Hayden are on the path to doing themselves.My podcast producer is Joe Dale and the music is by Coma Media from Pixabay.

Season 9 of the Kate Languages Podcast is here! As always, we're kicking off the season with a Q&A episode.In this episode, I talk about my words of the year for 2024 and 2025, plus I answer a few questions from my lovely Instagram community. Tune in to find out if I answered your question!Music is by Coma-Media from Pixabay and I edited and produced this episode myself (apologies if the quality isn't quite as good as normal!).

In this episode of the Kate Languages Podcast, my second Q&A episode of the season, I answer lots of brilliant questions from my fabulous Instagram community. From what is the best thing about MFL teaching, to dealing with unmotivated, low-ability students, via a detailed description of how I manage my to-do list, and many more in between, have a listen to find out if your question was included!If you have a question for a future Q&A episode, get in touch on social media or email hello@katelanguages.co.uk.Joe Dale is my podcast producer and the music is by Coma-Media from Pixabay.

This episode was a difficult one to record, but I'm so glad I did! In the episode, I describe three of my biggest failures in my professional life, and (more importantly) what I have learnt from each one.From my failure to get a teaching job when I was doing my PGCE, to the way I quit teaching, and a more recent failure within my business, this is a super personal and honest episode! I hope that by talking about my own failures, and what I have learnt from them, you can see that everyone makes mistakes all the time, but the key thing is how we come back from these failures and put strategies in place to ensure they don't happen again.As this is such a personal episode, I would really love to hear from you - has this episode helped you in any way? What are your own biggest failures and what have you learnt from them? Let me know on Facebook or Instagram, or email hello@katelanguages.co.ukJoe Dale is my podcast producer and the music is by Coma-Media from Pixabay.

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 - MultilingProfilerPadlet's “I can't draw” feature - I can't drawThe Language Show 2023's YouTube channel - The Language Show - YouTubeThe Arizona State University image accessibility generator - Image Accessibility Generator - Teach OnlinePerplexity AI - PerplexityFind Joe on YouTube, Twitter/X and LinkedIn, and join his Facebook group here: Language Teaching with AI | FacebookJoe 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!In the episode, I mentioned Barbara Allen https://www.grabandgolanguageresources.co.uk and Alicia, who runs the Female Entrepreneurs Content Club https://www.instagram.com/theclienthunter/ - I can highly recommend both of these fabulous women!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 16th March 2024, or purchase access to the recording and PPT if you've missed it, here: https://katelanguages.co.uk/product/stretch-and-challenge-effective-extension-tasks-online-cpd/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.ukJoe Dale is my podcast producer and the music is by Coma-Media from Pixabay.

In this special BONUS episode of the Kate Languages Podcast, I spoke to the incredible Crista Hazell about creativity in MFL. Drama, music and film are such wonderful (and possibly under-utilised?) tools that we can use in our teaching and Crista has so many wonderful ideas about how to fully exploit them!Find Crista on Twitter (X) @cristahazell and read her excellent book entitled MFL: How to make modern foreign language teaching exciting, inclusive and relevant - https://www.independentthinking.co.uk/speakers/crista-hazell/During the interview we referenced the following:Greg Horton, GroupTalk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v12QHnkMcUgKagan strategies - https://www.kaganonline.com/index.phpInto Film - https://www.intofilm.orgAs always, let me know your thoughts on the episode and tell me about how you have implemented creativity in your own language teaching! I'm @katelanguages on Facebook and Instagram or email me through my website katelanguages.co.uk

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

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-teachersJoin the Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/languageteachingwithaiMusic 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.

Welcome to my summer 2023 replay series! This summer, I'm re-releasing some of my favourite ever podcast episodes that I think are well worth a re-listen.In this episode, which was the last episode of series 4, I discussed 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 was only 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

Welcome to my summer 2023 replay series! This summer, I'm re-releasing some of my favourite ever podcast episodes that I think are well worth a re-listen.In this episode, which was first released way back in October 2021 as episode 4 of the first season of the podcast, I talked about the fascinating book 'The Danish Way of Parenting' by Jessica Joelle Alexander and Iben Dissing Sandhal. In the episode, I discussed 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/Music is from Pixabay by Coma Media

Welcome to my summer 2023 replay series! This summer, I'm re-releasing some of my favourite ever podcast episodes that I think are well worth a re-listen.This episode, which was originally released back in February 2022, was the 10th episode in my (longer than subsequent seasons) first season!In the episode, I talked 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 in 2022, it's now well over 3000, although TES have stopped giving a sales count of resources so I'm not sure of the exact numbers). 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 came about as I had received a lot of messages and emails about writing resources and setting up a website, so hopefully I 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!After this episode was released, I ran a CPD workshop on Creating Resources, which is available as an exclusive resource as part of my 'Buy Everything' offer https://katelanguages.co.uk/buy-everything/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/As always, let me know your thoughts on this episode, and if you love my free content and would like to buy me a coffee to say thanks, you can do so at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/katelanguagesMusic is from Pixabay by Coma-Media

Welcome to my summer 2023 replay series! This summer, I'm re-releasing some of my favourite ever podcast episodes that I think are well worth a re-listen.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 and Facebook) or through my website katelanguages.co.ukDuring 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!).Music is from Pixabay by Coma-Media

Welcome to my summer 2023 replay series! This summer, I'm re-releasing some of my favourite ever podcast episodes that I think are well worth a re-listen.This was my 3rd ever episode and in it, I gave a few ideas on how to maintain and/or improve your language skills as an MFL teacher. It seemed like an ideal time to re-release this episode as it's the start of the summer holidays for lots of people, and most of these ideas can be implemented by a pool/on the beach!Let me know your thoughts on what you do to keep up your own languages skills - I'm @katelanguages on Facebook and Instagram or email me through my website katelanguages.co.ukMusic is from Pixabay by Coma Media

Welcome to my summer 2023 replay series! This summer, I'm re-releasing some of my favourite ever podcast episodes that I think are well worth a re-listen.The 7th episode of the summer replay series was the last episode in season 3, when 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 polyglotsSteve Kaufmann - polyglot featured in Krashen's workhttps://lingua.com and https://www.yabla.comJournal en français facileAn explanation of 'movie talk'SQ3RMy blog post on authentic resources for language learnersThe MFL Virtual Book Club on FacebookYou can find lots more of Janina's ideas and work on her website, YouTube channel and podcast.Music is from Pixabay by Coma-Media

Welcome to my Summer 2023 replay series!This was episode 5 of season 1 of the podcast, released back in November 2021.In this episode, I talked about the things you need to bear in mind when designing an MFL curriculum (particularly at KS3). I discussed 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 talked 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 post https://katelanguages.co.uk/designing-a-curriculum/Music is from Pixabay by Coma-Media

Welcome to my Summer 2023 Replay Series!This summer, I'm re-releasing some of my favourite ever podcast episodes that I think are well worth a re-listen. In this episode, which was originally released as Episode 2 of Season 3 in September 2022, I chatted to the wonderful Julie (@teachingplanninglanguages on Instagram) about how to plan your lessons in the most efficient way possible. We talked 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 referenced 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 mentioned the Positive Teacher Company's PowerPoint slides, which are well worth checking out!Music is from Pixabay by Coma-Media

Welcome to my Summer 2023 Replay series!This was my first ever podcast episode! In the episode I talked about the pros and cons of using GCSE-style activities at KS3. I think this is particularly relevant as we turn our focus towards the next new GCSE (first teaching 2024) and how we can adapt our KS3 and KS4 lessons to ensure we're covering the requirements of the new GCSE.For more information and ideas on all things new GCSE, come along to my CPD series, starting in September 2023 (don't worry if you've missed it - it's all recorded and available to watch in your own time afterwards). More info here: https://katelanguages.co.uk/product/the-new-gcse-online-cpd-series/Music is from Pixabay by Coma-Media

Welcome to my summer 2023 replay series! This summer, I'm re-releasing some of my favourite ever podcast episodes that I think are well worth a re-listen.This episode was first released as the second episode in season 1, waaaaay back in April 2021! My life has changed enormously since then, and even more so from when I was suffering from burnout, but I still think it is hugely relevant for all teachers, especially as it feels like teaching has become even harder since 2021, and certainly since 2017, when I left the classroom.I was quite nervous about releasing this episode the first time round but I wanted to be as open and candid as possible about why I ended up burning out, and to share some of the things I did to help me recover. From getting outside and moving, to meditation, gratitude and setting boundaries, these are things I still try to incorporate into my daily life now, to keep my mental health on track and make sure I never get back to that place of burnout ever again.If you're finding teaching overwhelming and tough right now, have a listen to this episode and let me know what you think! Does it resonate with you? Is it helpful to hear from someone who has been through it and come out the other side?As always, let me know your thoughts on the socials - I'm @katelanguages on Facebook and Instagram or email me through my website katelanguages.co.ukMusic is from Pixabay by Coma-Media.

Welcome to my summer 2023 replay series! This summer, I'm re-releasing some of my favourite ever podcast episodes that I think are well worth a re-listen.The second episode in the summer replay series is a conversation I had with Deborah Young back in October 2022 about managing your workload and remembering that teaching is just a job and shouldn't take over your whole life.From teacher workload, to building great relationships with students, to accidentally teaching the wrong vocabulary items (this anecdote actually had me crying with laughter), in the original episode, Debs and I discussed 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.I spoke to Debs for my first ever live podcast episode as well - Teaching through the menopause, season 4 episode 3 - which is also well worth a listen, if you haven't already.As always, let me know what you think on social media - I'm @katelanguages on Instagram and Facebook or email me through my website katelanguages.co.ukMusic is from Pixabay by Coma-Media

Welcome to my summer 2023 replay series! This summer, I'm re-releasing some of my favourite ever podcast episodes that I think are well worth a re-listen.First up is this one, which was episode 12 of season 1 of the podcast, first released way back in February 2022.This is one of my favourite, and most popular, episodes to date and I really need to follow my own advice from this episode! Time is something we have very little of, and the one thing we can never make more of, so figuring out how to save time by saying no, not reinventing the wheel and accepting that good is good enough is absolutely vital both for your physical and mental health.In the episode, I talk about saving time by exploiting one text in lots of different ways and I'm actually running a whole 2-hour workshop on this exact topic next academic year - go to https://katelanguages.co.uk/product/exploiting-one-text-online-cpd/ or sign up to all of my CPD for 2023-24 here https://katelanguages.co.uk/product/kate-languages-cpd-2023-24-online-cpd-bundle/ And don't forget that 'Buy Everything' customers get all CPD (plus resources, full lessons, pre-recorded CPD and tons of exclusives) included for no extra cost! https://katelanguages.co.uk/buy-everything/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.ukMusic 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:Davina McCall's Channel 4 programme about the menopause https://www.channel4.com/programmes/davina-mccall-sex-myths-and-the-menopauseMariella Fristrup's book Cracking the Menopause https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/mariella-frostrup/cracking-the-menopause/9781529059052Dr Louise Newson's Balance app and podcast https://www.balance-menopause.comMusic 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