The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast

Raising multilingual children takes some planning and intention. Join us as ESOL teacher and multilingual mama Anna (Anya) Burt walks us through what it takes to raise multilingual children, the myths surrounding bilingualism, and practical approaches to introducing languages to your children. 👶🏻🍼 Whether you have or plan to have your own children, or simply whether you teach a language or love learning languages yourself, there’s bound to be a takeaway for you in this jam-packed episode! 💡 🤔 Reflect with us: What’s your approach to raising multilingual children? 📚 Resources: Book: Bilingualism: Myths and Realities Article: Models of Bilingual Living Article: The adventure of raising bilingual children Article: Bilingualism in the early years Najwa - Armonia Multilingue - Family Language Coach Anya’s children’s books: http://www.abburt.com Contact her via email at info@abburt.com.  🗣️Books, Board Games and Toys from Russian-Speaking Cultures: STP Goods Store: https://www.stpgoods.com/ Sunduchok Detskikh Knig Store: https://www.sunduchokknig.com/ Russian-Speaking Children’s Shows on YouTube: Malyshariki Buryonka Dasha Masha i Medvyed’ Mi-Mi-Mishki  Zhyla-Byla Tsarevna Fiksiki Tsarevny --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teacherthinkaloud/support

In this episode, Anna and Shey chat with Aileen Hale, international teacher trainer, consultant, and creator of Travel with Purpose, a podcast about language and culture acquisition through service learning. Join us to reflect on what it means to teach in an international context and how to do so in a meaningful and respectful way.  💡 Reflect with us: Where have you taught around the world, or where would you like to go?  How will you ensure your experience is purposeful? 📚 Resources: Learn more about service learning: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/what-heck-service-learning-heather-wolpert-gawron  Learn more about Aileen and her work supporting individuals interested in service learning: https://www.create-connections.net/  Travel with Purpose Podcast --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teacherthinkaloud/support

Join us for a fascinating conversation with Ben Buckwold, CEO and Founder of Ellii (formerly ESL Library) and Tara Benwell, Ellii’s VP of Publishing, as we dive into the world of materials writing! 📚 ✨ Whether you're a teacher curious about transitioning into content creation or looking to learn more about how Ellii got its start, this episode is packed with insights and inspiration.  Tune in and discover how teaching experience can shape and elevate the creation of high-quality learning resources. Reflect with us: Have you ever wondered what it might be like to transition into another area within education? What roles are you entertaining? Have you already done it? How have your teacher skills transferred into your new role? 📚Resources: Podcast episode: E15 - So you’ve lost your zest for teaching Ellii Polls: https://ellii.com/gather/ellii-polls --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teacherthinkaloud/support

In this episode, we explore the often-overlooked role of silence in the language classroom. Discover how integrating moments of quiet can enhance learning, foster self-reflection, and support social-emotional learning (SEL). Luis Javier Pentón Herrera shares his insights and practical tips for teachers looking to bring quiet into their classrooms. Tune in now and learn how silence can be a powerful tool in your teaching toolkit! Reflect with us: What role does silence play in your language classroom? 📚Resources: Podcast episode: E2 - Shut up and let them talk!  Website: Luis Javier Pentón Herrera Article: 2024 TESOL Teacher of the Year Book: Social Emotional Learning In the English Language Classroom (Luis Javier Pentón Herrera & Gilda Martinez-Alba, 2021) Silence in English Language Pedagogy: From Research to Practice (Bao, 2023) Article: Into the Void: Re-envisioning Silence Through an SEL Lens in Foreign Language Education (Forthcoming, December 2024) Book: Social-Emotional Learning in English Language Teaching (Forthcoming, December 2024)  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teacherthinkaloud/support

On this episode, guest Eric Trader shares his experience as the director of a community-based learning center serving a multilingual population with diverse needs. Join us and be inspired by Eric’s optimism, creative problem-solving, and his lovely singing voice! 📚Resources: Podcast episode: Jennifer Jenkins on Global Englishes (TEFLology, 2018) Article: Teaching pronunciation for English as a Lingua Franca: A sociopolitical perspective (Jenkins, 2009).  Article: A Sociolinguistically Based, Empirically Researched Pronunciation Syllabus for English as an International Language (Jenkins, 2002) Article: Which pronunciation norms and models for English as an International Language (Jenkins, 1998). --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teacherthinkaloud/support

On this episode, guest Angela Tribus Ramos shares her perspective on teaching networking, considering all of the cultural nuances involved in this challenging skill. From reducing anxiety around small talk to Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and, yes, our passion for birding 🦆🦅🦉you’re sure to come away with oodles of practical takeaways. 📚 Resources: Name Coach Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture Hofstede Comparison Tool “Conversation Dominoes” Activity Informational Interview Best Practices Critical Thinking Cheat Sheet Connect with Angela on LinkedIn!X | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | YouTube --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teacherthinkaloud/support

How do you sustain your professional development as an educator? In this episode, guest Yulia Kharchenko shares a framework she and her colleagues have developed to ensure future teachers are prepared for future challenges in the teaching profession… 🎧 📚Resources: Article: Reflective Practice for Language Teachers (Farrell, 2018)  Article: Reflective practice framework for TESOL teachers: one teacher's reflective journey (Farrell & Kennedy, 2019) Article: Reed, M., Kharchenko, Y., & Bodis, A. (forthcoming). Sustainability in English language teacher education: Preparing teachers for an unknown future. In M. Riazi & N.A. Nazari (Eds.), Adaptable English Language Teaching: Reconsidering Established Practices and Frameworks. Routledge. Episode: A Holistic Approach to PD (with Ramin Yazdanpanah) Connect with Yulia on X or LinkedIn! X | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | YouTube --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teacherthinkaloud/support

How do you create a welcoming atmosphere for all students? 🌈 In this episode, guest Kim Carroll shares insights on how to make our classrooms safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ individuals worldwide. 📚Resources: Webinar: Making Space for All: LGBTQ+ Awareness and Engagement in the English Language Classroom (RELO Andes) Article: Exploring LGBT Lives and Issues in Adult ESOL (British Council) Article: It’s Not in the Curriculum: Adult English Language Teachers and LGBQ Topics (Rhodes & Coda, 2017) Padlet: Making Space for LGBTQ+ Students (Kim Carroll) X | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | YouTube --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teacherthinkaloud/support

We’re just recovering from our week in Tampa, Florida, for the TESOL 2024 Convention. And wow, what a week! 🌴 In this episode, we reflect on our experience, share snippets from other conference attendees, and take the pulse of the field of TESOL. Watch on YouTube or Spotify for the full effect! 🎥 ⭐  Check out our Reflective Practice Starter Kit! 🤓 Read our blog post: Maximizing Your Conference Experience. 🎧 Further listening:  E25 – Handling conflict in the classroom (with Joe Voigts) E34 – Trauma-sensitive practices (with Sherry MacKay) E48 – Bring your teaching alive with ChatGPT (with Jeff McIlvenna) E51 – 2024 Friends of the Podcast: AI in ELT E53 – Teachers as Advocates: You can do it too! (with Rosemary Colón) X | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | YouTube --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teacherthinkaloud/support

Have you engaged in advocacy efforts as a language teacher? ✊ In this episode, guest Rosemary Colón talks about her experience at the 2023 TESOL Advocacy & Policy Summit and shares entry points for teachers to find their footing as advocates for English language learners. #advocacy #multilinguallearners #teacheradvocates#ELT #TeachEnglish #ESL #EFL #TESOL #Teaching #Education #LoveTeaching #GlobalELT #Teacher #English #LanguageLearning Advocacy Tools & Resources: TESOL International's Advocacy Page  Office of English Language Acquisition Migration Policy Institute X | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | YouTube --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teacherthinkaloud/support

In this episode, guest Anna Ayrapetyan, a university professor in Armenia, walks us through her innovative approach to get students practicing speaking outside of the classroom: podcasts! 💡Learn about her process, receive recommendations for implementing this project in your context, and hear a snippet from a few of her students! #ProjectBasedLearning #PBL #Podcasting #PodcastingForLanguageLearning #PracticeSpeaking #ELT #TeachEnglish #ESL #EFL #TESOL #Teaching #Education #LoveTeaching #GlobalELT #Teacher #English #LanguageLearning 🎧 On this episode:  Episode 38: Incorporating music in ELT (with Heather and Ece of English as a Singing Language) Episode 52: Stop hovering! (with Miriam Plotinsky) Episode 27: Why we love project-based learning  Questions for reflection: Have you ever had students create podcasts to reach a learning objective?  How have you integrated student-led podcasting into your teaching context? X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teacherthinkaloud/support

Happy New Year, everyone! 🌟 We’re kicking off 2024 with a special video episode: Friends of the Podcast - AI in ELT! Featuring voices from new and old friends. 🥰Listen and join the conversation about #AI and English language teaching, from why teachers are wary of it to creative ideas on how to use it for teaching. 💡 Watch on YouTube or Spotify for the full effect. 📽️  🎧 On this episode: E48 - Bring your teaching alive with ChatGPT (with Jeff McIlvenna) 🤖 AI Tools & Resources: AI for Education, Prompt Library Guidebook on Prompting for Language Learning PDF.ai Brisk Teaching Twee Bing Image Creator Amira Learning 99Math 🥰 Old friends:  Alex Tang: E46 - Challenging inequities toward multilingual teachers Anna Ayrapetyan: E40 - TESOL Special 2023! Dustin Steichman: E43 - Culture through stories (with Dustin Steichmann of Sandman Stories Presents) Ekaterine Pipia: E47 - CLIL & team teaching: sweetening the pill Heather McNaught & Ece Ulus: E38 - Incorporating music in ELT (with Heather and Ece of English as a Singing Language) 🌱  New friends: Anne Haggerson Kim Carroll Kyla McMillan Johanna Gleason X | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | YouTube --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teacherthinkaloud/support

Episode 50…can you believe it?! 🌟 We’ve nested some fun bloopers into this reflective episode, in which we think back on our personal developments and podcast highlights from 2023. Listen to the very end (after the theme music) for one last little surprise. 😜 Wishing happy holidays to all! ☃️ 🎧 On this episode:  E46 - Challenging inequities toward multilingual teachers (with Carine Saucillo and Alex Tang) E44 - Global citizenship: Opening the view to the possible (with Brantley Turner) E48 - Bring your teaching alive with ChatGPT (with Jeff McIlvenna) E38 - Incorporating music in ELT (with Heather and Ece of English as a Singing Language) E42 - Stop hovering! (with Miriam Plotinsky) E43 - Culture through stories (with Dustin Steichmann of Sandman Stories Presents) Friends of the Podcast: AI in ELT 🤖 We need you! We want to know how you have started to use AI in your classroom. Tell us, and get featured on our annual Friends of the Podcast episode, where we integrate the voices of our listeners from around the world, to be released in early 2024. How to contribute:  Step 1: Reflect on the following questions and how you would answer them: Tell us your name, pronouns, and country. What’s your teaching context? What’s your role? Who are your students? Have you used AI? If not, why not? What’s your hesitation? If you answered yes above, what have been your favorite 1-2 tools so far? What are the pros and cons? Describe an activity you’ve tried in your classroom using this/these tool/s. How did it go? What tips do you have for implementing it? Step 2: Access our WhatsApp group and record your answer as an audio memo. Alternatively, you can email us an audio file of your answers at teacherthinkaloud@gmail.com.X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teacherthinkaloud/support

In this episode, guest Amy Joy Rovirosa, the creator of @your_fav_english_teacher, tells us about what it takes to get your English language teaching YouTube channel off the ground and how learners can leverage YouTube for greater language gains. Complete with excerpts from her fantastic videos! Watch the episode video on our YouTube channel or Spotify for the full effect. 📽️ ✔️ Follow Your Favorite English Teacher: TikTok Instagram YouTube 📽️ On this episode:  How to Hedge in English | Useful Vocabulary to Improve your Academic English English Vocabulary about Social Issues: 20 words you need to know What are American Weddings like? | Attend an American Wedding with Me! ⭐ Check out Amy Joy’s E-Book! Questions for reflection: Do you have a favorite YouTube teacher?  Have you ever tried starting your own YouTube channel? Friends of the Podcast: AI in ELT 🤖 We need you! Episode 48 is just the beginning of our exploration of AI on the podcast. We want to know how you have started to use AI in your classroom. Tell us, and get featured on our annual Friends of the Podcast episode, where we integrate the voices of our listeners from around the world, to be released in early 2024. How to contribute:  Step 1: Reflect on the following questions and how you would answer them: Tell us your name, pronouns, and country. What’s your teaching context? What’s your role? Who are your students? Have you used AI? If not, why not? What’s your hesitation? If you answered yes above, what have been your favorite 1-2 tools so far? What are the pros and cons? Describe an activity you’ve tried in your classroom using this/these tool/s. How did it go? What tips do you have for implementing it? Step 2: Access our WhatsApp group and record your answer as an audio memo. Alternatively, you can email us an audio file of your answers at teacherthinkaloud@gmail.com.X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teacherthinkaloud/support

In this episode, guest Jeff McIlvenna talks through his approach to using ChatGPT in the English language classroom, from amplifying teacher creativity to personalizing student learning. This is the first of many more episodes we hope to bring to you on this ever-evolving topic. 🎓 For further exploration: #ElliiCon2023 Playlist Chat GPT’s Bias Against Non-Native Speakers Friends of the Podcast: AI in ELT 🤖 We need you! Episode 48 is just the beginning of our exploration of AI on the podcast. We want to know how you have started to use AI in your classroom. Tell us, and get featured on our annual Friends of the Podcast episode, where we integrate the voices of our listeners from around the world, to be released in early 2024. How to contribute:  Step 1: Reflect on the following questions and how you would answer them: Tell us your name, pronouns, and country. What’s your teaching context? What’s your role? Who are your students? Have you used AI? If not, why not? What’s your hesitation? If you answered yes above, what have been your favorite 1-2 tools so far? What are the pros and cons? Describe an activity you’ve tried in your classroom using this/these tool/s. How did it go? What tips do you have for implementing it? Step 2: Access our WhatsApp group and record your answer as an audio memo. Alternatively, you can email us an audio file of your answers at teacherthinkaloud@gmail.com. X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teacherthinkaloud/support

Don’t forget to take your vitamins! In this episode, Shey and Anna speak with friend of the podcast Ekaterina Pipia about her experience facilitating an exciting project with @PH_Int at @ibsu1995 in Tbilisi, Georgia, in which civics, technology, and English language came together into a harmonious, healthy concoction… 💊 🎧 Further listening: Episode 2 - Shut up and let them talk!  📚Further reading: What is CLIL? Bridge Education Group. Questions for reflection: What’s your experience with CLIL?  Have you ever taught on a team? What was it like? What challenges did you run into and how did you overcome them? X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teacherthinkaloud/support

We’re back! Just a light little topic for our first episode after our summer break… 😜Don your social justice caps, kick into your critical lens, and prepare to reflect as Shey and Anna explore the challenges and strengths of multilingual teachers, commonly referred to as non-native English-speaking teachers (NNESTs), with research collaborators and super-ELT-stars Alex Tang and Carine Saucillo. 🌟Listen now! 🎧 Further listening: Episode 17 – The benefits of formal TESOL training Episode 18 – Book Review: Race, Empire, & English Language Teaching References & resources Lin, A. & Motha, S. (2020). Curses in TESOL: Postcolonial desires for colonial English. In R. Arber, M. Weinmaan & J. Blackmore (Eds.), Rethinking Languages Education: Directions, Challenges and Innovations. London: Routledge.  World Englishes: An Introduction. Purdue Online Writing Lab.  Kirkpatrick, A. (2014). World Englishes. In C. Leung & B.V. Street (Eds.), The Routledge Companion to English Studies. London: Routledge.  Ma, L.P.F. (2012). Strengths and weaknesses of NESTs and NNESTs: Perceptions of NNESTs in Hong Kong. Linguistics and Education, 23, 1-15.  Questions for reflection: How have you seen bias against multilingual teachers play out in your teaching context?  If English is your first language, how will you use your privilege to stand up for multilingual teachers worldwide? Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teacherthinkaloud/support

In this episode, Anna and Shey look at how the landscape for professional development evolved over the course of the pandemic and learn how international colleagues continue to reap the benefits of increased hybridity and other “forced habits” post-pandemic… Listen now! A huge thank you to our contributors for this episode! We love reflecting with our listeners!  Reflect on your PD with our tool: PDF Printout Interactive Quiz SAMR and Bloom’s Taxonomy: Assembling the Puzzle, Puentedura for Common Sense Media, 2014. #PostPandemic #ProfessionalDevelopment #CPD #CPL #ESL #EFL #ELT #ReflectiveTeaching #TeachEnglish #ReflectivePedagogy #ESL #EFL #Teaching #Education #LoveTeaching #GlobalELT #Teacher #English #LanguageLearning #ReflectivePractice Questions for reflection: How has your approach to PD evolved since the pandemic?  What “forced habits” have altered your PD for the better?  What ideas in the episode podcast resonated most with your experience? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teacherthinkaloud/support

“Global citizenship can happen in our back yard.” 🏠🌏 In this episode, Shey and Anna plunge head-first with guest Brantley Turner—East Asia Education Director for Dwight Schools—into what it means to cultivate a global mindset, how to teach it in a culturally responsive way, how to navigate the discomforts of a globally-minded worldview, and much more… Listen now!  Questions for reflection: What does global citizenship mean to you?  How do you infuse global citizenship into your curriculum? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teacherthinkaloud/support

Not much represents a culture better than its stories. In this episode, Anna and Shey chat with Dustin from Sandman Stories Presents about storytelling, teaching, and cross-cultural understanding.  Listen and travel the world through folklore! 🕯️ 🎧 Listen to Sandman Stories Presents on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.  🌍 On this episode: Episode 133: Ghana–Morning Sunrise, Honourable Minu, Why The Moon and The Stars Receive Their Light From The Sun (W.H. Barker 1917). 💙 Follow @StoriesSandman on Twitter for more storytelling ideas! Stories for kids: Piggie and Elephant Stories, Mo Willems Bud, Not Buddy, Christopher Paul Curtis The Riverside Anthology, Douglas Hunt Dan Santat (Illustrator) Lane Smith (Illustrator) Stories for adults: Beneath the Moon, Yoshi Yoshitani Modern Love, The New York Times May Newsletter and June Newsletter | Subscribe to The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast’s newsletter for more book ideas!  Free literature online: Project Gutenberg Archive.org Questions for reflection: How do you use stories in your classroom?  How can you support learners’ intercultural communicative competence through stories in your learning context? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teacherthinkaloud/support