The Kate Languages Podcast

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 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.