The Language Lab Podcast

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In this episode, Will Marks is joined by Juliet Park, Director of Modern Foreign Languages at The Share Trust. Tired of seeing language education confined to dry grammar drills and distant academic theory, Juliet shares her vision for 'Business Pathways'—a curriculum that treats language as a genuine career superpower. We discuss the disconnect between the classroom and the adult world, the importance of fostering speaking confidence over seeking perfection, and why the current GCSE and A-level model might be underserving our students. Juliet offers concrete insights into how teachers can integrate vocational skills into their classrooms, help students recognise the value of their linguistic ability in sectors like healthcare, football, and video gaming, and navigate the pressures of modern school league tables. Whether you are an MFL leader or a classroom teacher looking for ways to make your curriculum feel more alive and relevant, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on the future of language learning.

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Are we overstating the language learning crisis? Join Will Marks and Dr. Elsa Petit, Senior Lecturer in French Language Studies at Queen Mary University of London, for a deep dive into the state of modern language education. Dr. Petit brings 30 years of experience to a conversation about moving beyond the 'decline' narrative. We explore the role of critical AI literacy in the classroom, how to shift assessment focus from final outputs to learning processes, and why we need to stop gendering subjects like languages. We also discuss how to turn AI into a supportive, 24/7 'digital brain buddy' for students and why fun, interactive teaching methods shouldn't stop at primary school. This is a practical, candid look at how we can make language learning more inclusive, visible, and genuinely useful for the next generation of students. Visit www.languagelabpodcast.co.uk for more resources.

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The Language Lab Podcast is back for Season 8.

After a slightly longer pause than planned, Will is joined by the wonderful Juliette Claro to open the new season with a conversation about creativity, culture, exams, music, teacher autonomy and the joy of language learning.

Juliette is a lecturer in education at St Mary’s University, lead link tutor for secondary PGCE MFL and IQTS, a fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching, a co-founder of the Creativity and MFL SIG, an experienced teacher, mentor and Ofsted inspector.

In this episode, Will and Juliette explore why creativity can feel squeezed out of modern language classrooms, how accountability and exam pressures shape what teachers feel able to do, and why language learning needs space for messiness, mistakes, problem-solving and genuine communication.

They discuss the limitations of GCSE, the possibilities of the DELF and the Common European Framework, the dangers of over-standardised lessons, and the importance of trusting teachers to adapt learning to the pupils in front of them.

There is also plenty on music, AI, Suno, sentence builders, project-based learning, noisy classrooms, mini whiteboards, and why languages should feel alive.

Season 8 will be released fortnightly.

Keep learning, keep questioning, and above all, keep the conversation going.

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No full episode this week, because it is exam week and Will is currently somewhere underneath a landslide of marking, feedback sheets, revision lists and possibly a missing microphone.

In this short check-in, Will talks about the reality of exam marking, the strange things pupils write when they are trying to process language phonetically, and why looking after yourself during assessment season is not optional. There is also a thank you to recent guests, previous pupils, prospective guests and everyone who has reached out to the show.

Plus, a reminder about the upgraded Patreon, where paid subscribers will be able to submit questions for upcoming guests, and an open call for anyone interested in gaining voluntary experience with the podcast through audio editing, social media, guest support or content planning.

Normal service will resume once the microphone has been located.

For links, transcripts and more, visit www.languagelabpodcast.co.uk

Support the show:
patreon.com/TheLanguageLabPodcast
buymeacoffee.com/languagelabpodcast

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What if better language teaching is not about adding more, but stripping things back?

In this episode of The Language Lab Podcast, Will Marks is joined by Marie Massé, French and Spanish teacher, consultant, instructional coach and professional overthinker in the best possible sense.

Together, they explore what “minimalism” in MFL teaching really means: not bare lessons, not dull lessons, but more intentional teaching. Marie talks about cumulative curriculum design, why pupils can end up feeling like permanent beginners, the limits of textbook-led planning, teacher agency, GCSE grading, workload, data, and why we need to stop confusing busy classrooms with genuine progress.

There is also a powerful discussion about aspiration, class, being underestimated, and why teachers should not be the people who decide which pupils are “fit” to study languages.

A thoughtful, practical and honest conversation about teaching with less clutter and more purpose.

For links, transcripts and resources, visit www.languagelabpodcast.co.uk.

Support the show:
patreon.com/TheLanguageLabPodcast
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/languagelabpodcast

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What happens when language learning stops being a worksheet and starts becoming real life?

In this episode of The Language Lab Podcast, I’m joined by Jane Handley, founder of JLH Languages, to talk about immersive language teaching, restaurant-based learning, and why students often speak more French in one restaurant visit than they do in weeks of classroom lessons.

We explore how food, role play, sensory experiences and genuine purpose can transform reluctant learners into confident communicators. From berets and breakfast sessions to GCSE speaking anxiety, Brexit, confidence-building and the wider purpose of language education, this is a conversation about why MFL matters far beyond the exam hall.

We also get into teacher identity, why language teachers are often selling far more than vocabulary, and why relationships remain the most powerful tool in any classroom.

Sometimes all it takes is one successful order of chips in French to change everything.

Find Jane here: JLH Languages
Website: jlhlanguages.org

For transcripts, CPD tools and more:
www.languagelabpodcast.co.uk

Support the show:
patreon.com/TheLanguageLabPodcast
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/languagelabpodcast

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What does it actually take for students to become fluent in a language?

In this episode, Will Marks is joined by Dylan Viñales, Head of Spanish in an international school in Malaysia and co-creator of the Sentence Builder books.

They explore what sits behind real fluency. Not just producing correct sentences, but building automatised language that students can retrieve and use with confidence.

The conversation covers:

• how sentence builders support automatisation rather than memorisation
• why recycling and cognitive load are essential for long-term learning
• what it takes to move from structured support to genuine communication

And at the centre of it all is one key idea.

Trust.

Trust in the classroom.
Trust in the process.
And trust in the language itself.

Because when that trust breaks down, particularly through the way we assess languages, confidence follows.

From GCSE listening to wider questions about testing, this is a clear-eyed look at the gap between how languages are taught and how they’re measured.

🔗 For links, transcripts and more: www.languagelabpodcast.co.uk
☕ Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/languagelabpodcast

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Grammar is one of those things we assume we understand… until we try to teach it properly.

In this episode of The Language Lab Podcast, I’m joined by literacy educator and author Patty McGee to rethink what grammar actually looks like in the classroom. Moving away from rules, correction, and one-off lessons, Patty shares a much more practical approach — starting with sentences, building understanding over time, and focusing on how grammar helps students make meaning.

We get into why traditional grammar teaching often falls flat, how short, repeated “grammar experiences” can lead to real progress, and why teachers don’t need to know everything to teach it well.

There’s loads here for language teachers too — especially around sentence building, repetition, and how grammar transfers across languages.

If grammar has ever felt like something students should get but don’t… this one’s worth a listen.

🌐 Website: www.languagelabpodcast.co.uk
📚 Patty McGee: https://www.pattymcgee.org
☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/languagelabpodcast
🎙 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLanguageLabPodcast

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This week’s episode is something a little different.

Recorded live at ALL Language World 2026, we’re bringing you voices, reflections and moments from across the weekend — from teachers, trainees, researchers and leaders in language education.

You’ll hear what stood out, what people are taking back into their classrooms, and what makes Language World such a unique space for collaboration.

We’ve also got exclusive recordings from the conference itself, including:

The official openingReflections from attendees across the event

And the keynote from Ian Gilbert, exploring motivation, learning, and what sits at the heart of education

As always, it’s a reminder of the energy, generosity and thinking that runs through the languages community.

🔗 Links & More:Find transcripts and more at:👉 www.languagelabpodcast.co.uk

💬 Get involved:Send in a voice note and be part of the conversation.

☕ Support the show:Spotify subscription (£2.99/month), Patreon, or Buy Me a Coffee:https://www.patreon.com/TheLanguageLabPodcasthttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/languagelabpodcast

Next week: Patty McGee on literacy journeys.

If you want it even leaner (Spotify character cap safe), I can compress it further.

Thank you so much to Ian Gilbert of Independent thinking, for his contributions. Please visit his website

https://www.independentthinking.co.uk/

Thank you so much for the support of the ALL for making this episode happen!

Become members below:

https://www.all-languages.org.uk/

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No full episode this week… and yes, that is entirely on me.

In this short update, I explain why the usual episode isn’t dropping — and what’s coming instead. After recording a lot (read: far too much) at Language World, I’m currently deep in the edit, pulling together something a bit special.

This episode is a quick reflection on an incredible few days — from catching up with familiar faces like Jérôme Noguès, Dr Kedi Simpson, Saleh Patel, Vincent Everett, Marie Massé, Kate Clifton and Jane Driver, to the wider conversations happening across the conference.

More than anything, Language World was a reminder that language teaching is a genuinely collaborative, evolving space — and that the real magic often happens in the conversations between sessions.

Next week, you’ll hear it all:
🎙️ Exclusive recordings from the keynote
🎙️ The co-presidents’ panel
🎙️ Voices from across the conference
🎙️ And the moments that made it all matter

Trust me — it’s worth the wait.

For links, transcripts and more:
👉 www.languagelabpodcast.co.uk

Support the show:
👉 Spotify subscription (£2.99/month)
👉 patreon.com/thelanguagelabpodcast
👉 https://www.buymeacoffee.com/languagelabpodcast