Best TESL Podcasts (2025)

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23 – Should we DE-ACCENT our students? – Sam Hellmuth

Play Pause

4y ago

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https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/mastersoftesol/23_-_Should_we_DE-ACCENT_our_students__-_Sam_Hellmuth.mp3 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.yo…

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22 – Online Learning Past and Future – Stafford Lumsden

5+ y ago

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/mastersoftesol/22_-_Stafford_Lumsden_-_Online_Learning.mp3 {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…

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21.5 – Thinking Skills – VIDEO!

6y ago

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/mastersoftesol/21.5_Thinking_Skills_-_VIDEO.mp3 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. P…

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21 – Can Dictation Be Fun? – Oksana Kharley

6y ago

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/mastersoftesol/21_-_Can_Dictation_Be_Fun__-_Oksana_Kharley.mp3 “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 an…

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I Miss You, Ma 4:24

6+ y ago4:24

4:24

As daughters, we share many similarities and have differences with our mother. One busy night lets me reminisce the mother I haven't had the chance to call.

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20 – using TED talks (and other videos) in ESL EFL class – Roger Fusselman

7y ago

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/mastersoftesol/20_-_Roger_Fussellman_-_TED_Talks_in_ESL_ELF_class.mp3 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 video…

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19 – Reflective Practice – Thomas Farrell

7y ago

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/mastersoftesol/19_-_Reflective_Practice_-_Thomas_Farrell.mp3 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 t…

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18 – Discourse Markers – Jon Campbell-Larsen

7+ y ago

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/mastersoftesol/18_-_Discourse_Markers_-_Jon_Campbell-Larsen.mp3 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…

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17 – Reichmuth and Hanf – How to use TV shows for pronunciation – QUICKIE

8y ago

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/mastersoftesol/17_-_Reichmuth_and_Hanf_-_TV_shows_for_pronunciation_-_QUICKIE.mp3 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. Key…

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16 – Eytan Zweig – what words really mean – semantics and pragmatics

8y ago

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Plurals are easy, right? There’s one or there’s more than one… pretty straight forward. “All”, “every”, “All the” “each” – that’s pretty simple too, isn’t it? Well, hold on to something sturdy as Eytan Zweig gets you to think a little deeper about how we both form and understand language. The literal meaning (semantics) and the meaning of the use (…

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15 – The Student Becomes The Teacher – Justin McKibben

8+ y ago

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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 se…

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14 – MOT Listeners’ Tales from the classroom

8+ y ago

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In this end-of-year episode, we get the funnier side of teaching English with stories from listeners and future interviewees. Special thanks to Grace, Thomas, Matthew, Jon, Fergal, James, Mierkamil, Oksana, Jacob, Roger, Gordon, and Jake. http://traffic.libsyn.com/mastersoftesol/14_-_Listeners_Tails_From_The_Classroom.mp3 We cover accidental phalli…

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EP50: TESL Greatest Moments! - The Epic Simple Life YouTube Vlog 14:49

9y ago14:49

14:49

Episode 50!!!! This video will be a compilation of the greatest moments from episode 1-49! I have enjoyed being on YouTube for 50 episodes, it's been an incredible journey for me and I want to thank everyone who has been on my show, and most definitely, those who watch it, whether it' one episode or all! From the bottom of my heart, thank you! I ho…

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EP49: Hilarious Life Hacks! - The Epic Simple Life YouTube Vlog 14:21

9y ago14:21

14:21

Apparently life hacks come in all shapes and sizes. According to the internet, some can be outrageously hilarious...but practical! On this episode we review and even try some of these life hacks and go on adventure to see what life hack is worthy of a prize!Thanks for watching!Be sure to subscribe, like, comment, and share!-------------------------…

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EP48: Halloween Weekend! The Epicness! - The Epic Simple Life YouTube Vlog 16:17

9y ago16:17

16:17

This Halloween weekend was definitely one to remember! Spent a day at an indoor waterpark called, Key Lime Cove, then went to Six Flags for Fright Fest, and then trick or treating Monday night! That's a long weekend! Had such a blast with friends and family, be sure to check out my video! Leave a comment if you love my Joker costume! Thanks for wat…

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EP47: Epic Room Tour Part 2 - The Epic Simple Life YouTube Vlog 13:23

9y ago13:23

13:23

Epic Room Tour Part 2! So excited to show you guys the rest of my epic room that I call, my haven, heaven, place of zen and more. I've changed around a lot including an awesome new tv and gaming setup, new desk setup and more! If you guys missed part 1 be sure to go check that out, I'll have it linked below!Thanks for watching!Be sure to subscribe,…

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Your Funny EFL / ESL Teaching Stories – an open call

9y ago

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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~! http://traffic.libsyn.com/mastersoftesol/MOT_call_for_stories.mp3 As serious, devoted education professionals, we all love hearing about things going wrong or weird in a lesson, so the end-of-year …

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EP46: 5 Gum Truth Or Dare!!! - The Epic Simple Life YouTube Vlog 15:10

9y ago15:10

15:10

In this epic game of Truth or Dare, we take a twist on it from the famous pack of gum, 5 Gum! Watch me dance in the street, Gabby do the robot, both of us tell truths, and a game of hide and seek! Thanks for watching!Be sure to subscribe, like, comment, and share!---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Check…

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EP45: Epic Experiment Failure, Hot Ice! - The Epic Simple Life YouTube Vlog 13:43

9y ago13:43

13:43

So doing the experiment of Hot Ice sounds cool, but was a little more difficult than I originally thought! I highly recommend getting Sodium Acetate instead of dyi-ing it. Seems like an awesome experiment to do, so I will be trying it again later! In the meanwhile, you got to see my failure at this project, but it was still fun!Thanks for watching!…

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EP44: Blindfolded Donut Eating Challenge! - The Epic Simple Life YouTube Vlog 14:07

9y ago14:07

14:07

The County Line Orchard is a mecca for all Fall fans in the Chicagoland area. Serving amazing cinnamon and pumpkin glazed donuts, carmel apples and so much more. But what happens when me and Gabby get amazing donuts? We have a blindfolded donut eating challenge!Like my Facebook page!https://www.facebook.com/theepicsimplelifeFollow me on Instagram!h…

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EP43: Getting In Shape! - The Epic Simple Life YouTube Vlog 14:26

9y ago14:26

14:26

Getting in shape is a big deal, and me and Gabby decided to get a gym membership! My Thursdays go pretty well, getting excited for the weekend! Also like I mentioned, if you are wanting some extra cash this weekend, go clean up your room, take all of your junk stuff and list it on Ebay! You'll be surprised what will sell!Thanks for listening!Subscr…

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EP42: Ohio Road Trip! - The Epic Simple Life YouTube Vlog 17:59

9y ago17:59

17:59

Me and Gabby decided to take a 5 hour road trip to Delaware, Ohio to visit some family friends of ours, and also for me to go to an Ohio State football game! The game was epic and so much fun! The road trip was long but a lot of fun as well! This will be a trip long remembered.Thanks for listening and be sure to subscribe!Like my Facebook page!http…

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EP03: Balloon Roulette! - The Epic Simple Life YouTube Vlog 13:01

9y ago13:01

13:01

So I decided to create an epic game called Balloon Roulette.... If you have a crazy friend that wants to try it, make sure you do because this was a lot of fun! Thanks for listening and be sure to subscribe!Like my Facebook page!https://www.facebook.com/theepicsimplelifeFollow me on Instagram!https://www.instagram.com/theepicsimplelife/Follow me on…

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EP02: I'm An Uncle! - The Epic Simple Life YouTube Vlog 17:51

9y ago17:51

17:51

This happens to be episode 2 and my first nephew is born! Perfect timing! In this vlog, I also do my first giveaway ever and talk about Finding Dory, but the best part of the video is the opener....me and Gabby singing an epic song....go check it out!Thanks for listening and be sure to subscribe!Like my Facebook page!https://www.facebook.com/theepi…

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13 – What the way you speak says about you – Sociolinguistics with Andrew Euan MacFarlane

9y ago

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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 http://traffic.libsyn.com/mastersoftesol/13_-_What_the_way_you_speak_says_about_you_-_Sociolinguistics_with_Andrew_Euan_MacFa…

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12 – Babies and First Language Acquisition – Tamar Keren-Portnoy pt1

9y ago

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/mastersoftesol/12_-_First_Language_Acquisition_-_Tamar_Keren-Portnoy_pt1.mp3 @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 simila…

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11 – Too old to learn? The Critical Period – Heather Marsden

9y ago

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/mastersoftesol/11_-_Too_old_to_learn__The_Critical_Period_-_Heather_Marsden.mp3 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 diffic…

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10 – how fair is your English test? – QUICKIE

9+ y ago

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/mastersoftesol/10_-_Is_your_English_test_fair_.mp3 @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 thi…

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09 – Bilingual Mythbusting – Marilyn Vihman

10y ago

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/mastersoftesol/09_-_Bilingual_Mythbusting_-_Marilyn_Vihman.mp3 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 phenom…

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08 – English as a Lingua Franca in the ESL classroom – Martin Dewey

10y ago

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/mastersoftesol/08__English_as_a_Lingua_Franca_in_the_ESL_classroom__Martin_Dewey.mp3 [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…

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07 – Why your ESL lesson bombed – Tom Randolph

10+ y ago

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/mastersoftesol/07_-_Why_your_ESL_lesson_bombed_-_Tom_Randolph.mp3 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 did…

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06 – The ESL / EFL student brain and how we learn – Stephen van Vlack

10+ y ago

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/mastersoftesol/06_-_How_ESL___EFL_students_learn_-_Stephen_van_Vlack.mp3 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 t…

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05 – How to teach English intonation – Dorothy Chun

10+ y ago

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/mastersoftesol/05_-_How_to_teach_intonation_-_Dorothy_Chun.mp3 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…

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04 – Questioning the Native English Norm in English Teaching – Jennifer Jenkins

10+ y ago

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/mastersoftesol/04_-_Questioning_the_Native_Speaker_Norm_-_Jennifer_Jenkins.mp3 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. Jennif…

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03 – Effective Feedback on Writing – Ahmar Mahboob

10+ y ago

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/mastersoftesol/03_-_Effective_Feedback_on_Writing_-_Ahmar_Mahboob.mp3 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.…

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02 – Gestures and Embodied Cognition – Scott Thornbury

11y ago

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/mastersoftesol/02_-_Gestures_and_Embodied_Cognition_-_Scott_Thornbury.mp3 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 ges…

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01 – Visual Thinking Strategies – Gabriel Diaz Maggioli

11y ago

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http://traffic.libsyn.com/mastersoftesol/01_ep01_-_Visual_Thinking_Strategy_-_Gabriel_Diaz_Maggioli.mp3 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 …

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Dolch Sight Words – Using them in ESL classes

15+ y ago

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Listen to the show. This show starts off with a quick discussion about the new teacher tips video blog that Matt has put together on DreamEnglish.com called the Teach Kids English Show.Â They are short 3-4 minute videos packed full of tips for teachers that are teaching young learners. Talking briefly about MES-English‘s 5th anniversary on the web,…

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High grammar but low speaking competence

15+ y ago

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Listen to the show. This week we welcome Dave from http://www.learnenglish-online.com.Â Dave is working at a language school and international high school in Canada.Â Additionally he runs his own website for students to “learn English online.”Â We’ll talk a bit about his website and also in general about website building/promotion later in the show…

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Teaching holidays

15+ y ago

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Listen to the show. Even though it’s February, happy New Year!Â Valentine’s Day is on the way and Mark has a new site with some cool teacher tools.Â Print With My Pic.com allows you to add your photo to cards, calendars or certificates.Â Since Valentine’s is just around the corner, why not send your Valentine a card with your photo! This week’s sho…

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Motivating students

16y ago

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Listen to the show. Christmas is upon us … ho! ho! ho! Merry Christmas everybody!Â Tis the season, so Matt has a new Christmas Song for you to download and use in your classes: Merry Christmas!Â It’s a play-like song with speaking, actions and a matching picture book!Â There are a few more resources discussed that are available for download from ME…

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Teaching toddlers, 2-3 year olds

16y ago

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Listen to the show. This show was recorded back in the summer and a few shows got bumped up, so if you feel we’ve gone back in time, I guess we have But first, we of course have some new things on the web to talk about …Â Check those out at the end of the show notes. Teaching toddlers: This show goes over some basic problems that come up in teachin…

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Teaching communication strategies

16y ago

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Listen to the show. Happy fall everybody! We’ll get back to fall and Halloween for the games of the week, but Matt has some great news for you.Â He’s finished and launched Dream English volume 3.Â There is a download pack on his website and it contains all of the songs from the 3 CDs plus a few bonus songs (over 45 songs.)Â You can also just get th…

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Teaching the Past Tense

16y ago

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Listen to the show. Mark starts off the show with a description of a few new things MES English has to offer its users.Â In the show Mark has gone over his speaking first curriculum and now some of that is listed on the MES English website with links to all of the resources and additional resources you might need. There are also some new teaching v…

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Using Chants to Teach

16y ago

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Listen to the show. Matt has a few new songs on Dream English for younger children (shapes and more.)Â There’s also a little discussion on the benefits of using children’s songs . Dream English has 40+ free downloadable chants.Â They are very popular for teaching languages and Matt and Mark go over teaching with chants.Â The main points of the podc…

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Teaching the Present Continuous

16+ y ago

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Listen to the show. The show starts off with unseasonable weather and a circus but moves quickly into this show’s theme, the present continuous. Matt and Mark go over: presenting the target language orally why teach the present continuous early on in your curriculum teaching and explaining the grammar using only English forming questions and negati…

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Teaching Thematic Units

16+ y ago

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Listen to the show. Matt has added some new simple easy songs for 1-3 year old classes. Mark and Matt cover creating thematic units.Â This show covers what a thematic unit is, what the goals of a thematic unit should be, and what you need to get your thematic unit off the ground. Mark covers the city, food and animals as examples of thematic units …

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MES curriculum – A non-textbook approach part 2

16+ y ago

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Listen to the show. Mark has added some phonics games for students at Fun Fonix.com. This show discusses MES-English.com‘s curriculum for young learners. This is the second part of teaching without a textbook or teaching oral English only.Â For the first episode of this check here. The curriculum covers core sections: content – vocabulary target la…

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Explaining activities just using English

16+ y ago

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Listen to the show. This show Mark explains some new features to the free word search maker at Tools for Educators.Â It really makes a word search a worksheet but keeps it fun.Â Matt has opened a new website Kids English Books.com and there you can find simple stories to download or use online. This week’s show deals with how to explain activities …

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Teaching ‘do’ verbs

16+ y ago

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Listen to the show. This show Mark and Matt have a few new things on their websites for visitors. Matt has a new Skidamarink Song up on Free ABC Songs and Mark posted a new book to the Fun Fonix website. This week’s show covers the ‘do’ verbs. We discuss: teaching the concept of ‘do’ as action verbs teaching ‘do’ without translation and just workin…