*This launches the beginning of a new series of our show: education entrepreneurship. We'll release an additional episode monthly, highlighting entrepreneurial voices in our industry doing great things.

Want to chat with us? Book a free meeting here.

In this episode, we introduce the series and discuss what it takes to start and run your own business. Specifically, we explore the transition from traditional teaching roles to entrepreneurial ventures.

We chat about:

• Why waiting until you're uncomfortable might be too late to start your business
• The real difference between commitment and consistency and why one matters more
• How teachers can build businesses without a one-size-fits-all model
• What Andrew's beach business (and Bob the Book) taught him about resourcefulness, scrappiness, and getting started
• Why belief in yourself is the most underrated strategy in entrepreneurship
• Who this series is for and who it’s not for

Thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

RESOURCES TO HELP YOU:

1. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

2. Follow the LYE YouTube Channel

3. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP

4. Download our free guides for teacherpreneurs.

5. Connect with us on our Substack.

50% off our CPD courses for podcast listeners - click here and use the code "TTT"

Does the grammar that is normally taught match the evidence corpus linguistics shows? Dr. Graham Burton helps us dissect the big beasts of English grammar.

Dr. Graham Burton is assistant professor at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Italy). His main research interests are applications of corpus linguistics to language teaching, materials development, pedagogic grammar, academic writing and multilingualism.

He has two recent book publications, Grammar in ELT and ELT Materials: Evaluating its History and Current Practice and The Big Beasts of English Grammar: An Exploration of Form and Function in Conversations

*Discount codes:

• 40% off Grammar in ELT using code ELT40 (valid until the end of July, 2025)
• 25% on ebook of The Big Beasts of English Grammar via Payhip only, using code bigbeasts25 (valid for 10 downloads only)

In this episode, Graham discusses:

• Corpus Linguistics in Language Teaching
• Benefits of Corpus for Learners
• The Big Beasts of English Grammar
• Example-Driven Grammar Teaching
• What Teachers Should Unlearn about Grammar
• Challenges in Teaching Grammar
• Prototypical vs. Natural Grammar Usage
• Misconceptions in Grammar Teaching
• The Evolution of Grammar Teaching
• What the CELTA Should Do to "Re-do" Grammar
• The History of Pedagogical Grammar
• Why the word "grammar" was negative (and "structure" was used instead)

FOR MORE FROM GRAHAM BURTON:

1. The Big Beasts of English Grammar: An Exploration of Form and Function in Conversations

Discount of 25% on ebook via Payhip only, using code bigbeasts25 (valid for 10 downloads only)

2. Grammar in ELT and ELT Materials: Evaluating its History and Current Practice

Discount of 40% on hardbook or ebook, using code ELT40 (valid until the end of July, 2025)

3. Connect with Graham on LinkedIn

Thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

RESOURCES TO HELP YOU:

1. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

2. Follow the LYE YouTube Channel

3. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP

4. Download our free guides for teacherpreneurs.

Want to move away from 1:1 and build your teaching business? Book a free 1:1 with us to see if we can help.

"Don't teach at the students. Teach off them." Scott Thornbury becomes our first repeat guest and helps us dissect this and more.

Scott Thornbury is a teacher, teacher trainer, and award-winning author in English language education. He has taught and trained teachers around the world, including on the MA TESOL program at The New School in New York, and is widely recognized for his contributions to ELT methodology and teacher development.

He co-authored Teaching Unplugged (2009) and Dogme in Practice (2025), both with Luke Meddings. His latest book is called Scott Thornbury's 66 Essentials of Lesson Design.

In our chat, Scott delves into:

• tensions between planning & spontaneity
• what an effective lesson design process looks like
• if the communicative approach can be rehabilitated
• shifting from surface-level communication to meaningful interaction
• adapting teacher training and institutional expectations
• the role of technology in education

FOR MORE FROM SCOTT THORNBURY:

1. Visit his website

2. Book: Domge in Practice

3. Book: 66 Essentials of Lesson Design

4. Connect on LinkedIn

Thank you for listening. Your support has been overwhelming and we couldn't do what we do without you. We hope this podcast serves as an effective CPD tool for you.

If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: info@learnyourenglish.com

RESOURCES TO HELP YOU:

1. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business

2. Follow the LYE YouTube Channel

3. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP

4. Download our free guides for teacherpreneurs

5. Join our Substack community