"If you only have this theory, you will never be able to swim. You need some water to experience it. Don't be afraid to start with a speaking exam in the first year. If we change the way we assess, we can change the way we teach."

We sit down with the amazing Charline Rouffet.

Charline is a foreign language teacher educator and PhD candidate at Utrecht University, specializing in task-oriented language learning. Her research explores how communicative, classroom-based assessments can transform pedagogical approaches and bridge the gap between theory and classroom practice.

In this episode, we chat about:

• Why young teachers struggle to implement communicative methods within a rigid, grammar-obsessed system.

• How the constant threat of testing shapes every move a student makes and every lesson a teacher plans.
• Why adding unknown elements to assessments is the only way to mimic real-life communication.
• Starting with the learning goals to ensure your teaching and testing are actually on the same page.
• How an obsession with accuracy and "memorizing verbs" is killing student motivation and closing down university programs.
• Why joy and personal connection is the only thing AI can't recreate in the language learning process.

*Prefer video? Watch the episode on YouTube.

FOR MORE FROM CHARLINE ROUFFET

1. Connect on LinkedIn

2. Visit her website

OUR PARTNER: FLUENTIZE

Want to teach your best lessons — without all the prep? Fluentize turns real-world videos into interactive ESL lessons for teens and adults. Explore 650+ ready-to-teach lessons designed to engage your students, simplify lesson planning, and save you hours of preparation.

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"One of the mindsets that I really like is that I want to earn more so that I can sometimes offer more to those who can't afford it. It's like a cycle."

We sit down with teacher and creator Jennifer Lebedev.

Jennifer is the creator of English with Jennifer. Launched in 2007, her YouTube channel has over 1M subscribers and 100M views to date. She is also a published author with Pearson, an award-winning blogger, and a speaker on building a healthy learner mindset.

In this episode, we chat about:

• 18 years on YouTube: starting in 2007 with a digital camera and no tripod.
• The "teacher creative" to business owner shift: moving from "doing it for free" to being a responsible entrepreneur.
• Overcoming teacher guilt: learning to set boundaries and stop apologizing for charging for value.
• The "Happy Money" mindset: seeing money as an exchange of energy rather than a source of stress.
• Why 1.5 million subscribers isn't a "get rich quick" scheme: the reality of YouTube revenue and sustaining a business.
• Identity-based habits: using sleep and mindfulness to fuel professional performance.
• Why one-on-one teaching still matters: using real student interaction to drive content and stay grounded

*Prefer video? Watch the episode on YouTube.

FOR MORE FROM JENNIFER LEBEDEV:

1. Connect on LinkedIn

2. Visit her website

3. Follow her YouTube channel

OUR PARTNER: COMMUNICATING FOR IMPACT

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Amplify your work with high-end video and podcasts that get results. Create impactful videos and podcasts with their programmes and done-for-you production services.

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SUPPORT US:

🫶 Integrate your brand with our podcast in an effort to improve language education.

⭐ Leave a review where you listen.

WORK WITH US:

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

2. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP

3. Download our free guides for teacherpreneurs.

THE THRIVING TEACHERPRENEUR

Get inspired to start and grow your own education business. Weekly insights, stories, and reflections on education entrepreneurship.

Subscribe on Substack here.

"We’ve got to have a very hard look at ourselves and stop calling ourselves experts just because we have a Master's from 10 or 15 years ago. Those times are over, and we’ve really got to focus on what added value we can bring that AI can’t."

We sit down with BELF trainer Evan Frendo.

Evan Frendo is a freelance trainer and consultant based in Berlin, Germany. He has been active in corporate language and communications training since 1993, and specializes in the fields of ESP and business English. A frequent speaker at conferences, he also travels regularly in Europe and Asia to run courses or to work as a consultant.

In this episode, we chat about:

• Why sticking to the syllabus is the fastest way to become irrelevant in the corporate world
• Why we need to stop teaching "English" and start teaching English as a Business Lingua Franca (BELF)
• Why finding your specialty is 90% luck and 10% being the only person in the room who can stand up in front of a PowerPoint
• How AI is killing traditional needs analysis and why your learners are now their own content creators
• Why the best "business English" happens the moment the teacher leaves the room
• Why being "safe in the harbour" is the most dangerous place for your ELT career right now

*Prefer video? Watch the episode on YouTube.

FOR MORE FROM EVAN FRENDO:

1. Visit his website

2. Connect on LinkedIn

OUR PARTNER: WE ARE ENGLISH TEACHERS

Are you struggling to find students as a teacher entrepreneur? Join the Elevate community via the We Are English Teachers community and gain visibility through their network of learners looking for a teacher.

We Are English Teachers: https://weareenglishteachers.com/

SUPPORT US:

🫶 Integrate your brand with our podcast in an effort to improve language education.

⭐ Leave a review where you listen.

WORK WITH US:

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

2. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP

3. Download our free guides for teacherpreneurs.

THE THRIVING TEACHERPRENEUR

Get inspired to start and grow your own education business. Weekly insights, stories, and reflections on education entrepreneurship.

Subscribe on Substack here.