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

"I have no shame whatsoever in marketing my own courses because I feel proud. I know for sure that it works." We chat with entrepreneur Anna Aleksenko

Anna is an entrepreneur based in Georgia who runs Voice it English, a program that helps professionals turn English into their career superpower. She's been teaching for over 17 years and has had to reinvent herself many times: something every entrepreneur can relate to. With a focus on connection, community, and client results, we're thrilled to have Anna on the show.

Her mission is simple: To turn English from a daily challenge into her clients' career strong point.

In this episode, Anna discusses:

• understanding that everyone has an accent
• burnout and setting boundaries
• expatriating and starting a new life
• how language can shape identity
• emotional barriers in language learning
• moving from hourly to results-based pricing
• focusing on ideal clients and how to identify them
• leveraging LinkedIn for client acquisition
• the power of community
• advice for new education entrepreneurs

FOR MORE FROM ANNA ALEKSENKO:

1. Connect on LinkedIn

2. Voice It English

3. Her free Friday speaking club

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. Connect with us on our Substack.

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

3. Follow the LYE YouTube Channel

4. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP

5. 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.

"There's this myth that kids learn faster than adults. Research shows it's not true; adults are actually better language learners" - Dr. Karen Lichtman.

Dr. Karen Lichtman recently moved to Binghamton University after ten years training language teachers at Northern Illinois University. Her research focuses on instructed second language acquisition, including age differences in language learning and implicit vs. explicit language teaching. Karen presents nationally and internationally to audiences of teachers and researchers.

In this episode, we dive into:

• the bad teaching that exists and how to address it
• the myth of children learning faster than adults
• why adults make better language learners
• why easier materials is almost always better
• designing a beginner course from scratch
• balancing implicit & explicit teaching
• addressing skeptical teachers
• the role of TPRS in language learning (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling)

FOR MORE FROM KAREN LICHTMAN:

1. Connect on LinkedIn

2. Her website

3. Her publications

Support Teacher Talking Time:

Do you help students prepare for the TOEFL test? Check out My Speaking Score - an AI platform with data-driven feedback to help students get 26 on TOEFL speaking. Trusted by over 100,000 TOEFL test takers.

My Speaking Score: https://www.myspeakingscore.com/

RESOURCES TO HELP YOU:

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

2. Subscribe to 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.

*This is episode two of our series highlighting education entrepreneurs. New episodes every first of the month.

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

 "If it doesn't go according to plan, what is the worst thing that could happen that is the minimum I can be satisfied with?" We sit down with entrepreneur Jessica Dias to discuss growing a business.

Jessica is an English teacher and founder of Jessy Academy — an online school that helps Brazilian learners break free from the intermediate plateau and develop real communication skills in English. She started her teaching business in 2020 and has since helped more than 2,000 learners speak with more clarity, confidence, and naturalness. After years of working in traditional schools, Jessica decided to ride solo and build a business that truly reflects her teaching philosophy: practical, human, and focused on real communication.

In this episode, Jessica discusses:

• Overcoming Failure and Setting Realistic Goals
• The Genesis of the Itch: From School to Side Hustle
• Turning Passion into a Full-Time Business
• Embracing Change and Growth
• Building a Sustainable Business Model
• Challenges of Running a Business
• Balancing Client Work and Business Operations
• Delegation and Use of AI Tools
• Scaling While Maintaining Quality
• Advice for Handling Business Slumps

FOR MORE FROM JESSICA DIAS:

1. Follow her on Instagram: @msjessydays

2. Jessy Academy

3. Her Clear Pronunciation Program

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.

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.

From beginner to intermediate in 9 months: yes, it's possible and Claudia Fernandez tells us how.

Claudia runs her Spanish program at the University of Illinois-Chicago using a task-based curriculum. One result was bringing fifteen A1 students to intermediate over 9 months. She shares her story and how others can do the same.

At the University of Illinois-Chicago, Claudia is a Clinical Associate Professor, where she directs the Spanish Basic Language Program using a task-based curriculum. Her research and teaching focus on task-based language teaching, materials development, and classroom-based language acquisition. She is an award-winning educator, published author, and active contributor to both national and international professional organizations in the field of language education.

In this episode, we dive into:

• Implementing task-based language teaching from scratch

• Why there is still pushback against TBLT

• Mindset shifts every institution needs

• Aligning tasks with assessments

• Claudia’s experience of helping students go from absolute beginner to intermediate in 9 months

• Effective task design

• How learners acquire grammar through input-based approaches

• Instruction habits that get in the way of learning

• How to create needs analyses in task-based learning

FOR MORE FROM CLAUDIA FERNANDEZ:

1. Connect on LinkedIn

2. Her university page

3. Her publication on moving from grammar to proficiency-driven programs

Support the show:

Do you help students prepare for the TOEFL test? Check out My Speaking Score - an AI platform with data-driven feedback to help students get 26 on TOEFL speaking. Trusted by over 100,000 TOEFL test takers.

My Speaking Score: https://www.myspeakingscore.com/

RESOURCES TO HELP YOU:

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

2. Subscribe to 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.

*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

Want to monetize your skills as a teacher? Book a free 1:1 with us to see if we can help.

Learner autonomy is something that happens INSIDE the classroom, not out of it. Teachers can't sit back and wait for their students to become autonomous.

This is part of what the esteemed Dr. David Little shared with us in our conversation.

David Little is Fellow Emeritus at Trinity College Dublin and a leading scholar in learner autonomy, linguistic diversity, and the application of the CEFR in language education. He played a key role in developing the European Language Portfolio and has led several national and international projects focused on language support for migrants and refugees. He currently coordinates the Council of Europe’s Romani–Plurilingual Policy Experimentation and is the author of influential works on educational inclusion and language learning.

In this episode, David discusses:

• Understanding Language Learner Autonomy

• Defining Autonomy in Language Learning

• Pedagogical Models for Autonomy

• Autonomy in Diverse Educational Contexts

• Challenges and Collaborative Solutions for Teachers

• Language Learner Autonomy and Writing

• Developing Reflective Dialogue in Classrooms

• Practical Advice for Fostering Learner Autonomy

FOR MORE FROM DR. DAVID LITTLE:

1. His page at Trinity College, Dublin

2. His Research Gate page

3. Language Learner Autonomy: Theory, Practice, and Research

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.