The Language Lab Podcast

Listening is often treated as passive. Dr Kedi Simpson explains why it isn’t.
In part one of this double-bill season finale, Will Marks is joined by Dr Kedi Simpson — head of languages and researcher with a doctorate from the University of Oxford — to unpack what’s really happening when students listen in a language classroom.
This episode digs into why “doing a listening” isn’t the same as teaching listening, how anxiety and segmentation shape comprehension, why mishearings are so revealing, and what practices like dictation and transcripts can tell us about learners’ thinking. It’s practical, thoughtful, and grounded firmly in classroom reality.
Part two drops next week, where the conversation turns to assessment, GCSE listening, and what listening could look like in the future.
For transcripts, links, and to send in your listener voice notes, head to
www.languagelabpodcast.co.uk
Sound engineered by Isla McIntosh
Executively produced by Isla McIntosh & Will Marks
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One Lesson a Week — and yet somehow, real progress still has to happen.
In this episode of The Language Lab Podcast, Will Marks is joined by Clare Seccombe, founder of Lightbulb Languages and one of the most influential voices in UK primary languages. Together, they dig into what effective language teaching actually looks like when time is tight, expectations are high, and you’re often the only language specialist in the building.
They explore why listening and phonics have to come first, how oracy builds literacy, and why writing works best when it earns its place rather than being forced in every lesson. Clare shares practical insights from over 30 years in education, including how she plans for progression with just one hour a week, why activities like trapdoor work so well, and what primary languages get right that secondary sometimes forgets.
The conversation also tackles bigger questions around transition from KS2 to KS3, assessment, GCSE, curriculum pressure, and why collaboration between language teachers isn’t optional — it’s essential.
Thoughtful, practical, and refreshingly honest, this episode is essential listening for anyone teaching languages in the real world.
👉 Find transcripts, show notes, and send in a voice note at
www.languagelabpodcast.co.uk
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In this episode of The Language Lab Podcast, I’m joined by Vincent Everett to explore The Language Snowball — a simple but powerful way of thinking about how language learning actually sticks, grows, or quietly melts away over time.
We talk about curriculum design, communication, spontaneity, GCSE reform, and why learning to use language matters far more than simply learning more of it. Vincent unpacks what happens when pupils don’t have the chance to practise language meaningfully, and what teachers can do to build momentum that lasts beyond the lesson — and beyond the exam.
This is a thoughtful, practical conversation about memory, trust, and what it really means to teach for communication in a system that doesn’t always make that easy.
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www.languagelabpodcast.co.uk
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Teaching abroad gets talked about a lot — but what does it actually change about the way you teach languages?
In this episode, I’m joined by Megan Crean, who began her career teaching in Belper before moving to the Cayman Islands and is now teaching IB French in Bogotá. Together, we talk honestly about what teaching abroad really looks like beyond the Instagram version: the paperwork, the uncertainty, the culture shock, and the professional growth that comes with stepping outside the UK system.
We explore the differences between GCSE, IGCSE and IB, why culture and geography aren’t optional extras in language teaching, and what international education can offer teachers who feel ready for something different. Megan also shares practical advice for anyone considering a move abroad, from recruitment agencies to mindset shifts, and reflects on how teaching in different contexts has reshaped her classroom practice.
If you’ve ever wondered whether teaching abroad is for you, or what languages education looks like beyond UK borders, this conversation offers a grounded, thoughtful starting point.
You can find all episodes, transcripts, show notes and submit a listener voice note to join the conversation at www.languagelabpodcast.co.uk
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In this episode of The Language Lab Podcast, Will Marks is joined by Dr Liam Printer (International School of Lausanne, Switzerland) — French and Spanish teacher, instructional coach, researcher, and host of The Motivated Classroom podcast.
Liam unpacks why story, narrative and co-creation are far more than “fun activities” and how, through the lens of Self-Determination Theory (autonomy, competence, relatedness), they can dramatically shift motivation, classroom culture and even behaviour. We talk about how he discovered TPRS / comprehensible input approaches in an international school setting, what his doctorate revealed (including a surprising turnaround in a famously demotivated IB class), and why he’d happily wave a magic wand and bin testing for grammatical accuracy (at least in the early years).
You’ll also get loads of practical, teacher-realistic takeaways: low-prep routines, brain breaks vs body breaks, choral response, and quick retrieval ideas that don’t require laminating your life away.
We finish with what’s next for Liam: a children’s book project (Captain Super Sleep) and his upcoming Hachette Learning book Motivation Matters: Practical Solutions for the Languages Teacher (expected around summer 2026).
Links
The Language Lab Podcast website (episodes, transcripts, resources): https://www.languagelabpodcast.co.uk