Ep.1 - Why the Term Trainer Counts with Daphne Elie
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Daphne Elie, the founder of Business Class Language Solutions, explains why using the term trainer is important.
We’ll be looking at how language training differs from classroom setting teaching and why it matters that YOU, as a trainer, insist on marking the difference with your clients.
After this conversation, we hope you’ll think twice before allowing casual references by clients to “English Teacher.”
We’ll look at how words that hark back to learners’ school days (“homework” and “class” ) may be inhibiting their progress and your career!
Is it just semantics? Join us to find out.
More episodes from The ESL Breakroom by Business Class Language Solutions
Mar 15, 2023
Ep. 21 Giving Back in ESL: The Benefits of Volunteering and Industry Involvement with Rob Howard
In this episode of the Business Class ESL Breakroom, we are joined by special guest Rob Howard, Joint Coordinator for the IATEFL Besig and a well-known figure in the ESL community. If you’ve attended any ESL conferences live or online in recent years, there’s a strong chance you’ve heard Rob present.
Both an active facilitator of Advanced Communication Skills, and an EFL trainer and teacher trainer with broad-ranging expertise in business, sales, language training and materials writing, Rob is a sought-after speaker who delivers his message with heart and a good dose of humor.
However, Rob is not only an experienced public speaker, but also a strong advocate for volunteerism and active participation in industry events. In this engaging conversation, we dive into why it's important to actively participate in ESL events and give back through volunteerism.
Rob shares his personal journey and highlights the benefits of volunteering, such as expanding your network, gaining new skills, and strengthening the community. We also discuss how participating in industry events can help us grow as professionals and broaden our perspectives.
So whether you're a seasoned ESL trainer or just starting out, join us in the Business Class ESL Breakroom as we explore the importance of giving back and being an active member of the ESL community with Rob Howard.
https://besig.iatefl.org/
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Feb 7, 2023
Ep. 20 “How Dogme ELT Saved Me” with Language Coach and Passionate ELT Business Owner Nina Hanáková
Ep. 20 “How Dogme ELT Saved Me” with Language Coach and Passionate ELT Business Owner Nina Hanáková
Join us for an energizing chat with the delightful Nina Hanáková, coach, language school owner, and champion of the freelance ELT professional, as we discuss her experiential-based learning approach, and the influence of the emergent-language focused, materials-light model known as Dogme ELT on her teaching.
An unabashed fan of Luke Meddings’ and Scott Thornbury’s book on Dogme principles in ELT, _Teaching Unplugged: Dogme in English Language Teaching_, Nina shares with us how her own experiential learning-based approach influenced by Dogme methodology revived her passion for ELT at a pivotal career moment.
The Dogme style dovetailed beautifully with her natural inclinations to blend real-life experiences and learner-centric methods into her sessions. It solidified her convictions and freed her to pursue her instincts in the training room. She hasn’t looked back since, and after 19 years of freelance English language training, she is still “loving it every single day.”
Her energy, warmth, and enthusiasm are palpable and her genuine love for our profession shines through as she explains her personal philosophy of English language coaching. A strong advocate for sharing tips and tricks, Nina reveals her latest technological hacks that have greatly boosted her learner retention and can do the same for you.
Nina Hanáková is the founder of the Club For Successful Female ELT Entrepreneurs, and creator of the Language Teacher's Festival in her hometown of Brno in the Czech Republic (this year in May.) Reach out to her on LinkedIn and at _www.ninaenglish.cz_
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Dec 15, 2022
Ep. 19 - Materials That Make a Difference - Task Variety with Silvina Mascitti
Materials That Make a Difference - Task Variety with Silvina Mascitti
In Episode 19, we are talking with Silvina Mascitti, both a passionate EFL teacher and materials writer and the very creative mind behind EFL Creative Ideas.com.
Silvina generously provides the ESL training community with a trove of dynamic ideas through her website and we at Business Class particularly enjoy collaborating with her on materials for our own online training platform.
Listen here as we delve into – task variety…a pillar of materials writing and a key ingredient in a great ESL session. We dive deep into what engages our learners, and the all-important role of task variety in that, in order to turn out great learning experiences.
We’ll be taking a look at working with course books, self-created materials, and the dogme approach which involves little or no preparation by working with emergent language. You don’t need to be a materials writer to benefit from Silvina’s tips. On the contrary, by understanding the building blocks of a great session, you, the trainer, can maximize your session with more effective techniques.
Silvina breaks down the question, “what makes good material?,” and gives us her valuable insights. She highlights the essential elements of materials writing such as engagement, interaction, relatability, representation and inclusivity. All-important, brain-friendly ingredients for good learning such as repetition, emotion, fun, and avoiding cognitive overload are explored.
Silvina shows us the value of squeezing the most out of your existing materials or creating dynamic exercises out of a situation at hand – and explains how these two approaches not only coexist peacefully but in fact, enrich a session with their diversity.
It’s a great conversation chock full of ways to improve your sessions with a few tweaks. Don’t miss out.
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