Dylan Viñales: Fluency, Trust, and the Problem with Testing

Marking Mayhem Meltdown

No full episode this week, because it is exam week and Will is currently somewhere underneath a landslide of marking, feedback sheets, revision lists and possibly a missing microphone. In this short check-in, Will talks about the reality of exam marking, the strange things pupils write when they are trying to process language phonetically, and why looking after yourself during assessment season is not optional. There is also a thank you to recent guests, previous pupils, prospective guests and everyone who has reached out to the show. Plus, a reminder about the upgraded Patreon, where paid subscribers will be able to submit questions for upcoming guests, and an open call for anyone interested in gaining voluntary experience with the podcast through audio editing, social media, guest support or content planning. Normal service will resume once the microphone has been located. For links, transcripts and more, visit www.languagelabpodcast.co.uk [http://www.languagelabpodcast.co.uk] Support the show: patreon.com/TheLanguageLabPodcast [patreon.com/TheLanguageLabPodcast] buymeacoffee.com/languagelabpodcast [buymeacoffee.com/languagelabpodcast]

Marie Massé: Less Clutter, More Purpose

What if better language teaching is not about adding more, but stripping things back? In this episode of The Language Lab Podcast, Will Marks is joined by Marie Massé, French and Spanish teacher, consultant, instructional coach and professional overthinker in the best possible sense. Together, they explore what “minimalism” in MFL teaching really means: not bare lessons, not dull lessons, but more intentional teaching. Marie talks about cumulative curriculum design, why pupils can end up feeling like permanent beginners, the limits of textbook-led planning, teacher agency, GCSE grading, workload, data, and why we need to stop confusing busy classrooms with genuine progress. There is also a powerful discussion about aspiration, class, being underestimated, and why teachers should not be the people who decide which pupils are “fit” to study languages. A thoughtful, practical and honest conversation about teaching with less clutter and more purpose. For links, transcripts and resources, visit www.languagelabpodcast.co.uk [http://www.languagelabpodcast.co.uk]. Support the show: patreon.com/TheLanguageLabPodcast https://www.buymeacoffee.com/languagelabpodcast

Jane Handley: Immersive Languages and the Power of Purpose

What happens when language learning stops being a worksheet and starts becoming real life? In this episode of The Language Lab Podcast, I’m joined by Jane Handley, founder of JLH Languages, to talk about immersive language teaching, restaurant-based learning, and why students often speak more French in one restaurant visit than they do in weeks of classroom lessons. We explore how food, role play, sensory experiences and genuine purpose can transform reluctant learners into confident communicators. From berets and breakfast sessions to GCSE speaking anxiety, Brexit, confidence-building and the wider purpose of language education, this is a conversation about why MFL matters far beyond the exam hall. We also get into teacher identity, why language teachers are often selling far more than vocabulary, and why relationships remain the most powerful tool in any classroom. Sometimes all it takes is one successful order of chips in French to change everything. Find Jane here: JLH Languages Website: jlhlanguages.org For transcripts, CPD tools and more: www.languagelabpodcast.co.uk [http://www.languagelabpodcast.co.uk] Support the show: patreon.com/TheLanguageLabPodcast https://www.buymeacoffee.com/languagelabpodcast

Dylan Viñales: Fluency, Trust, and the Problem with Testing

What does it actually take for students to become fluent in a language? In this episode, Will Marks is joined by Dylan Viñales, Head of Spanish in an international school in Malaysia and co-creator of the Sentence Builder books. They explore what sits behind real fluency. Not just producing correct sentences, but building automatised language that students can retrieve and use with confidence. The conversation covers: * how sentence builders support automatisation rather than memorisation * why recycling and cognitive load are essential for long-term learning * what it takes to move from structured support to genuine communication And at the centre of it all is one key idea. Trust. Trust in the classroom. Trust in the process. And trust in the language itself. Because when that trust breaks down, particularly through the way we assess languages, confidence follows. From GCSE listening to wider questions about testing, this is a clear-eyed look at the gap between how languages are taught and how they’re measured. 🔗 For links, transcripts and more: www.languagelabpodcast.co.uk [http://www.languagelabpodcast.co.uk] ☕ Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/languagelabpodcast

Patty McGee: From Correction to Construction

Grammar is one of those things we assume we understand… until we try to teach it properly. In this episode of The Language Lab Podcast, I’m joined by literacy educator and author Patty McGee to rethink what grammar actually looks like in the classroom. Moving away from rules, correction, and one-off lessons, Patty shares a much more practical approach — starting with sentences, building understanding over time, and focusing on how grammar helps students make meaning. We get into why traditional grammar teaching often falls flat, how short, repeated “grammar experiences” can lead to real progress, and why teachers don’t need to know everything to teach it well. There’s loads here for language teachers too — especially around sentence building, repetition, and how grammar transfers across languages. If grammar has ever felt like something students should get but don’t… this one’s worth a listen. 🌐 Website: www.languagelabpodcast.co.uk [http://www.languagelabpodcast.co.uk] 📚 Patty McGee: https://www.pattymcgee.org [https://www.pattymcgee.org] ☕ Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/languagelabpodcast 🎙 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLanguageLabPodcast [https://www.patreon.com/TheLanguageLabPodcast]