148 episodes
148 ¦ Making classroom talk visible and memorable: The power of the teacher's board
09/10/2026 | 28 mins.Research into the transience effect suggests that learners can struggle when spoken information disappears before they have had time to process and connect it. A student shares an interesting idea, uses a brilliant phrase or makes an important connection - but seconds later the conversation or story has moved on and that contribution has been forgotten.
In this episode, we explore how we can use the teacher's whiteboard as the classroom’s shared memory: capturing key words beside drawings during Story-Listening, spotlighting effective learner language and preserving students’ ideas so that others can see, revisit and build upon them. We also examine how making learner contributions visible can support autonomy, competence and relatedness by showing students that their voices genuinely influence the lesson.
And.. how does this all relate to the fact that students need an abundance of compelling, comprehensible input in order to acquire language naturally and implicitly? Listen to this episode to find out now!
Full programme notes are available on www.liamprinter.com/podcast.
Keep in touch and share!
Follow The Motivated Classroom on Instagram @themotivatedclassroom and Facebook @themotivatedclassroom.
I'd love to know what you think, please get in touch! Join the conversation with the hashtag #MotivatedClassroom.
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Facebook.
Enjoying the free content? Support the podcast here:
👉 www.buymeacoffee.com/liamprinter
👉 www.patreon.com/themotivatedclassroom
Don’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow languages teacher!- Q&A episode featuring questions sent in directly by listeners: In this on we explore the use of AI and AI made resources in the language classroom, when and how do we start teaching spelling to children, and finally, how can we combat the inevitable forgetting that happens when we acquire language in classrooms. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think:
Let me know what you think! I'd love to hear from you.
Full programme notes are available on www.liamprinter.com/podcast.
Keep in touch and share!
Follow The Motivated Classroom on Instagram @themotivatedclassroom and Facebook @themotivatedclassroom.
I'd love to know what you think, please get in touch! Join the conversation with the hashtag #MotivatedClassroom.
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Facebook.
Enjoying the free content? Support the podcast here:
👉 www.buymeacoffee.com/liamprinter
👉 www.patreon.com/themotivatedclassroom
Don’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow languages teacher! 146 ¦ From falling numbers to waiting lists: How changing the assessment changed everything with Janet Schneider and Michelle Scott
25/09/2026 | 1h 3 mins.In this special, extended episode, I am joined by Janet Schneider and Michelle Scott to talk about how they transformed dwindling numbers in their language courses to now, where they have waiting lists and not enough classrooms due to all the student demand for languages. A truly inspirational episode to show us what can be achieved when we are brave enough to change something that often demotivates and destroys competence: the test. Janet and Michelle take us through a step-by-step process about how their large school in Australia changed assessment practices, particularly around speaking, and how this led to a huge increase in student interest, success and motivation for language learning. When the exam changes, everything changes. You don't want to miss this one!
Let me know what you think! I'd love to hear from you.
Full programme notes are available on www.liamprinter.com/podcast.
Keep in touch and share!
Follow The Motivated Classroom on Instagram @themotivatedclassroom and Facebook @themotivatedclassroom.
I'd love to know what you think, please get in touch! Join the conversation with the hashtag #MotivatedClassroom.
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Facebook.
Enjoying the free content? Support the podcast here:
👉 www.buymeacoffee.com/liamprinter
👉 www.patreon.com/themotivatedclassroom
Don’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow languages teacher!- In those first few weeks of the school year, it is easy to just provide the classroom routine once and then assume the students have it nailed. As it begins to slip, we gloss over it and let things slide so that we can get on with our content... but, this often ends up eating into way more class time as you try to fight against that poorly embedded routine as the year progresses. This episode is all about keeping the focus on those "little things", particularly at the start, so that you gain that time back and much more, later in the year. A highly practical episode, with of course some mentions of the evidence and research in this area too.
Let me know what you think! I'd love to hear from you.
Full programme notes are available on www.liamprinter.com/podcast.
Keep in touch and share!
Follow The Motivated Classroom on Instagram @themotivatedclassroom and Facebook @themotivatedclassroom.
I'd love to know what you think, please get in touch! Join the conversation with the hashtag #MotivatedClassroom.
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Facebook.
Enjoying the free content? Support the podcast here:
👉 www.buymeacoffee.com/liamprinter
👉 www.patreon.com/themotivatedclassroom
Don’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow languages teacher! - When we think about autonomy as a driving force of intrinsic motivation, we often conflate it simply with 'providing choice'. According to Self-Determination Theory, however, autonomy is also about self-direction, ownership and value; this psychological need is also satisfied when we understand the rationale and purpose behind an activity... especially ones we may not find in inherently interesting.
This episode explores what providing rationale looks like in the classroom and how important it is to continually do this, right through the year, but even more so in the first few weeks.
Full programme notes are available on www.liamprinter.com/podcast.
Keep in touch and share!
Follow The Motivated Classroom on Instagram @themotivatedclassroom and Facebook @themotivatedclassroom.
I'd love to know what you think, please get in touch! Join the conversation with the hashtag #MotivatedClassroom.
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Facebook.
Enjoying the free content? Support the podcast here:
👉 www.buymeacoffee.com/liamprinter
👉 www.patreon.com/themotivatedclassroom
Don’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow languages teacher!
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About The Motivated Classroom
A podcast for language teachers and learners hosted by Dr. Liam Printer talking all things education, languages, motivation and engagement; linking current educational research to your classroom practice and providing a few ideas for some easy to implement, zero-prep, motivational strategies you can try out right away!
Join the conversation on social media using #MotivatedClassroom. I'd love to know what you think so please get in touch.
Full programme notes available on
www.liamprinter.com/podcast
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