More Than English Podcast

Teaching for exams whether Cambridge exams, IELTS, TOEFL, or any other standardized test is a necessary part of TEFL. Students need the B1, B2, C1, or another certificate for their school, job, visa, etc. Teachers can make their ESL lessons engaging and practical for real life English while preparing for these exams. In this episode, we speak with Cambridge examiner and coordinator, Terry Lodge, to get the inside scoop on these exams. Terry shares advice from his experience, fun lesson ideas, and EFL teaching philosophy and approaches to be a more effective teacher. This is part 1 of a 2 part interview that is a masterclass in exam prep and teaching English in general. For more useful materials for your classes, visit https://www.sweedacademy.com/

If you teach a language in a school or academy, a great way to supplement your income as a is to teach online. Sometimes we may not know how to start teaching online, and then if start, we may get nervous when we get our students. Maybe you've been teaching online and you need some new ideas to keep your lessons fresh. Whether you've never taught a language lesson online or you're an experienced teacher, there is plenty of information for you to apply to your online lessons.  Jesse is interviewing Camille, a professional teacher on italki, an online language-learning platform that connects teachers and students, shares some valuable information on: - How to get started teaching online - The differences between teaching kids and adults - Some useful resources to use with your online students Start learning on italki: https://www.italki.com/i/CDCabd Find Camille: https://www.italki.com/teacher/5082590 

If you teach teens, you know how challenging it can be. Between their teenage insecurities, short attention spans, and ever-present hormones, their EFL classes can be a nightmare for EFL teachers... especially young ones. In today's episode, Jesse talks with Harry Waters about teaching philosophy, classroom management, and a few fun EFL game ideas for you to take and adapt to your style and your classes.  The three EFL games you'll learn about in this episode are: Why is there a monkey in your bag? City Race Songversation You'll get much more than just these. Harry shares with us how to play these games in your classes, how to make the rules, and how to get the most language and personal growth out of these games. It truly is More Than English. *Note* you'll hear a bit of background noise at some points. It doesn't interfere with anything. If you want more materials, visit sweedacademy.com and find a bunch of resources for your lessons.

We're talking with Luke Kim, the founder of Luke Look English. He will share a very unique perspective that many have never thought that much about... "What is a Korean person's advice to an ex-pat who is moving to South Korea to teach English?" Luke gives some of his ideas and advice on: - deciding to make the move - adjusting once you're in South Korea - expanding your option past teaching in the classroom - teaching adult students For more resources, visit: https://www.sweedacademy.com/ Luke Look English : http://lukelookenglish.com/

Do you teach kids English as a Foreign Language (EFL) or English as a Second Language (ESL)? Sometimes teaching young learners can be very tricky and stressful. In this episode of the More Than English Podcast, you will get actionable advice and tips to help you become an even more effective English teacher to kids.  Learn all about ROUTINES, ATTENTION-GETTERS, and CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT in ways to make your classrooms lively and a fun learning environment. For more material, visit sweedacademy.com.

We're going deep in this episode of the More Than English Podcast with Dr. Peter Crosthwaite Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics. Peter shares some ideas to remember in your LISTENING, WRITING, and CONVERSATION classes as well as introduces us to some CORPORA software that will revolutionize how we research words in English. This episode is a bit longer and a little dense with information, but if you are interested in taking your EFL classes and teaching to the next level, this is full of insight into the EFL/ESL world. Not to mention, Peter roasts Jesse in a few parts. For more information and video, visit sweedacademy.com

It's back to school time! Most people don't realize the pressures and nerves of teachers and students starting a new year of school. It's important to start off on the right foot.  In this episode, Jesse previews this season of the More Than English Podcast, and he gives some tips and advice to start the semester strong. Some simple principles to remember are:  - Show respect - A list of rules doesn't work - Remember you are the example. Lead with that in mind. Visit sweedacademy.com for more resources.

Moving to a new country can be intimidating, scary, exciting, and uncomfortable, so in this episode of the More Than English Podcast, Jesse will share how he was able to see the advantages and benefits of living abroad, and how you can learn and grow from them.  If you've been living in another country for a length of time, the new-car smell can wear off and you can lose that enchantment that you once had when you first moved there.  That's normal and how it should be because the reason it's so powerful is because that feeling won't last forever.  Today, Jesse will give you a quick reminder and a way to appreciate the newness of living abroad, and then he will share a personal story about his own personal separation from the past and the growth that followed as a result of living in a new place.  Do you have any questions or concerns about moving to a new country? Ask them here or contact Jesse on social media. For more, visit sweedacademy.com

Are you planning to live abroad? Have you recently moved abroad to live in another country? Jesse wants to share some of his experiences and observations of living abroad. This experience is different for everybody, but there are some common mental stages that we go through as ex-pats living in another country.  First, we have the honeymoon stage. This is where we love everything and think that this country does everything better than our home country.  Then, as the honeymoon stage wears off, we start seeing all of the faults in the new country and we can get annoyed by these and miss our own country. After a while, we start finding that balance and see the beauty, the pros and cons of each place. This balance just becomes more and more clear over time. Of course not everybody finds this balance, but this is a goal, and the sooner we can find this balance, the better our traveling and living abroad experience can be. For more information, visit sweedacademy.com.

Moving to another country or a new place in your country can be a little scary. New people, new shops, new ways of doing things, and even a new language! Jesse wants to share some tips from his experiences of moving to two different countries. Learn some advice of what you can do to make your move to a new country as smooth and beneficial as possible. You will first hear some reminders of all of the logistics to take care of. Visa, bank account, etc. After that, you will get some practical day-to-day advice to help you fit in and appreciate the new culture that you are going to be a part of. Some things to remember in your move: become familiar with transportation, learn some basic expressions from the language, observe people and how they interact with each other, and meet and talk with as many people as you can. Don't forget to appreciate the new place you're in.  Follow these steps, and your move to a new culture or new area can be a great opportunity for you to re-invent yourself or improve yourself.

What are challenges? Jesse says that challenges are difficult things that when you overcome them, you will be a bigger and better person. Challenges can be scary because many people think that challenges are just difficult things. If there's no change, this is true. The thing that makes challenges so great is that they lead to change and growth. This is why challenging yourself is so important. We can challenge ourselves in learning new things, improving personal weaknesses, as a family, in our jobs or careers, anywhere we want to see growth. In this episode of the More Than English Podcast, Jesse gives some suggestions and steps you can take to start challenging yourself today even if you're not used to doing difficult things. Start small. To begin challenging yourself: 1. Find something you want to improve at or an area you want to strengthen. 2. Have clear objectives in what you want to see as the result. 3. Recognize and acknowledge when you've met and overcome a challenge. Even if it's small, and even if

What's the main point of learning a foreign language? If you've listened to the More Than English podcast before or have seen Jesse's video lessons on YouTube, you know the answer to this. The most important thing to remember about learning a foreign language is it's all about the communication. Our ability to communicate is literally what separates us from the animals.  In today's episode of the More Than English podcast, Jesse shares two main types of motivation to learn new things (intrinsic and extrinsic). We will discuss both of these types of motivation, what they mean, and which one is more effective to learn something new. PLUS Jesse will share a story where his one-year-old son communicated the exact thing that he wanted and how we can apply this to our language-learning. As learners, knowing what kind of motivation drives us to truly learn will help us know a little better how to study. As teachers, if we understand these concepts in the classroom, we will be more professional and effective tea

Did you realize that learning a new language is an opportunity? Maybe you did. But did you realize that it is an opportunity to find a new you. It's true! When you learn a new language, you're tapping into a new part of your brain and learning to communicate and think in a whole new way. By learning a new language, you will be able to see the world in a whole new way... well, you can if you allow yourself to do this. Jesse wants to share his experiences and tell you why and how you can and should become a new person by learning a new language. You are opening a door to a whole new world full of new ways to communicate, new ways to think, and a whole new perspective. In this episode, Jesse shares three tips to maximize this experience: 1. Learn the new language for COMMUNICATION 2. OBSERVE who you are in the other language 3. Shape that person and learn from that person Realize that in language as in life, the journey is the destination.

Do you ever THINK in a foreign language? Learning a foreign language is more than just saying words that have the same meaning as your language. Learning a foreign language is COMMUNICATION. If you're learning a foreign language, most of you are learning English, a GIGANTIC help for you is to think in that language.  However, there are more benefits of thinking in a foreign language. In this episode of the More Than English Podcast, Jesse talks about THREE big benefits of thinking in a foreign language, as well as shares some of his experiences of his journey of learning a foreign language. Thinking in a foreign language has been shown to help you: in decision-making learn the language more deeply think in a different way and see problems from a different perspective WARNING: There is some explicit language in this episode in English, Spanish, and Korean.   Visit sweedacademy.com for more resources and material

Sometimes we have an idea of what certain words mean, but when we're asked to define the words, we don't really know how to do it. This is an activity that is great to do with 1-on-1 students. In this episode of the More Than English Podcast, Jesse asks you to play along. He will give you three words, and you are to write a brief description or definition of the words. The three words are: - RESPECT - HERO - CONFIDENCE Jesse asks you to get a piece of paper and a pen and write down, "XX is..." and define these words. It may not be as easy as you think. If you are a teacher, this is a great activity to do with your 1-on-1 students or adult classes because it really forces them to think about defining these words. Remind them that they can't use the word in the definition.  Share your answer below or on social media and see if you agree with Jesse's definitions. There is one that Jesse couldn't define, which one is it? For more material, visit sweedacademy.com

Are you a teacher?  Yes, you are. Whether it is your job or not. We all have people who look to us to learn something. So do you. We've all had teachers that have impacted our lives greatly in one way or another, and we've all had teachers that we've forgotten. Probably more of the second one.  What is a teacher? To quote Bruce Lee, "A teacher is never a giver of truth. He is a guide, a pointer to the truth that each student must find for himself." This is the philosophy I teach by. This is the philosophy I try to run my classes with.  What does this mean and how can I apply it to my life? This is what Jesse talks about in this episode of the More Than English Podcast. He shares some of his teaching philosophy and how that helps him in the classroom and in preparation.  Jesse also breaks down some useful English expressions during his talk.  Visit us at sweedacademy.com for more material.

In 1995, a middle-aged man named McArthur Wheeler decided to rob a bank. He wasn't wearing a mask as he smiled at the security cameras because he thought they would not be able to see him since he had covered his face in lemon juice. Yes, normal lemon juice.  McArthur had apparently read somewhere that lemon juice can act as an invisible ink. He then came to the logical conclusion that he would appear invisible to the security cameras as well. This lead, eventually a psychological study called the Dunning-Kruger study. They concluded that the less you know about something, the higher your confidence is.  After we actually learn a little bit, our confidence drops because we begin to see how little we actually know. I see this all the time as a teacher. Many of my students have studied English for years, and they can speak well. However their confidence is low. They can speak and understand much more than they think they can. Does this sound like you?  The trick is to find that sweet spot. Jesse

Jesse is going on vacation tomorrow, so he is going to share some common English expressions you can use when you're going to the airport.  You will learn some useful ways to talk about your flight, valuable grammar tips and fluency builders to make better sentences, and key vocabulary you will be able to use every time you go on a trip. You will also finally learn the difference between trip and travel.  Join the FREE More Than English Podcast course where you will find: - ALL episodes of the More Than English Podcast - Video quizzes on select episodes. - Extra notes and worksheets https://sweedacademy.teachable.com/

Are you struggling with burnout? Burnout happens when you feel exhausted because you put too much effort toward something that gains you little reward. You experience 'burnout' when this happens for a long period of time. We all feel burnout from time to time. The question is, how can we change this and energize ourselves again?  Many times, this comes down to balancing your EFFORT:REWARD ratio. In this episode of the More Than English Podcast, Jesse wants to share his experiences of feeling burnout, and help you with some tips and ideas to balance your effort:reward ratio.  As always, he will teach some common expressions during his lecture and highlight the use of QUESTION TAGS. For more resources, visit sweedacademy.com.

Jesse is a self-confessed procrastinator. He has been his whole life. He puts all his tasks off until the last minute. Does that sound familiar? Is this a negative thing? In this episode of the More Than English Podcast, Jesse will dive into the mind of a procrastinator. We will see how this isn't necessarily a negative thing, and actually it has lead to some of the most creative and original ideas. In today's episode, we will: Look at some successful famous procrastinators Address some MYTHS vs. FACTS about procrastinators Learn 3 ways we can USE procrastination FOR us. Break down and study useful expressions and phrasal verbs that Jesse uses in the episode. Join us and find more information at sweedacademy.com