Best How To Teach Esl Newcomers Podcasts (2025)

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Episode 147 - Hooked on Books! How Novels Can Supercharge EL Vocabulary and Thinking 19:33

1h ago19:33

19:33

Reading is always a hot topic for good reason, and it's something every teacher thinks about no matter the grade level. But when it comes to teaching reading to English learners, there are extra layers to consider, especially around language proficiency and age. I'm excited to share something I've been trying out with my middle schoolers, something…

1
EP 159 Student Needs Assessments 8:10

4h ago8:10

8:10

In this week’s episode of My Adventures in ESL, we’re exploring one of the most powerful tools you can use to support your English Language Learners: the student needs assessment. You'll learn what a needs assessment is, why it’s crucial in an ESL setting, and how to effectively implement one in your own classroom. Whether you teach newcomers or lo…

1
Episode 146 - Digging Deeper: How the 5 Whys Can Transform Your Teaching and Life 19:18

2h ago19:18

19:18

Have you ever felt like you're constantly putting out fires in your classroom? Redirecting behavior, reteaching concepts, or dealing with burnout without really solving the root problem? Sometimes it feels like we are running around in circles and nothing changes our lives, in our classrooms, in our professional development even though we seem to d…

1
EP 158 My Go-to Engaging Lessons 9:17

2h ago9:17

9:17

Welcome to the My Adventures in ESL Podcast! In this episode, we’re diving into engaging ESL lesson ideas that will captivate your students and enhance their language skills. Teaching English as a second language is more than just lessons—it's about empowering students to express themselves, connect with others, and build confidence. Today, I’m sha…

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Episode 145 - It’s Not Just About Language! The 2 Soft Skills Every EL Teacher Should Have 14:01

1d ago14:01

14:01

In education, we often focus on the hard skills, the academic knowledge of our subject, the instructional strategies, the assessment methods, and the pedagogy that shape effective teaching. These are the measurable, tangible aspects of our profession, and they are absolutely essential. But today, I want to shift the focus to something just as impor…

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EP 157 Celebrating Your Newcomer's Success 6:40

2d ago6:40

6:40

Welcome to the My Adventures in ESL Podcast! In this episode, we’re diving into meaningful ways to celebrate the achievements of your newcomer students—helping them build confidence, stay motivated, and feel valued in the classroom. As educators, we know the importance of encouragement, and today, I’ll be sharing simple yet powerful strategies to u…

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Episode 144 - 3 Myths About Teaching Newcomers - And What Actually Works 13:50

8d ago13:50

13:50

Let’s talk about three common myths about teaching newcomers. Teaching English learners is really not as complicated as many think, yet I hear from so many overwhelmed teachers who have lost sight of the forest for the trees. Schools are notorious for grasping onto the newest programs and ideas for teaching English learners, which sometimes work ou…

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Ep 156 Lesson Ideas for March 6:40

22d ago6:40

6:40

Welcome to this episode, where we dive into engaging lesson ideas for March! This month offers a wealth of opportunities to create meaningful learning experiences for your students. From celebrating Women’s History Month and Poetry Month to exploring the arrival of spring, we’ve got you covered with creative ideas and actionable lesson plans. Episo…

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Episode 143 - How to Beat the Mid-Year Slump in the EL Classroom for Both Students and Teachers 21:32

15d ago21:32

21:32

Welcome to the mid-year slump. Whether you live in a colder climate like I do or anywhere else, the middle of the school year can get hard for so many reasons. February and March in particular can be especially tough months in the school year. Students and teachers are tired, motivation is dipping, and standardized testing is looming. If you are fe…

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EP 155 My thoughts and experiences about Gifted ELLs 7:16

17d ago7:16

7:16

Welcome to the My Adventures in ESL Podcast! In this episode, we explore an important and often overlooked issue—identifying and supporting gifted English Language Learners (ELLs). Many multilingual students go unnoticed in gifted programs simply because traditional assessments don’t account for their unique skills and potential. Join me as I share…

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Episode 142 - The Secret to Effective EL Lessons? Start at the End! 18:00

23d ago18:00

18:00

I am very excited about today's episode because I know it will bring so much value to you. I've talked about lesson planning before, but today, I wanted to share a process that has been very helpful and, honestly, is truly a great way to plan for our EL students. So in today's episode, I will be sharing all about backward design and lesson planning…

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Empowering Educators: Engaging Lesson Plans for Black History Month 7:21

1M ago7:21

7:21

Welcome, educators! In today’s episode, we’re diving into impactful and engaging lesson ideas to help you plan for Black History Month. These lessons are designed to build background knowledge, strengthen reading comprehension, and encourage thoughtful discussions among your students. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: ✅ How to introduce Black Hist…

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Episode 141 - A Look Behind the Scenes of The ESL Teaching Podcast 22:38

1M ago22:38

22:38

I don't know about you, but I love a good behind the scenes moment. In the world where we always see the final product, whether it's a great lesson plan, an engaging activity, or heck, someone simply looking amazing and put together, it is good to remind ourselves that the road to that result is not always very linear. Have you ever wondered what i…

1
EP 153 Supporting You & Your Students This Testing Season 9:23

1M ago9:23

9:23

Welcome to the My Adventures in ESL Podcast! I want to encourage you to take the time to explore the podcast and my website My Adventures in ESL. Testing season can be overwhelming for both ESL teachers and students, with multiple required assessments in a short period. In this episode, we’re diving into strategies to help your students feel confid…

1
Episode 140 - The Less is More Philosophy When Teaching EL Newcomers 14:35

1M ago14:35

14:35

One of the themes that keeps coming up in my teaching and that of many other teachers who work with English learners is this: How much work should we give EL newcomers and any EL student? What can we expect from them? Today, I wanted to revisit the topic of classwork and homework our ELs have to do and about how we can make it more manageable and e…

1
Episode 139 - How to Prepare for State and Proficiency Tests Part 2: Reading and Writing Practice 19:49

2M ago19:49

19:49

Midwinter and early spring is the season for state and language proficiency testing, and I am dedicating a couple of episodes to help you prepare your students for them so that they can show off all of the great things they've learned so far. Last week, I talked about peculiarities of listening and speaking tests and what activities you can incorpo…

1
Breaking Myths About Newcomer Students: Insights for Educators 8:30

2M ago8:30

8:30

Welcome to today’s episode of the My Adventures in ESL Podcast! We’re tackling some of the most common misconceptions about working with newcomer students and sharing practical strategies to help educators support their success. Episode Highlights: 1. Myth: Students Must Acquire Oral Language Before Literacy Misconception: "Students need to speak E…

1
Episode 138: Preparing Your English Learners for State and Language Proficiency Tests. Part 1 - Listening and Speaking Practice 15:13

2M ago15:13

15:13

The testing season is upon us. I wanted to talk about a topic that every teacher working with English learners faces each year, preparing your English learners for state testing and language proficiency tests like ACCESS, TELPAS, and others. These tests play a crucial role in measuring student progress and shaping future instruction. However, prepa…

1
EP 151 Celebrate Lunar New Year in Your ESL Classroom with Engaging Lessons and Activities 10:49

2M ago10:49

10:49

Welcome, educators! In this episode, we’re sharing exciting ways to bring the Lunar New Year into your ESL classroom. From close reading strategies to hands-on activities, you’ll find creative ideas to spark curiosity, foster cultural appreciation, and build essential language skills. What’s Inside This Episode: 1. Lunar New Year Close Read Discove…

1
Episode 137 - Breaking Down Assumptions About English Language Learners 17:08

3M ago17:08

17:08

Have you ever made an assumption about a person before truly getting to know them? As teachers, whether we like it or not, we tend to operate on a lot of assumptions which come from our education, practice, and experience. What I found though is that most of the time, many and any assumptions stem from lack of information. And sometimes it's diffic…

1
Strategies for Teaching Close Reading to Newcomers: A Guide for ESL Educators 11:12

2M ago11:12

11:12

Welcome to today’s episode, where we’re diving into effective strategies for teaching close reading to ESL newcomers! Whether you’re a seasoned educator or just starting your journey, these actionable tips will help you empower your language learners and create meaningful learning experiences. Episode Highlights: Building Background Knowledge: Lear…

1
Episode 136 - Your First Day with Newcomer EL Students 15:45

3M ago15:45

15:45

Teaching EL newcomers is by far one of the most popular subjects among all teachers at the beginning of the school year, middle of the school year, end of the school year, all the time. So much so that I have created quite a few episodes on what to teach them and how to help them in the regular education classroom. In today's episode, I am revisiti…

1
Unlocking Strategies for Engaging Language Learners 11:17

2M ago11:17

11:17

Welcome back, educators! In this episode, I’m sharing insights and strategies inspired by my recent experience at the TNTESOL conference in Nashville. From innovative math strategies to utilizing library resources and understanding translanguaging, you’ll find actionable tips to enhance your teaching and support your language learners. What You’ll …

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Episode 135 - From Holiday Mode to Learning Mode: How to Reset, Refocus and Recharge 17:28

3M ago17:28

17:28

The holiday season can be hectic both at home and at school. Besides you being tired and over it, the students are tired and over it. And it shows. No matter the age group you teach, it can be an added stressor trying to figure out how to teach and manage everything around you. But just like we can restart a computer when it is glitching and someho…

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Episode 134 - The Year of Growth: The Biggest Takeaway of 2024 14:23

3M ago14:23

14:23

As I'm looking back on 2024, there were challenges and opportunities as well as a lot of growth. And as we know, it doesn't happen in a calm and peaceful environment when everyone is content. It happens through storms and sometimes chaos and most of the time through pain, whether big or small. The good thing is, I wouldn't change any of it. Well, m…

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Episode 133 - 5 SEL Components to Incorporate in Every ELL Lesson 22:36

4M ago22:36

22:36

What is social-emotional learning? And why it is crucial to address it daily with your students, including, if not especially, English learners. SEL or social-emotional learning is the buzzword nowadays, but it is very near and dear to my heart. As an educator, I, and I'm sure many of you, see firsthand how important it is for students to learn not…

1
Episode 132 - From Struggle to Success: Helping ELs Thrive in Language Arts Classroom 18:32

4M ago18:32

18:32

Helping English learners access the curriculum of the Language Arts class, which is geared towards native speakers, is one of the challenges many teachers face. There are many linguistic demands that are not easy even for students for whom English is the mother tongue. And for English learners, those demands add extra layers, which require the teac…

1
Episode 131 - How Neuroscience Can Transform Your ELL Teaching with Guest Meeghan Carter 29:06

4M ago29:06

29:06

In order to learn something, we need tools that address the way we learn as people as well as help us develop ways of thinking. In recent years, terms like neuroscience and neuroplasticity have become very popular in all fields, including education. What do these terms mean exactly? Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system, includ…

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Episode 130 - Beyond Buddies: How Peer Pairing Empowers ELs 14:56

4M ago14:56

14:56

Over the past several weeks, I have been sharing with you three simple accommodations every classroom teacher can make to reach ELs, even newcomers. We talked about why using visuals is essential when working with ELs, as well as what types of visuals to include. We dove into simplifying our language for directions, lesson delivery, and feedback, a…

1
Episode 129 - Why Simplifying Your Language for ELs Leads to Effective Higher Order Thinking 16:32

5M ago16:32

16:32

I am bringing you a series of episodes … 3 simple accommodations every classroom teacher can make to reach ELs, even newcomers. They are very targeted and easily digestible so that the tips you hear today and in the previous and coming episodes, you can implement right in your next lesson. We have identified 3 very simple, yet extremely effective a…

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Ep. 148 Simple and Effective November Lesson Ideas for Your Language Learners 7:38

4M ago7:38

7:38

Welcome to the My Adventures in ESL Podcast! This week’s episode is all about making your November lesson planning efficient and engaging for you Language Learners. We’ll cover strategies and activity ideas for Veterans Day, Daylight Savings Time, Fall Festivals, and Hibernation. Tune in to get inspired with hands-on, student-centered activities th…

1
Episode 128 - Seeing is Understanding: 5 Visual Strategies for Supporting ELs 13:19

5M ago13:19

13:19

How can I help an English learner in a regular education classroom? This question is right there at the top of all questions asked by teachers along with what to teach EL newcomers. We all know that teaching is complicated and consists of a lot of moving parts that are sometimes hard to juggle. And since my mission is to bring you EL teaching tips …

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Transform Your Planning Period: Time-Saving Tips for Teachers 6:50

5M ago6:50

6:50

In this episode, we’re diving into practical strategies for educators to find more time in their day to support students effectively. From analyzing how you spend your time to planning ahead, this episode is packed with tips to help you maximize your productivity. We discuss: Analyze Your Time Track everything you do during the school day to get a …

1
Episode 127 - When to Use Professional Interpreters vs. Bilingual Staff for Communicating with EL Families 19:50

5M ago19:50

19:50

Let's talk about translation in the world of multilingual teaching. It is a bigger topic and covers both the translation of materials in the classroom and translation of school communication with EL families. Today, I wanted to focus on the other side of translation, namely best practices for communicating with EL families of our students who do no…

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EP 146 Procrastination & Planning 2:45

5M ago2:45

2:45

Welcome to the My Adventures in ESL Podcast! In this week’s episode, we’re sharing practical and effective strategies to help you transform your planning period and optimize your productivity. In This Episode: Introduction to Trey Browder: A licensed therapist and impact coach dedicated to helping educators achieve work-life balance and manage stre…

1
EP 145 Speaking and Writing Activities 6:31

5M ago6:31

6:31

Welcome to the My Adventures in ESL Podcast! In this week’s episode, we’re diving into speaking and writing activities that you can easily incorporate into your lessons to help your students express themselves more effectively. These activities are designed to boost both listening and speaking skills while enhancing students’ writing abilities. In …

1
EP 144 Start Using Stations Today 42:10

6M ago42:10

42:10

Welcome to the My Adventures in ESL Podcast! Welcome, educators! In this week’s episode, we are exploring practical tips and strategies for setting up effective literacy stations in your classroom. Literacy stations can make a huge difference in your students’ learning experience by promoting independence, responsibility, and a variety of learning …

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Episode 126 - The Top 5 Questions We Get about Teaching ELs - And Here Are the Answers! 25:43

7M ago25:43

25:43

I work closely with content area teachers, and I frequently receive questions from them about how they can help English learners in their classroom. The questions about teaching ELs, frankly, are the same every year. How to help a newcomer? How to assess EL students in the classroom? What activities work well with ELs, especially those at lower pro…

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Ep. 143 Improving Engagement Among Language Learners 10:03

6M ago10:03

10:03

Welcome to the My Adventures in ESL Podcast! Today’s podcast aims to provide you with simple and effective strategies you can use in your classroom to increase student engagement among your students. These may surprise you because we often think that adding some games increases student engagement. Let’s dive into strategies you can use to improve s…

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Episode 125 - 3 Meaningful Ways to Teach Grammar to EL Teens and Adults 14:42

7M ago14:42

14:42

Teaching grammar can be a topic that raises many questions for teachers of English learners, but it doesn't have to be. And as we discussed last week about how to teach grammar to younger English learners, we talked about strategies that work with that age group and answered questions about why we need to teach grammar in general. Today, I wanted t…

1
September Lesson Ideas 8:48

6M ago8:48

8:48

Welcome to the My Adventures in ESL Podcast! I want to encourage you to take the time to explore the podcast and my website My Adventures in ESL. Today’s podcast aims to provide you with lesson ideas for September. This will help your planning and make things easier when you start brainstorming what to do for the upcoming month. This podcast will p…

1
Episode 124 - How to Teach Grammar to Younger English Learners 14:05

7M ago14:05

14:05

Whether you teach young English learners or teenagers and even adults, teaching in language involves teaching the grammar of that language. At the same time, it raises many questions for us. What is grammar exactly? Do we need to teach grammar explicitly when working with English learners in English speaking settings? Or do we let the students abso…

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Episode 123 - Kicking Off the School Year: The First Five Days in the ESL Classroom 20:56

7M ago20:56

20:56

Today we're diving into a crucial topic for every ESL teacher as we approach a new school year—how to set the stage for success during the first five days in the ESL classroom. In this episode, we'll explore essential strategies for building trust, setting expectations, understanding student backgrounds, establishing routines, introducing content, …

1
Beginning of the Year Lesson Ideas 14:57

7M ago14:57

14:57

Welcome to the My Adventures in ESL Podcast! I want to encourage you to take the time to explore the podcast and my website My Adventures in ESL. It’s the beginning of the school year and you are running out of lesson ideas. In this week's episode, I will share a 5-day lesson plan that you can use during the beginning of the school year to help you…

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Episode 122 - Why Your EL Program Needs a Mission Statement and How to Create One 13:29

7M ago13:29

13:29

Recently, I talked about the roles of the EL teacher, what our jobs entail, and how we can explain, in short, about what we do to our colleagues and administrators. Today, I wanted to go a step further and talk about a mission statement. This short, clear statement packs so much information and might be just the ticket for EL teachers and departmen…

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Episode 121 - 3 Reasons Hiring an EL Educational Consultant is a Must for Your EL Teaching Needs 12:35

8M ago12:35

12:35

With the new school year kicking off, energy is buzzing through the hallways as teachers set up their classrooms and dive into mandatory trainings. Today, we’re addressing a fundamental question: Why should schools consider hiring outside educational consultants for English Learner (EL) professional development, especially when they already have in…

1
Episode 120 - The Four Roles of an ESL Teacher: What Do They Actually Do? 16:53

8M ago16:53

16:53

With the number of English learners constantly rising and permeating not only large urban areas but also spreading into suburbs and rural towns, there's a serious need for all involved in the education of those English learners to understand the role of an ESL, ELL teacher in their district. This podcast episode was inspired by observations of both…

1
Tips for Creating Your Back-to-School Curriculum 11:41

8M ago11:41

11:41

Welcome to the My Adventures in ESL Podcast! I want to encourage you to take the time to explore the podcast and my website My Adventures in ESL. Imagine it is the beginning of the school year and you are getting question after question about the ESL students at your school. The general education teachers also wonder how they can support the langua…

1
Tips for Creating Your Back-to-School Curriculum 10:11

8M ago10:11

10:11

Welcome to the My Adventures in ESL Podcast! I want to encourage you to take the time to explore the podcast and my website My Adventures in ESL. In this week's episode, I will share the structure you need to build your back-to-school lessons. These will consist of the core basics to help you plan for those first two weeks of school. Check out this…

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Episode 119 - 5 Tips for Newer EL Teachers 21:06

9M ago21:06

21:06

Today we're diving into five practical tips for newer EL teachers. Whether you're transitioning into EL teaching, getting your certification, or supporting multilingual students in your regular classroom, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you succeed. Show Notes: Episode 119 - 5 Tips for Newer EL Teachers Simply Ieva Offers: Acc…

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