S02 E14 Critical Thinking in Language Education

Dr. Sophia Mavridi, SFHEA joins Will and Harry for a Global Teachers' Festival Special where they broach the subject of Focus. Has it disappeared for good or is it on loan to the algorithms and digital devices?Dr. Mavridi's contention is that the wholesale banning of phones at school or in the classroom will not actually help them become more able to focus, as once they are able to access social media or their device, they will not have the skills or inclination to maintain focus on life outside of them.

Listen to this audio version of Macmillan Education's Advancing Learning Threads, contributed to my Miranda Hamilton.In this episode, explore how doing less preparation can lead to greater learner engagement. Discover practical ways to adapt coursebooks, taskify activities, and create more opportunities for meaningful language use.

For this Global Teachers' Festival Special, Harry and Will are joined by the British Council and International House's Pilar Capaul.This episode looks at the role of a trend. While exploring some of today's most talked about subjects, they explore how (and if) discussions being had at conferences and social media transfer to the reality of today's classrooms.What do you think? Are the conversations really helping the art of teaching progress, or is it contained within a separate arena that doesn't get the space to impact the world for real?Have a listen and make up your own mind!

Do you teach critical thinking skills in your classroom? How do you go about it? And why do you feel the need to teach them?The unstoppable Chia Suan Chong at long last joins the Advancing Learning Podcast to discuss what forms critical thinking takes, and how it can be addressed in all its many shapes and forms in today's world.Equip yourself and your students with the skills they need to succeed at university and beyond. Go straight to Macmillan Education’s website and download a Scientific American sample lesson of Skillful 3rd Edition right here: https://www.macmillanenglish.com/catalogue/courses/adults-and-young-adults/skillful3e/course-information 

ADHD expert, Vicky Allan, joins Will and Harry on an episode getting into depth on ADHD, how teachers can identify it, what is actually is (and isn't), and how you can create a learning environment that includes all students present.This is the final part of 3 episodes where we'll be focusing on neurodiversity and the burning questions you had during the festival we just didn't have time for!Check out Macmillan Education's Advancing Learning for Everyone website that offers a wide range of resources to help teachers create a truly inclusive learning environment at https://www.macmillanenglish.com/advancing-learning-for-everyone Watch Vicky's webinar all about ADHD here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uCG4ym8oys

World-renowned dyslexia expert Boelo van der Pool joins Will and Harry to share his responses to the enormous number of questions we received about supporting students with dyslexia during the Global Teachers' Festival.This is part 2 of 3 episodes where we'll be focusing on neurodiversity and the burning questions you had during the festival we just didn't have time for!Check out Macmillan Education's Advancing Learning for Everyone website that offers a wide range of resources to help teachers create a truly inclusive learning environment at https://www.macmillanenglish.com/advancing-learning-for-everyone Watch Boelo's webinar all about dyslexia here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMqsdbYTWeI

The wonderfully talented and experienced Claire Hart joins Will and Harry to answer some of the questions you all asked throughout the Global Teachers' Festival around neurodiversity, more specifically, about supporting learners with autism.This is part 1 of 3 episodes where we'll be focusing on neurodiversity and the burning questions you had during the festival we just didn't have time for!Check out Macmillan Education's Advancing Learning for Everyone website that offers a wide range of resources to help teachers create a truly inclusive learning environment at https://www.macmillanenglish.com/advancing-learning-for-everyone Watch Claire's webinar all about autism here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFdeUt8cd0o 

Jody Medland joins Will to share his unique experience using manuscripts from plays to allow students to explore them linguistically and also the motivations behind the lines, and therefore, the emotions their character is feeling.Listen as Jody explains his truly awe-inspiring technique to help our learners feel more open and helping teachers get one step closer to an inclusive and open learning environment.Check out Macmillan Education's Advancing Learning for Everyone website that offers a wide range of resources to help teachers create a truly inclusive learning environment at https://www.macmillanenglish.com/advancing-learning-for-everyone

Mindful learning and mindful practices are gradually becoming a staple of an effective and efficient learning environment. Why has it become so important? Where did it's journey to education start? And why should all teachers be aware of ways to use it to their pedagogical advantage in the classroom?Emma Reynolds tells Harry and Will all in this episode about the history, both ancient and modern, of mindfulness, and how it's landed in our classrooms.

What does it take for a teenager to be in control of their learning? Is it the subject matter? The pedagogy behind the content? Or is it a simple matter of having a good relationship with the teacher?Karolina Kotorowicz-Jasińska proposes exactly this in an episode digging deep into how and why to tune-in to teenagers to help them get the most out of learning (despite themselves, in some cases).Brought to you by Macmillan Education's brand new exam preparation course for teens, Optimise Stars, which you can explore in our AI guided showroom here:https://www.macmillanenglish.com/catalogue/courses/teenagers/optimise-stars/course-information