The Kate Languages Podcast - S8 Ep6 - Q&A

In the final episode of Season 8, I answered lots of great questions from my fabulous Instagram community.

Here is a summary of the episode - to listen to the whole thing, click "play" above.

What is the best part of MFL teaching? What inspires you about languages? Where do you see MFL teaching in 20 years?

I wanted to start with these positive questions about language teaching. For me, the best part of teaching languages is working with young people and seeing their progress. There's something special about teaching a language like German (which students rarely learn in primary school) and knowing that almost everything they can do in that language is because you've taught it to them.

What truly inspires me about languages is the mindset shift they create - helping students understand that just because something is different doesn't mean it's wrong or bad. In today's polarised world, this is incredibly valuable. Languages teaching isn't just about fluency (most students won't become fluent), but about appreciating different ways of communicating and thinking.

As for the future of MFL teaching, while AI will inevitably play a significant role (as discussed with Joe Dale in episode 2 of this season), I believe the human element of language learning will remain essential. People will always travel and need to communicate with others from different cultures. Technology can help, but nothing beats having a real conversation with someone in their language. The fundamental need for human connection won't change, even if the tools we use do.

How can you ensure you're a good head of department? What should a second in MFL department do? How do you implement changes when departments agree but then carry on with usual practice?

Being a good head of department starts with considering what kind of leader you want to be. Do you want everyone to teach exactly the same way you do, or will you give them more autonomy? Especially if you're newer to teaching, you might need to respect the experience of others while still providing direction.

I recommend reading books or listening to podcasts about leadership (Brené Brown's "Daring to Lead" is on my list). Keep departmental meetings clear and concise with a proper agenda, and make sure everyone feels they can contribute. Show that you're approachable and don't pretend to know all the answers.

For implementing changes, lead by example. If you want your department to adopt a new approach, demonstrate it in your own classroom first. Invite them to observe you and see the positive impact. Consider arranging cover so they can visit your lessons without using their PPA time. Focus on one change at a time and provide consistent support, resources, and time for implementation.

As for being a second in department, it's a supporting role - almost like being a vice president. You shouldn't try to outshine the head of department but rather complement their work. This might involve administrative tasks like taking notes in meetings, collating resources, or stepping in when the head of department is absent. Communication with your head of department is crucial - make sure you have a good relationship and respect their decisions while offering support.

How can you get started with passive income as a teacher? How can I get more followers on my Teachers Pay Teachers page? Do you wish you had left teaching/started your own business sooner?

My main advice for getting started with passive income (and growing your following on platforms like Teachers Pay Teachers or TES) is to give things away for free initially. This might sound counterintuitive when talking about income, but people need to know the quality of your work before they'll pay for it.

I have over 1,500 people signed up for my free resources, compared to 50-80 paid yearly subscribers. Those 1,500 people are using my resources, and when they have budget available, they'll think of me because they're already familiar with my work.

Try different things for free to figure out what you enjoy creating and what people actually want. Speak at conferences or online workshops (like I'm doing at the Language Show in November) - you often don't get paid, but it's great exposure and helps build your name. As your reputation grows, so will your following.

Regarding whether I wish I'd left teaching sooner - no, it was the right time for me. I believe everything happens at the right time for the right reasons. Having taught for 8-10 years gave me the confidence and experience to answer questions about teaching with authority, which helps in my current role.

How do you balance being a mum and a business owner? How do you manage your to-do list?

I love a good to-do list! Mine is actually my day split into half-hour segments. I write it out every day, including everything from when my alarm goes off to what uniform my son needs and what I'm having for lunch.

For example, today's list includes:

• 6am: Alarm, read Michelle Obama's autobiography, cup of tea
• 7am: Get G up
• 7:50am: Leave for school
• 8:45am: Walk
• 9:30am: Emails and money stuff
• 10am: Business planning
• 10:30am: Mop bathroom floors
• 11am: Podcast recording
• 12pm: Lunch (minestrone soup)

Balancing motherhood and business ownership is easier now that my son is at school. When he was at preschool three days a week, I had about 15 hours total to run my business. Now I have more time, but I'm strict about family time - when my son is home from school until bedtime is marked as "FAMILY TIME" in capital letters on my to-do list.

During family time, I try to put my phone aside and be present, even if we're just watching TV together. My husband works from home quite often, which helps, and even when he commutes to London once or twice a week, he's usually home for bedtime.

And I should add - I am tired. I'm always tired. That's something I've just had to learn to live with!

Questions about motivating students, reluctant learners, and behaviour

I received many questions about motivation and behaviour, including:

• What's the best way to get a class comfortable with one another? (Year 10)
• How do you motivate students to revise when it feels like we're competing with "important" subjects?
• How do you motivate an extremely quiet class of Year 10 French students?
• How do you motivate very low ability students?
• What's the best way to support GCSE kids that are always absent?
• How do we support SEND students in mixed ability classes with no support and bad behaviour?

I think these deserve a full episode next season, but here are some quick thoughts:

The key to addressing many of these issues is helping students feel comfortable with each other and creating an environment where they feel they can succeed. Spending time at the beginning of the year helping students get to know each other is, in my opinion, as important as the actual language learning.

I'm not a massive fan of seating plans - I prefer letting students sit where they want initially. If they work well with their chosen partner, great. If not, then you know who to separate. Put yourself in the shoes of a shy 14-year-old who's been forced to sit next to someone they don't know or don't like - they'll be too uncomfortable to participate fully.

For motivating lower ability students, focus on helping them feel they can succeed. Go back to basics with single words rather than overwhelming them with long sentences. Use fun games and activities that don't require them to speak in front of the whole class.

Remember that you can't force every student to like languages. Some students come from homes where anything "foreign" is viewed negatively. Parents can even feel threatened when their children speak a language they don't understand. Focus on the students you can reach, and remember that for some, just sitting quietly in your lesson without getting into trouble might be a win given their home circumstances.

Where would you start when planning a French and Spanish curriculum from scratch? How do you map vocab, phonics, retrieval, etc., across a curriculum?

Always start at the end. What do you want students to be able to do by the end of Key Stage 3 or Key Stage 4? Then work backwards from there.

For retrieval practice, introduce something, then practise it again after a week or two (depending on how many lessons you have). Then leave increasingly larger gaps - a month later, then 2-3 months later, and so on.

It's crucial to show how language elements transfer between topics. For instance, demonstrate how adjectival endings learned when discussing hair colour can also be applied when talking about school uniforms. Students often struggle to transfer knowledge between topics.

For phonics, I recommend teaching one sound-symbol correspondence per week (or fortnight, depending on your timetable). The following week, revise that sound and add another. Create a rotation where you're constantly revisiting sounds while introducing new ones.

The most important advice is to plan these elements deliberately. They can't be afterthoughts - they need to be scheduled into your curriculum from the beginning.

What are your best tips for scaffolding in MFL? When do you remove sentence builders so pupils work independently?

I believe students should have as much support as they need for as long as they need it. I don't use the sentence builder methodology myself, but my general approach is to give students vocabulary, practise it thoroughly, and let them keep it in front of them during speaking and writing practice.

Some students might need scaffolding for much longer than others, while some might choose to put it aside earlier and create their own sentences. It's about knowing your class and differentiating appropriately.

When I'm writing resources or teaching, I position everything for the top end (with extensions for more able learners) and provide scaffolding for those who need it. Writing frames are fantastic tools. My "exploiting one text" method provides natural scaffolding by introducing vocabulary and text first, then asking students to produce language using that text as a frame.

It's not about creating different things for different students, but about providing appropriate support so everyone can access the same material.

Quick Answers to Other Questions

• Teaching in the UAE: I haven't heard of people regretting moving to teach internationally. I personally wouldn't want to live somewhere hot anymore, but I loved teaching in Indonesia.

• IGCSE Q5 strategies: I don't have specific strategies as I'm not familiar with IGCSE, but creating resources for this is on my list as I know my audience is becoming more international.

• Finding funding to improve your language skills: Check with organisations like Cervantes, Institut Français, or Goethe Institute. Many schools have "secret" CPD budgets that aren't accessed as much as they could be. If you're being asked to teach a language you don't speak, consider involving your union (one of my students got three years of lessons with me this way).

• Primary MFL teaching and its impact on GCSE outcomes: Stay tuned! I'm hoping to invite Dylan and Hayden from the Teach Sleep Repeat podcast to discuss primary languages in a future episode.