Best Easy Ell Podcasts (2025)

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E173 La France sous l'Occupation 43:54

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3h ago43:54

43:54

Résistance, collaboration, attentisme… que faisaient vraiment les Français entre 1940 et 1944 ? Il y a 85 ans, l’Allemagne nazie envahissait la France. C’était le début de quatre années d’Occupation. Chaque année, le 18 juin, on commémore le message lancé depuis Londres par le général de Gaulle en 1940. Cet appel à la Résistance est devenu un symbo…

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Episode 159 - What to Do When a Newcomer Walks Through Your Door: The First 30 Days 20:09

1d ago20:09

20:09

You’re in the middle of your school day when the front office calls: “You’re getting a new student tomorrow. They don’t speak any English.” Cue the racing heart and rising questions. In this episode, I’m sharing exactly what to do during those critical first 30 days after a newcomer walks into your classroom. Whether you're an ESL teacher or a clas…

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Episode 158 - What They Wish You Knew: Muslim Students in the Classroom 44:57

8d ago44:57

44:57

I’m joined today by Farhana N. Shah - an experienced educator, instructional specialist, and advocate for Muslim students. Farhana brings over two decades of expertise in teaching, professional development, and equity work. Together, we explore what real inclusion looks like for Muslim students in today’s classrooms. Farhana shares powerful stories…

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E172 Astérix, une icône de la culture française 32:14

14d ago32:14

32:14

Aujourd’hui, on explore l’un des univers de bande dessinée préférés des Français : celui d’Astérix le Gaulois. Créés à la fin des années 1950 par le scénariste René Goscinny et le dessinateur Albert Uderzo, Astérix et Obélix sont les stars de la BD la plus vendue au monde. Ils ont aussi été les héros d’une vingtaine de dessins animés et de films à …

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Episode 157 - Here is Why You're Drained (or Energized) by Teaching 29:02

15d ago29:02

29:02

Have you ever walked out of your classroom at the end of the day feeling completely drained by teaching, even when everything went “according to plan”? Or maybe you’ve had days where tossing the plan aside and following your gut left you feeling more energized by teaching than ever before. What’s really going on? In this episode, we dive deep into …

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Episode 156 - The Hidden Key to Engagement: Learning Rhythms You've Probably Never Considered 21:21

22d ago21:21

21:21

In today's episode, we're talking and taking a closer look at what I call five learner energy profiles. These aren't learning styles per se in the traditional sense. They are patterns that I've seen over and over again. Patterns that help explain why some students engage instantly, why some stay quiet for months, and how we can meet all of them whe…

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E171 Les études supérieures en France 35:56

28d ago35:56

35:56

Aujourd’hui, Hugo et Ingrid discutent du système de l’enseignement supérieur en France. Ils répondent à toutes les questions que vous pouvez vous poser sur les études après le bac. Comment les lycéens sont-ils accompagnés pour choisir une formation qui leur plaît ? Comment fonctionne le système de crédits pour obtenir un diplôme ? Quelles sont les …

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Episode 155 - How to use AI to Personalize Learning, Boost Engagement and Assess Multilingual Learners (Part 2) 26:37

29d ago26:37

26:37

In part one, we covered the why behind using AI in the classroom, how to craft effective prompts, and two smart ways to use it to differentiate instruction and generate speaking and writing prompts based on proficiency levels. And today, we're picking right up where we left off with tips three through five, where I will walk you through how to use …

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Episode 154 - Smarter Planning for ELs: AI Prompting & Differentiation Made Easy (Part 1) 24:48

1M ago24:48

24:48

In this episode, we’re exploring a topic that’s generating a lot of buzz in the world of education - AI. Whether you’re excited, skeptical, or simply overwhelmed by all things AI, I want to break down exactly how tools like ChatGPT can be a game-changer for EL teachers and classroom educators working with multilingual students. Planning, differenti…

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E170 La guerre des boulangeries 31:49

1M ago31:49

31:49

Quand on entre dans une boulangerie française, on peut avoir l'impression que rien n'a changé depuis des siècles. La bonne odeur du pain qui cuit dans le four, les baguettes croustillantes, les viennoiseries dorées, les conversations avec la boulangère... Pourtant, depuis une vingtaine d'années, les boulangeries traditionnelles sont forcées d'évolu…

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Episode 153 - 5 Must-Know Tips for New EL Teachers 21:18

1M ago21:18

21:18

One of my favorite things about connecting with teachers is hearing your questions. Whether it's navigating a tricky teaching moment or figuring out where to start with English learners. And while each situation is unique, so many of your questions echo the same themes, especially from those of you who are new EL teachers. If you are stepping into …

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Episode 152 - 5 Simple Wins for the Days You’re Just Done 19:05

2M ago19:05

19:05

Let’s get real about those exhausting days when lesson planning feels impossible and burnout lurks around every corner…especially as the end of the school year approaches. In this episode, I open up about my own struggles with low energy and share my solution: an “emergency lesson folder” packed with simple, engaging activities that spark student e…

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E169 Des livres qu'on dévore comme une série 36:03

2M ago36:03

36:03

Ingrid vous parle de ses romans préférés (et vous lit un extrait à la fin de l'épisode). Au XIXe siècle, un génie de la presse a inventé le roman-feuilleton : des histoires sous la forme d'épisodes publiés quotidiennement dans le journal. Les romanciers de l'époque ont donc dû créer des œuvres accessibles à un public très large et avec du suspens q…

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Episode 151 - The Big 5: Key Pillars of EL Inclusion in Mainstream Classrooms 18:59

2M ago18:59

18:59

When it comes to teaching English learners, there's no question that EL specialists are trained to meet their unique language and learning needs. But what about regular classroom teachers, the ones juggling 25 different needs in one room and suddenly faced with students who speak little or no English? It can feel overwhelming, confusing, and even a…

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Episode 150 - Rooted in Success: 5 Reasons to Teach Greek & Latin Roots in Any Classroom 33:35

2M ago33:35

33:35

Today's episode is all about building vocabulary in a powerful and lasting way. We're diving into something that often gets overlooked, Greek and Latin root words. I am so excited because we have a special guest joining us who's incredibly passionate about this topic. My dear friend, Laura Kebart from Language Arts Teachers is on the podcast today …

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E168 Marine Le Pen, condamnée ? 35:02

2M ago35:02

35:02

Marine Le Pen, la principale figure de l'extrême droite française, vient d'être condamnée par la justice pour avoir détourné des fonds du Parlement européen. Entres autres sanctions, elle a reçu une peine d'inéligibilité, c'est-à-dire une interdiction de se présenter à une élection, et ce pendant cinq ans. En conséquence, elle ne devrait pas pouvoi…

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Episode 149 - Why Social-Emotional Learning Matters Just as Much as Academics 18:36

2M ago18:36

18:36

The world needs emotional intelligence. We need emotional intelligence. Our students need emotional intelligence. Intellectual knowledge is great, but by itself, it wreaks havoc, as without emotional depth and experiences, we're not able to engage in meaningful conversations, discussions, learning, and problem solving. In today's episode, I'm going…

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Episode 148 - How to Teach ELs When You Don't Speak Their Language 20:24

3M ago20:24

20:24

You just found out you have English learners in your classroom, but you don't speak their language. Now what? Should you Google translate your entire lesson? Mime your way through the day? Don't worry. You don't have to speak their language to be an effective and impactful teacher. In today's episode, we're going to talk about the mindset shift tha…

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E167 Mayotte, un département français comme les autres ? 35:33

3M ago35:33

35:33

Mayotte est une petite île située au sud-est de l’Afrique. C’est aussi une ancienne colonie française qui, contrairement aux autres, n’a pas voulu devenir indépendante. Ses habitants, les Mahorais, se battent depuis des décennies pour être traités comme des Français à part entière. Ils ont obtenu une victoire importante en 2011 quand Mayotte est of…

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

3M 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…

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

3M 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…

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The ULTIMATE French Pronunciation Podcast / How we ACTUALLY say 'ME'? 25:47

3M ago25:47

25:47

Send us a text Season 2 is finally here! In today’s episode, we’re tackling one of the trickiest yet most commonly used words in French: "me." Whether it’s acting as an object pronoun or appearing in reflexive verbs, its pronunciation shifts dramatically in real speech. Plus, if you’re translating directly from English, you might be using it wrong!…

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E166 Faut-il avoir peur des PFAS ? 30:42

3M ago30:42

30:42

Depuis quelques années, les PFAS, surnommés « polluants éternels », inquiètent de plus en plus les scientifiques. Ces substances chimiques ultrarésistantes sont présentes dans les objets que nous utilisons tous les jours : ustensiles de cuisine, vêtements, boîtes de pizza… On les trouve aussi dans l’eau, l’air, et même dans notre sang ! Alors, quel…

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

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

4M 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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E165 Encre et préjugés : le tatouage en France 44:04

4M ago44:04

44:04

Longtemps réservé aux marginaux dans de nombreuses sociétés, le tatouage s'est banalisé depuis une trentaine d'années. Mais qu'en est-il en France ? Les Français ayant la réputation d'être assez conservateurs en matière de style, ont-ils malgré tout succombé à la mode des dessins sur la peau ? Pour répondre à cette question, Ingrid et Hugo retracen…

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E164 Être hospitalisée en France 35:32

4M ago35:32

35:32

En un an demi, Ingrid a été hospitalisée deux fois : une première fois en urgence après un accident, et une deuxième fois récemment pour le suivi de sa première opération. Dans cet épisode, elle vous raconte ces expériences. Mais ce n'est pas tout : elle en profite aussi pour faire le point sur du vocabulaire spécifique à l'hôpital en France et pou…

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

4M 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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Episode 142 - The Secret to Effective EL Lessons? Start at the End! 18:00

4M 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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Episode 141 - A Look Behind the Scenes of The ESL Teaching Podcast 22:38

4M 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…

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

4M 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…

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E163 Les Français travaillent-ils moins que les autres ? 42:24

5M ago42:24

42:24

Vu de l’étranger, les Français ont la réputation d’être allergiques au travail. Semaine de 35 heures, vacances à rallonge, retraite généreuse, sans parler des interminables pauses déjeuner et des grèves à répétition… Pourtant, on entend aussi qu’ils sont parmi les travailleurs les plus productifs au monde. Ils auraient réussi à trouver l’équilibre …

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

5M 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…

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

5M 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…

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E162 La théorie de l'attachement 29:03

5M ago29:03

29:03

Pour bien commencer l’année 2025, quoi de mieux que de prendre un moment pour réfléchir à nous-mêmes et à nos relations ? Dans cet épisode, Ingrid vous propose d'explorer dans la théorie de l’attachement, un concept clé de la psychologie qui éclaire nos liens affectifs et leur impact sur notre vie. Découvrez les origines de cette théorie, ses diffé…

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

5M 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…

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

5M 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…

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E161 Apprendre le français en 2025 28:24

6M ago28:24

28:24

Pour ce premier épisode de l'année, pas question de parler de bonnes résolutions ! À la place, Hugo explique pourquoi se fixer des objectifs n'est pas forcément une bonne idée quand on apprend une langue. Il vous propose de changer de perspective pour mieux accepter la réalité de l'apprentissage. Puis il explique comment rester motivé sans compter …

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

6M 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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E160 Vous faites quoi pour Noël ? 38:47

6M ago38:47

38:47

Vous faites quoi pour Noël ? C'est la question que se posent dans cet épisode Hugo, Ingrid et Ania. Toute l'équipe d'InnerFrench est réunie pour terminer l'année dans une ambiance détendue, pour commenter et comparer leurs traditions familiales de fin d'année. Et dans la dernière partie, ils vous donnent trois idées de lecture en français à offrir …

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

6M 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

6M 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…

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E159 La perfection est-elle notre nouvelle religion ? 28:26

7M ago28:26

28:26

Dans un monde où tout semble devoir être parfait – au travail, dans nos relations, et même dans nos loisirs – notre obsession pour la perfection ressemble de plus en plus à un culte. Mais d’où vient cette quête incessante, et à quel prix la poursuivons-nous ? Dans cet épisode, Hugo explore les origines philosophiques et culturelles de la perfection…

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

7M 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…

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

7M 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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E158 Comment la drogue est-elle devenue taboue en France ? 33:33

7M ago33:33

33:33

Quand on écoute les discours politiques et médiatiques en France, on se rend vite compte que certaines substances sont taboues : on les considère tellement néfastes qu'il est impensable de les autoriser en médecine. Comment cela s'explique-t-il historiquement ? Dans cet épisode, Ingrid interviewe l'historienne des psychotropes Zoé Dubus. Elle nous …

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

7M 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…

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

7M 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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E157 Les Français sont-ils vraiment si sales ? 40:22

7M ago40:22

40:22

Les Français sont sales, ils ne prennent pas de douche, ils mettent du parfum pour masquer leurs mauvaises odeurs... Voilà des stéréotypes répandus dans le monde entier. Mais pourquoi une telle réputation ? L'hygiène est-elle si déplorable en France ? Dans cet épisode, Hugo et Ingrid explorent ce sujet à la fois en se penchant sur quelques chiffres…

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

8M 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 …