The Language Lab Podcast

In this extended episode, Jonathan Mumford joins Will Marks to explore the realities of language teaching in 2025. Together they discuss how audio feedback and mini whiteboards can transform lessons, why marking policies need a rethink, and how to build a curriculum that balances rigour with accessibility.

The conversation ranges from behaviour and emotional intelligence to leadership, student motivation, and the role of research in...

Founder of the All Abroad Bus project, Julia joins me to talk about immersive pop-up language and culture experiences that use VR, food, smells, sounds, and role-play to make languages real.

We discuss equity in access, the role of culture in the curriculum, and why resilience and joy matter more than perfection.

Julia’s work proves that sometimes the best way to learn a language is to step into a market, festival, or café — even if ...

Season 3 begins with a double drop! In this episode I’m joined by Jane Driver — Headteacher, mentor, innovator of Spelling Bees and Eurovision phonics projects, and now President Elect of the Association for Language Learning.

We talk about enrichment, target-language teaching, community, and why the future of languages still looks bright — if we back our students.

Jane was also my Head of Department when I first started out, so expe...

Season 3 kicks off with a double drop. In this episode, I chat with Ryan Smith — one of my former students who’s gone from GCSE Spanish to living in Zaragoza, back as a TA, and now working in cover and adult ESL.

We talk about cultural engagement, the EAL reality, GCSE speaking exam nerves, and why learning a second language lets you try on a whole new persona.

🎧 Don’t miss the companion episode out this week too: S3 E1b with Jane D...

Esmeralda Salgado is one of the most influential voices in UK language teaching — and not just because she’s been writing game-changing blog posts since the days of OHPs and cassette tapes. Head of MFL, lead practitioner, curriculum designer, and the generous mind behind MFL Craft, she’s been quietly reshaping how teachers across the country plan, teach, and inspire.

In this Season 2 finale of The Language Lab Podcast, Will sits dow...

In this episode, I’m joined by Darren Paffey Mp - newly elected MP for Southampton Itchen and one of the very few members of Parliament with a serious background in language education. Before his move into politics, Darren was an Associate Professor of Spanish and Linguistics at the University of Southampton, a city councillor, and a longstanding advocate for inclusive, multilingual education.

We discuss:

• The current state of lan...

Steve Smith — MFL veteran, author, blogger, and founder of FrenchTeacher.net — joins Will Marks for a full-throttle deep dive into how we teach languages, why we might be getting some of it wrong, and how to do it better.

From his early fascination with Stephen Krashen and language acquisition theory to co-authoring Breaking the Sound Barrier with Gianfranco Conti, Steve walks us through decades of research and reflection on what wo...

In this episode, Will catches up with Claire Cuminatto, Associate Professor at the University of East Anglia—and, memorably, one of his own former lecturers.

They explore how university language degrees are evolving to meet a new generation of learners:

• Applied language learning and real-world skills

• Employability and the value of language graduates

• Study abroad after Brexit (goodbye Erasmus, hello Turing)

• The role of AI in language...

This week, Will sits down with Dr. Rebecca Mitchell — Cambridge lecturer, sociolinguist, and founder of National Linguistics Day — for a conversation that ranges from Saussure to slang, AI to accent bias, and endangered languages to elderly karaoke. (Yes, really.)

We explore how linguistics can transform classrooms, challenge stereotypes, and make education genuinely inclusive. Rebecca shares how a late-night idea became a grassroot...

To kick off Season 2, Will is joined by consultant, author and languages powerhouse Crista Hazell to talk all things MFL — from building student confidence to what SLT need to understand about the classroom.

They explore teacher wellbeing, trust, and why real connection always beats rigid checklists.

📘 Independent Thinking on MFL:

https://www.independentthinkingpress.com/books/teachingskills/independent-thinking-on-mfl/

Use code ...

In our final episode of Season 1, we’re looking at what actually makes students engage with language learning – beyond the data points, initiatives, and well-meaning gimmicks.

First, we hear from Lara Callow, an associate tutor in a pupil referral unit, who shares how one teacher changed her view of Spanish entirely. Then we’re joined by David Binns, Director of UK Operations at Sanako and long-time advocate for language education, ...

Guests: Isla McIntosh & Alasdair Harris

In this episode of The Language Lab, we speak to two people at very different ends of their teaching journeys — and both with powerful perspectives on what the future of language education might look like.

First, Will catches up with Isla McIntosh, a former student turned trainee teacher and music graduate. Isla shares honest reflections on student engagement, the role of wellbeing in education...

In this episode of the Language Lab Podcast, I’m joined by Jérôme Noguès – a teacher, AI advocate, and all-round creative force in the MFL world. We talk about what actually gets students engaged, from using tools like Suno to write original French songs, to building lessons around student voice, gamification, and the EPI approach. There’s also a healthy dose of honesty about phones in classrooms, AI ethics, and why mini whiteboard...

In this episode of The Language Lab, I engage with Kate Clifton, founder of Kate Languages, as she shares her transition from traditional classroom teaching to becoming a resource creator and trainer for Modern Foreign Language (MFL) educators. We explore her journey through burnout in the high-stakes education system and the importance of mental well-being for teachers. Kate reflects on the current challenges facing MFL teachers i...

In this episode of The Language Lab, I discuss Extensive Processing Instruction (EPI) with Dr. Gianfranco Conti, a prominent figure in language education. We examine how EPI, using the Mars Ears framework, enhances language learning by establishing a structured approach that prepares students with essential vocabulary and grammar before engaging in communicative tasks. Dr. Conti highlights the method's effectiveness in mixed-abilit...

Welcome to the very first episode of The Language Lab – the podcast for language teachers who love their job (most of the time) and wouldn’t mind a few fresh ideas to make things easier, smarter, and, let’s be honest, a bit more fun.

We’re kicking off the series with one of education’s biggest debates: Is technology helping or hindering language learning?

First up, Will Marks chats with John Marks, a primary school governor (and als...

Coming soon… Welcome to Language Lab — the podcast where language teachers get real.

We’re diving into the classroom, the staffroom, and the big debates — from AI and target language struggles to what’s actually working in UK language education.

You’ll hear from voices that matter — like Joe Dale, Gianfranco Conti, Kate Languages, and more.

Fresh ideas, honest chats, and a little mischief along the way.

Language Lab — hitting your feed...