The Motivated Classroom
Liam Printer
A weekly podcast for language teachers and learners hosted by Liam Printer talking all things education, languages, motivation and engagement... with a few stories we can all relate to thrown in for a laugh! In this series: - What is motivation and how do we 'do' it? - How I start the first class in new school year to put motivation front and centre - Zero-prep activities for comprehensible input - Raising student and teacher autonomy in the classroom - Building characters for stories with your students - Rethinking assessments for motivation Programme notes: www.liamprinter.com/podcast
- 30 minutes 12 seconds136 ¦ Teach the Teacher: Motivation, input & acquisition in advanced classes
How do we keep advanced language learners motivated and how do we meaningfully use a CI approach at higher levels? In this episode, we explore the expert-reversal effect and what it means for sustaining input, autonomy and progress as students become more experienced language users. I unpack how we can adjust our practice so that input remains compelling, challenging and supportive of continued acquisition even with the most advanced learners. I also present a detailed overview of my "Teach the Teacher Weeks", where my advanced students become the teachers for a few weeks ever year. A reflective and practical episode with ideas you can adapt straight away for your advanced classes.
- Full programme notes are available on www.liamprinter.com/podcast.
Keep in touch and share!
- Follow The Motivated Classroom on Instagram @themotivatedclassroom and Facebook @themotivatedclassroom.
- I'd love to know what you think, please get in touch! Join the conversation with the hashtag #MotivatedClassroom.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Facebook.
Enjoying the free content? Support the podcast here:
👉 www.buymeacoffee.com/liamprinter
👉 www.patreon.com/themotivatedclassroom
Don’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow languages teacher!
21 November 2025, 7:00 am - 40 minutes 46 seconds135 ¦ Principle 6: Secure attention and run routines
Principle Six of Six for a Motivated Year in the 'Back to School' series:
Principle 6: Secure attention and running routines
The final episode in our six part series of principles for a motivated language classroom. In this last principle we focus on running routines in class and how we secure attention. I take you through my favourite and most used classroom routines, why they work well in my context and how it actually looks in the classroom. A highly practical episode with plenty of ideas to take away, adapt and apply in a context-appropriate way in your own lessons.
I hope you have enjoyed these six episodes and that you will support the podcast, and share widely!
- Full programme notes are available on www.liamprinter.com/podcast.
Keep in touch and share!
- Follow The Motivated Classroom on Instagram @themotivatedclassroom and Facebook @themotivatedclassroom.
- I'd love to know what you think, please get in touch! Join the conversation with the hashtag #MotivatedClassroom.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Facebook.
💫 Enjoying the free content? Support the podcast here:
👉 www.buymeacoffee.com/liamprinter
👉 www.patreon.com/themotivatedclassroom
Don’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow language teacher!
19 September 2025, 8:39 am - 23 minutes 2 seconds134 ¦ Principle 5: The CI Class Yearbook
Principle Five of Six for a Motivated Year in the 'Back to School' series:
- Principle 5: The CI Class Yearbook
This episode builds on the previous principles about effective pairwork and input in 5-minute blocks by taking it further and each student having a notebook where every student in the class gets a page. Students write matching bullet points in pairs, filling in each person's page gradually throughout the year. Every time we have conversations, discussions and input tasks with PQA it gives us more info to put on their page! A great way to build community, raise feelings of autonomy and competence, and to provide you with a track record of everything you learned about each other all year.
You'll learn about:📄 Building a class yearbook with a personal page for each student
🧩 Add details in matching pairs
🤝 Learn about each other, build real connection
📈 Supports formative assessment
🧠 Boosts autonomy & motivation (hello Köhler + Zeigarnik–Ovsiankina!)
📆 Runs all year longWhether you’re just heading back to school or already half way through the year, this episode is another step towards a motivated language classroom! 💪🎓
Don't miss the last of the six principles which are on the way next Friday
6. Running effective routines🔔
Tune in every Friday right here or wherever you get your podcasts from:
- Full programme notes are available on www.liamprinter.com/podcast.
Keep in touch and share widely!
- Follow The Motivated Classroom on Instagram @themotivatedclassroom and Facebook @themotivatedclassroom.
- I'd love to know what you think, please get in touch! Join the conversation with the hashtag #MotivatedClassroom.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Facebook.
💫 Enjoying the free content? Support the podcast here:
👉 www.buymeacoffee.com/liamprinter
👉 www.patreon.com/themotivatedclassroom
📲 Don’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow language teacher!
12 September 2025, 6:00 am - 25 minutes 54 seconds133 ¦ Principle 4: Effective pairs to boost engagement
Principle Four of Six for a Motivated Year in the 'Back to School' series:
Principle 4: Effective pairs
This episode is all about maximising the effectiveness of pair work in class by setting students up for multiple small wins, using scaffolded and psychologically safe output tasks in groups of two.
You'll learn about:
- Rotating pairs
- Changing seating plan
- Turn and talk versus pair discussion
- The Köhler Effect
Whether you’re just heading back to school or already half way through the year, this episode is another step towards a motivated language classroom! 💪🎓
Don't miss the rest of the six principles which are on the way every Friday for the next five weeks:
5. Creating a class yearbook
6. Running effective routines🔔
Tune in every Friday right here or wherever you get your podcasts from:
- Full programme notes are available on www.liamprinter.com/podcast.
Keep in touch and share widely!
- Follow The Motivated Classroom on Instagram @themotivatedclassroom and Facebook @themotivatedclassroom.
- I'd love to know what you think, please get in touch! Join the conversation with the hashtag #MotivatedClassroom.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Facebook.
💫 Enjoying the free content? Support the podcast here:
👉 www.buymeacoffee.com/liamprinter
👉 www.patreon.com/themotivatedclassroom
📲 Don’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow language teacher!
5 September 2025, 6:00 am - 26 minutes 58 seconds132 ¦ Principle 3: Five-minute input blocks
Principle Three of Six for a Motivated Year in the 'Back to School' series:
- Principle 3: Five-minute input blocks
In this episode you'll learn about how we limiting our listening input to 5-minute blocks relates to:🧠 Cognitive Load Theory
🎯 The Four Types of Engagement
👂 Maximising acquisition with Intent Listening
🌀 The Zeigarnik–Ovsiankina Effect
🧘♀️ Brain & Body Breaks
📥 Input ➡️ Processing Tasks
🔥 Strategies to keep learners engaged from start to finishWhether you’re just heading back to school or already half way through the year, this episode is another step towards a motivated language classroom! 💪🎓
Don't miss the rest of the six principles which are on the way every Friday for the next five weeks:
4. Effective pairs to boost engagement
5. Creating a class yearbook
6. Running effective routines🔔
Tune in every Friday right here or wherever you get your podcasts from:
- Full programme notes are available on www.liamprinter.com/podcast.
Keep in touch and share widely!
- Follow The Motivated Classroom on Instagram @themotivatedclassroom and Facebook @themotivatedclassroom.
- I'd love to know what you think, please get in touch! Join the conversation with the hashtag #MotivatedClassroom.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Facebook.
💫 Enjoying the free content? Support the podcast here:
👉 www.buymeacoffee.com/liamprinter
👉 www.patreon.com/themotivatedclassroom
📲 Don’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow language teacher!
29 August 2025, 6:00 am - 18 minutes 8 seconds131 ¦ Principle 2: Getting the Motivation-Acquisition balance right
Principle Two of Six for a Motivated Year in the 'Back to School' series:
Principle 2: The Motivation-Acquisition Balance
This episode is full of practical, research-informed tips to help you:
✅ Give the right input for acquisition
✅ Use output to boost motivation
✅ Create powerful student interaction
✅ Build learner confidence
✅ Light that language-learning 🔥
✅ Grow future fluent speakers 🌍
✅ Focus on vocab first, grammar later
✅ Start every class with reading
Whether you’re just heading back to school or deep into prep, this episode will help you set the tone for a motivating, effective language classroom! 💪🎓
Don't miss the rest of the six principles which are on the way every Friday for the next five weeks:
3. The 5 minute block principle
4. Effective pairs to boost engagement
5. Creating a class yearbook
6. Running effective routines
🔔 Tune in every Friday right here or wherever you get your podcasts from:- Full programme notes are available on www.liamprinter.com/podcast.
Keep in touch and share widely!
- Follow The Motivated Classroom on Instagram @themotivatedclassroom and Facebook @themotivatedclassroom.
- I'd love to know what you think, please get in touch! Join the conversation with the hashtag #MotivatedClassroom.
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Facebook.
💫 Enjoying the free content? Support the podcast here:
👉 www.buymeacoffee.com/liamprinter
👉 www.patreon.com/themotivatedclassroom
📲 Don’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow language teacher!22 August 2025, 6:00 am - 23 minutes 7 seconds130 ¦ Principle 1: Embedding and assessing a CI approach within the curriculum
Principle One of Six for a Motivated Year in the 'Back to School' series:
1. Aligning a CI approach to your curriculum
In this episode we lay the foundations for a motivated year in your language classroom by ensuring our curriculum aligns with a CI and comprehension-based approach in our practice. It is all well and good having loads of great CI strategies up your sleeve but for those of us who teach within a curriculum, we need to ensure our syllabus and scheme of work allows us to use these strategies and importantly, gives us time and space to implement them.
In this episode we will look at how to backwards plan, using narrative as a backbone for into each unit and how to assess whilst teaching with a CI approach.
Don't miss the rest of the six principles which are on the way every Friday for the next five weeks:
2. The Acquisition-Motivation balance
3. The 5 minute block principle
4. Effective pairs to boost engagement
5. Creating a class yearbook
6. Running effective routines
Keep in touch and share widely!
- Full programme notes are available on www.liamprinter.com/podcast.
- Follow The Motivated Classroom on Instagram @themotivatedclassroom and Facebook @themotivatedclassroom.
- I'd love to know what you think, please get in touch! Join the conversation with the hashtag #MotivatedClassroom.
- Enjoying the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Facebook.
- Become a Patron of The Motivated Classroom podcast on patreon.com
15 August 2025, 6:00 am - 22 minutes 47 seconds129 | Back to School: Six principles for a motivated classroom
The first in a Seven-part 'Back to School' series where I break down my Keynote speech from the Agen Conference 2025 on: Getting the Acquisition-Motivation balance right.
In episode 129 I provide an overview of the six principles for a motivated language classroom this year:
Aligning a CI approach to your curriculum
The Acquisition-Motivation balance
The 5 minute block principle
Effective pairs to boost engagement
Creating a class yearbook
Running effective routines
These are all principles or strategies that I've put in place in the last two years so this will all be new content for the Motivated Classroom podcast. I'm really looking forward to hearing what you think!
Keep in touch and share widely!
- Full programme notes are available on www.liamprinter.com/podcast.
- Follow The Motivated Classroom on Instagram @themotivatedclassroom and Facebook @themotivatedclassroom.
- I'd love to know what you think, please get in touch! Join the conversation with the hashtag #MotivatedClassroom.
- Enjoying the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Facebook.
- Become a Patron of The Motivated Classroom podcast on patreon.com
8 August 2025, 6:00 am - 44 minutes 32 seconds128 ¦ Part 2 with Jonathan McBride: What I learned from watching six weeks of CI classes in three different countries
Almost a year after our first conversation for episode 127, Jonathan is back in the studio for Part Two of his 2-part series focusing on what he learned from six weeks of observing teachers in three countries using a CI and acquisition approach. In this episode, Jonny hones in how he translated all the things he learned about CI into his classroom practice in his school in Scotland.
Another absolutely fascinating and insightful conversation with lots of really practical tips and ideas for teachers.
- Full programme notes are available on www.liamprinter.com/podcast.
- Follow The Motivated Classroom on Instagram @themotivatedclassroom and Facebook @themotivatedclassroom.
- I'd love to know what you think, please get in touch! Join the conversation with the hashtag #MotivatedClassroom.
- Enjoying the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Facebook.
- Become a Patron of The Motivated Classroom podcast on patreon.com.
Please let me know what you think! Keep in touch and share widely!
6 June 2025, 6:00 am - 34 minutes 59 seconds127 ¦ Part 1 with Jonathan McBride: What I learned from watching six weeks of CI classes in three different countries
In this episode I am joined by the wonderful, Jonathan McBride, for Part one of a two-part special series. Jonny and I met at The Agen Workshop in 2023. He teaches German and French in a state school in Scotland and he secured funding to go and spend six weeks watching three different CI teachers in three different countries in 2024: Me (Liam Printer) in Switzerland, Adriana Ramirez in Canada and finally, Tina Abour in Germany.
The goal was to learn from what other CI teachers are doing in three very different schools in three very different systems, and to then report back to the Scottish government and education department about what he saw and learned.
In this first part of our two-part series, Jonny had just spent two weeks with me in Switzerland after already doing two weeks with Adriana in Canada. He shares what he say, what he learned and most importantly, what he hopes to take back to his classroom in Scotland. Part two of this series follows up with Jonny approximately 9 months later, after coming back from Germany and spending almost a year implementing the ideas he had observed.
A truly fascinating journey and a must listen for language teachers all over the world!
- Full programme notes are available on www.liamprinter.com/podcast.
- Follow The Motivated Classroom on Instagram @themotivatedclassroom and Facebook @themotivatedclassroom.
- I'd love to know what you think, please get in touch! Join the conversation with the hashtag #MotivatedClassroom.
- Enjoying the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Facebook.
- Become a Patron of The Motivated Classroom podcast on patreon.com.
Please let me know what you think! Keep in touch and share widely!
23 May 2025, 6:00 am - 31 minutes 7 seconds126 ¦ Turn and Talk: Tweaking a classic activity for maximum engagement
Episode 126 is all about Turn and Talk: A classic activity we all do in our classrooms to encourage student discussion, participation and idea generation... but, it can sometimes fall flat, or kids end up speaking about something else entirely or we don't get that engagement we are looking for.
In this episode I take youe through a few tiny tweaks and ideas for this strategy to make it more motivating, engaging and impactful for everyone. Even in a language acquisition class where the focus has to be on compelling, comprehensible inputs, Turn and Talk can play a vital role in language development, confidence and fluency as it provides time for rehearsal... but only if we set it up right! As always, this is just my take on it and you need to adapt it to your context of course.
PS Stay tuned right to the end of the episode for a major announcement about my new children's book project: Captain Super Sleep!
Please let me know what you think!
Keep in touch and share widely!
- Full programme notes are available on www.liamprinter.com/podcast.
- Follow The Motivated Classroom on Instagram @themotivatedclassroom and Facebook @themotivatedclassroom.
- I'd love to know what you think, please get in touch! Join the conversation with the hashtag #MotivatedClassroom.
- Enjoying the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Facebook.
- Become a Patron of The Motivated Classroom podcast on patreon.com.
21 February 2025, 7:00 am - More Episodes? Get the App