The Motivated Classroom
Dr. Liam Printer
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The Motivated Classroom is a podcast for language teachers and learners hosted by Dr. Liam Printer. It explores education, languages, motivation, and engagement, connecting current educational research to everyday classroom practice. Each episode offers practical, easy-to-implement, zero-prep motivational strategies that teachers can try right away. Listeners can join the conversation on social media using #MotivatedClassroom and find full programme notes on liamprinter.com/podcast.
Episodes
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152 ¦ Inside the book: Inclusion 06.11.2026 32mThe third in a six part series leading up to the release of my book The Motivated Language Classroom: Practical Insights for the Languages Teacher . The book brings together everything I have learned on the podcast from all the amazing guests I've been lucky enough to speak to. It covers what motivates our students, how languages are acquired, and what it looks like when we put all of it into practice in our classrooms.In this six-part special series, I take you inside the book, one part at a time. It’s a kind of abridged audiobook, with excerpts, snippets and my commentary along the way. This week follows on from Ep. 150: Introduction and Forewords and Ep. 151: Motivation. In this episode, I jump into Chapter 2: Inclusion. I read from various pages, quote some of the experts whose words appear in this chapter and also add my commentary alongside it. Hope you enjoy it!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.Buy the book here or on Amazon here.Enjoying the free content? Support the podcast here:👉 Buy me a coffee👉 PatreonDon’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow languages teacher! -
151 ¦ Inside the Book: Motivation 30.10.2026 22mAfter five years, 150 episodes and conversations with over 50 experts, the book is finally here. The Motivated Language Classroom: Practical Insights for the Languages Teacher brings together everything we have learned on the podcast. It covers what motivates our students, how languages are acquired, and what it looks like when we put all of it into practice in our classrooms.In this six-part special series, I take you inside the book, one part at a time. It’s a kind of abridged audiobook, with excerpts, snippets and my commentary along the way. This week follows on from Ep. 150: Introduction and Forewords. I recommend you go back and listen to that one first! In this episode, I jump into Chapter 1: Motivation. I read from various pages, quote some of the experts whose words appear in this chapter and also add my commentary alongside it. Hope you enjoy it!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.Buy the book here or on Amazon here.Enjoying the free content? Support the podcast here:👉 Buy me a coffee👉 PatreonDon’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow languages teacher! -
150 ¦ Inside the Book: Introduction and Forewords 23.10.2026 31mAfter five years, 150 episodes and conversations with over 50 experts, the book is finally here. The Motivated Language Classroom: Practical Insights for the Languages Teacher brings together everything we have learned on the podcast. It covers what motivates our students, how languages are acquired, and what it looks like when we put all of it into practice in our classrooms.Over the next six episodes, I take you inside the book, one part at a time. It’s a kind of abridged audiobook, with excerpts, snippets and my commentary along the way. This week we start at the beginning. I read from the introduction and share the forewords written by two people whose work has shaped my teaching more than anyone else’s: Dr. Bill VanPatten and Dr. Richard Ryan. Listen now to find out why this book exists and who it is for!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/themotivatedclassroomDon’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow languages teacher! -
149 ¦ Active observation: A zero-prep way to make feedback more effective 16.10.2026 24mStudents are doing some independent writing, or a short turn and talk and you are circulating, listening in, observing and making mental notes that you will feedback to the whole class... but, we inevitably end up forgetting a lot of what we have observed. We provide 'whole class feedback' but it may only be based on 1-2 students and what you can hold in your mind from what you observed as you walked around.Sound familiar? This is where active observation comes in. This episode builds on what we discussed last week about reducing the transience effect, except this time we focus on us as teachers and ensuring we have reliable data for our feedback to the class. Listen to this episode to find out more now!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/themotivatedclassroomDon’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow languages teacher! -
148 ¦ Making classroom talk visible and memorable: Using the board to reduce transience 09.10.2026 28mResearch into the transience effect suggests that learners can struggle when spoken information disappears before they have had time to process and connect it. A student shares an interesting idea, uses a brilliant phrase or makes an important connection - but seconds later the conversation or story has moved on and that contribution has been forgotten.In this episode, we explore how we can use the teacher's whiteboard as the classroom’s shared memory: capturing key words beside drawings during Story-Listening, spotlighting effective learner language and preserving students’ ideas so that others can see, revisit and build upon them. We also examine how making learner contributions visible can support autonomy, competence and relatedness by showing students that their voices genuinely influence the lesson.And.. how does this all relate to the fact that students need an abundance of compelling, comprehensible input in order to acquire language naturally and implicitly? Listen to this episode to find out now!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/themotivatedclassroomDon’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow languages teacher! -
147 ¦ Q&A: AI resources, teaching spelling and combatting forgetting 02.10.2026 28mQ&A episode featuring questions sent in directly by listeners: In this on we explore the use of AI and AI made resources in the language classroom, when and how do we start teaching spelling to children, and finally, how can we combat the inevitable forgetting that happens when we acquire language in classrooms. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think:Let me know what you think! I'd love to hear from you. 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/themotivatedclassroomDon’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow languages teacher! -
146 ¦ From falling numbers to waiting lists: How changing the assessment changed everything with Janet Schneider and Michelle Scott 25.09.2026 1h 3mIn this special, extended episode, I am joined by Janet Schneider and Michelle Scott to talk about how they transformed dwindling numbers in their language courses to now, where they have waiting lists and not enough classrooms due to all the student demand for languages. A truly inspirational episode to show us what can be achieved when we are brave enough to change something that often demotivates and destroys competence: the test. Janet and Michelle take us through a step-by-step process about how their large school in Australia changed assessment practices, particularly around speaking, and how this led to a huge increase in student interest, success and motivation for language learning. When the exam changes, everything changes. You don't want to miss this one!Let me know what you think! I'd love to hear from you. 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/themotivatedclassroomDon’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow languages teacher! -
145 ¦ The first two weeks: Focus on the little things 18.09.2026 20mIn those first few weeks of the school year, it is easy to just provide the classroom routine once and then assume the students have it nailed. As it begins to slip, we gloss over it and let things slide so that we can get on with our content... but, this often ends up eating into way more class time as you try to fight against that poorly embedded routine as the year progresses. This episode is all about keeping the focus on those "little things", particularly at the start, so that you gain that time back and much more, later in the year. A highly practical episode, with of course some mentions of the evidence and research in this area too.Let me know what you think! I'd love to hear from you. 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/themotivatedclassroomDon’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow languages teacher! -
144 ¦ The first two weeks: Providing the why 11.09.2026 20mWhen we think about autonomy as a driving force of intrinsic motivation, we often conflate it simply with 'providing choice'. According to Self-Determination Theory, however, autonomy is also about self-direction, ownership and value; this psychological need is also satisfied when we understand the rationale and purpose behind an activity... especially ones we may not find in inherently interesting.This episode explores what providing rationale looks like in the classroom and how important it is to continually do this, right through the year, but even more so in the first few weeks.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/themotivatedclassroomDon’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow languages teacher! -
143 ¦ Motivation, assessment and storytelling with Will Marks of The Language Lab Podcast 04.09.2026 41mA very special podcast collaboration with Will Marks of The Language Lab Podcast where we discuss motivation, storytelling and assessment in the acquisition-driven classroom.Thank you to Will for inviting me on his excellent podcast. I highly recommend listening to his other content!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/themotivatedclassroomDon’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow languages teacher! -
142 ¦ The first two weeks: Building a motivated classroom 28.08.2026 33mThe first few lessons give us an opportunity to build the foundations for a classroom where students feel connected, capable and have a sense of ownership over their language learning journey.In this episode, we look at how we can apply the principles of Self-Determination Theory to those crucial first two weeks of the school year. What can we do to develop relatedness? How can we create a sense of belonging? How can we give students meaningful choices and help them feel competent from the very beginning?This episode explores how we can intentionally create the conditions for motivation to take root and grow right from the start. 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/themotivatedclassroomDon’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow languages teacher! -
141 ¦ Motivation: 750 researchers, 50 countries and one core message for teachers 21.08.2026 37mMotivation is repeatedly found in the research to be a key factor in long term success in education. In 2020, I started this podcast with the episode "Motivation: What is it and how does it work?". So, what do the world's leading researchers and voices on motivation and language learning now tell us, about how it works in our classroom over 6 years later?In this episode, I share what I learned at the International Self-Determination Theory Conference in Geneva in July 2026, where 750 researchers and practitioners from 50 countries came together to explore the science of motivation. Across the different presentations, studies and discussions, one core message kept coming through.Listen to this episode in full to learn about the latest motivation research and what it tells us about our students, our classrooms and the way we teach languages.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/themotivatedclassroomDon’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow languages teacher! -
140 ¦ Making the input stick through narrative and story 04.07.2026 17mAlmost all SLA researchers agree on one core point: Comprehensible input is necessary for language acquisition... but, there is now widespread agreement that in a school environment, that input must also be compelling, interesting and engaging. Comprehensible alone is not enough to hold our students' short attention spans in the current busy classroom - the input needs a narrative arc to engage our students and ensure they are paying enough attention to the input so that it can become acquired.In this episode we explore the use of narrative and story in the language classroom as a way to maintain engagement and boost acquisition. So, what are your thoughts on this?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/themotivatedclassroomDon’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow languages teacher! -
139 ¦ Practical strategies for teaching with gender-inclusive language with Kodi Rain 28.06.2026 27mIn this episode I am joined by the wonderful author and educator, Kodi Rain. We had a great conversation about belonging, representation and identity affirming teaching practices; with a particular focus on gender-inclusive language in the classroom.A perfect listen in this #Pride Month. 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/themotivatedclassroomDon’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow languages teacher! -
138 ¦ Is input alone enough? 19.06.2026 29mFor over five years, this podcast has advocated for an approach to language teaching centred around compelling, comprehensible input to unlock natural language acquisition and simultaneously increase student and teacher motivation? But is input alone really enough? I first talked about this back in Episode 103 in 2023. In this episode I unpack and discuss my how view has shifted over the years based on research and conversations with educators, CI teachers and researchers. As always, I provide my take on things from what I've read and who I have spoken to. Your view will, no doubt, differ to mine. That reflective process and thinking deeply about the core principles of our practice is what moves everyone forward, and what ultimately leads to a more motivated classroom for our students, and ourselves as their teachers.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/themotivatedclassroomDon’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow languages teacher! -
137 ¦ Starting an instructional coaching programme in your school with Nick Pointer and Jeremy Lloyd 17.06.2026 1h 2mInstructional Coaching: A highly effective and impactful method of professional development for teachers where they work 1-on-1 with a coach to focus on tiny tweaks to their practice based on evidence-informed insights. This episode follows up on episode 120 and focuses entirely on 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 from three separate but connected perspectives: Nick Pointer who was training our team of coaches and helping us to implement it school wide, Jeremy as the professional development lead responsible for instructional coaching within the school and then some snippets from me as an instructional coach on the ground in my first year in the role.This episode was the culmination of 2 years' of work at the International School of Lausanne, exploring the theoretical and practical details of setting up an instructional coaching programme - definitely worth a listen for anyone interested in this approach to teacher professional development!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, Twitter @motclasspodcast 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 -
136 ¦ Teach the Teacher: Motivation, input & acquisition in advanced classes 15.06.2026 30mHow 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/themotivatedclassroomDon’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow languages teacher! -
135 ¦ Principle 6: Secure attention and run routines 14.06.2026 40mPrinciple Six of Six for a Motivated Year in the 'Back to School' series:Principle 6: Secure attention and running routinesThe 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/themotivatedclassroomDon’t forget to subscribe & share with a fellow language teacher! -
134 ¦ Principle 5: The CI Class Yearbook 13.06.2026 23mPrinciple Five of Six for a Motivated Year in the 'Back to School' series:Principle 5: The CI Class YearbookThis 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 Friday6. 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! -
133 ¦ Principle 4: Effective pairs to boost engagement 12.06.2026 25mPrinciple Four of Six for a Motivated Year in the 'Back to School' series:Principle 4: Effective pairsThis 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 EffectWhether 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 yearbook6. 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!
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