"Don't teach AT the students. Teach OFF them" - Scott Thornbury

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"Don't teach at the students. Teach off them." Scott Thornbury becomes our first repeat guest and helps us dissect this and more. 

Scott Thornbury is a teacher, teacher trainer, and award-winning author in English language education. He has taught and trained teachers around the world, including on the MA TESOL program at The New School in New York, and is widely recognized for his contributions to ELT methodology and teacher development.

He co-authored Teaching Unplugged (2009) and Dogme in Practice (2025), both with Luke Meddings. His latest book is called Scott Thornbury's 66 Essentials of Lesson Design.

 

In our chat, Scott delves into:

• tensions between planning & spontaneity
• what an effective lesson design process looks like
• if the communicative approach can be rehabilitated
• shifting from surface-level communication to meaningful interaction
• adapting teacher training and institutional expectations 
• the role of technology in education

 

FOR MORE FROM SCOTT THORNBURY:

1. Visit his website

2. Book: Domge in Practice 

3. Book: 66 Essentials of Lesson Design

4. Connect on LinkedIn 

 

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If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: [email protected] 

 

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