Coaching Language Learners to Success with Kerstin Cable

Coaching Language Learners to Success with Kerstin Cable

Author: TESOL Pop May 8, 2024 Duration: 14:39

Founder of Fluent Language, Kerstin Cable, discusses the difference between teaching and coaching. Kerstin walks through key elements of her language habit system, which focuses on a cycle of planning, tracking, reviewing and goal setting to set learners up for success.


KEY TALKING POINTS


Defining Coaching

  • Coaching focuses on understanding the learner's goals and empowering them to find their own solutions.
  • Kerstin emphasises the importance of autonomy in the coaching process, allowing learners to make decisions and take ownership of their learning journey.


The Power of Habits

  • Kerstin discusses the significance of habits in language learning, drawing from Gretchen Rubin's framework.
  • She highlights the effectiveness of small, consistent actions over grand, unsustainable efforts.
  • Kerstin shares her experience developing a language habit system and its evolution.


Flexibility and Adaptability

  • The habit system allows for flexibility and adjustment based on individual needs and preferences.
  • Kerstin emphasises the importance of understanding one's motivations and adjusting habits accordingly.


Applicability Across Contexts

  • Laura reflects on her own language learning journey and the shift from traditional methods to a habit-based approach.
  • Kerstin explains how the habit system can be tailored to various goals and contexts, whether for citizenship exams or personal enjoyment.


ABOUT

Kerstin Cable is a language learning coach, speaker, and podcaster living in England. She is the woman behind Fluent Language.

Kerstin is the author of more than 15 books and courses for language learners, co-founder of AI Language Club and the Women in Language conference, and creator of the Fluent Show podcast.


She is a native German speaker who hails from the beautiful Moselle valley. Kerstin studied six languages in Germany and has added 4 more so far, including her language crush, Welsh. Kerstin is a popular speaker at universities and events, and has been featured on BBC World Service, in Süddeutsche Zeitung, Bloomberg Businessweek and The Cut.



REFERENCES

  1. Cable, K. (2021) Language Coaches: What they are and how to work with them
  2. The Fluent Show - a podcast about loving, living and learning languages
  3. Rubin, G. (2020). The Four Tendencies. Two Roads


TRANSCRIPT

Watch with closed captions.


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CREDITS

Producer Laura Wilkes

Editor Haven Tsang

Thanks to our fab guest, Kerstin Cable.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Ever feel like the best teaching ideas come from a quick chat in the staffroom, but your schedule never allows for it? TESOL Pop captures that spark. Designed for the busy English language teacher, this mini podcast delivers compact, meaningful conversations with TESOL, TEFL, and ESL educators globally. Each episode is a focused interview, kept under fifteen minutes, packed with practical ideas and personal insights that can genuinely shift your approach in the classroom. You’ll hear stories about career pivots, reflections on what actually works with students, and clever uses of technology, all shared in a casual, accessible tone. It’s the audio equivalent of a refreshing coffee break with a colleague who gets it. The podcast understands that profound professional development doesn’t always require a lengthy seminar; sometimes, a single, well-timed insight is enough to reinvigorate your teaching. By tuning in, you join a global conversation that feels both personal and immediately useful, making it easy to integrate new perspectives into your daily routine without overwhelming your calendar.
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